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After retiring from a job teaching high school biology, Ron Dudley took his love of natural history to the field. He now spends most days photographing raptors from a Ford F-150 in his home state of Utah.

Using your vehicle as a mobile blind has distinct advantages, he says. “Birds are much, much less afraid of a vehicle than they are a person on foot, and so you can get much closer.” Rather than use a specialized beanbag to support his camera lens, Dudley hacked a pool noodle—slitting it down its length, covering it in duct tape to keep it from squeaking, and fitting it to the truck’s window frame. He also built a lens caddy for his console that holds the camera securely over rough roads but enables him to lift it out in an instant.

Shooting from a window limits the angle of the shot, but that’s nothing some “creative driving” can’t solve—and it helps to have side mirrors that fold forward out of the way. Dudley��also eschews any ride with a��diesel engine��(too much noise) or daytime running lights that can't be turned off.��“You’d be surprised at the things that go into my choice of a new vehicle,” he says.

Here are more of�� for using your own mobile blind:

• If you have a tripod, bring it along for those situations that require it. ��


• You don't need a pickup truck—small cars work fine and have the advantage of a lower shooting angle for birds on the ground or in the water.


• If possible, always turn the engine off before shooting.��Vibrations from a running engine can contribute to soft shots, particularly with long lenses.


• If you wish to avoid making enemies for life, do not get out of your vehicle while near other photographers shooting birds from their own vehicles.��Even cracking your door open will often flush birds.


• You’ll be spending lots of time with the windows open so dress accordingly.��Shivering makes photography a challenge.


• Don’t breathe on the viewfinder in cold weather, or you’ll have to wait for the condensation to evaporate before you can see through it again.


• Open windows provide access to��insects, and nothing can ruin great opportunities with birds faster than mosquitoes, horse flies, deer flies, and biting gnats (no seeums).��Stash bug repellant in the door pocket.

Follow these tips, and you might just capture a photo like this:��

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