Wildlife photography in a wheelchair

Its that time of year again when there is very little in the way of gardening jobs that I can do. Some things I can, like take care of the greenhouse and keep the plants in there watered and fed. But Tina is doing a pretty good job of keeping on top of the rest.

This has given me more time to focus on photography again and at this time of year when we are feeding the birds its great to get outside and get some shots.

We have a few different visitors come into our garden, the main ones being Sparrows. Also we have a lot of returning Great Tits and Blue Tits a Robin and some Blackbirds and also some Finches. I always get confused with Finches and what sort they are so I'll just call them Finches.

Photography I find is a great way to get you outdoors and connected with nature. What better way to spend an hour or two watching and listening to the wildlife in the garden. Even domestic wildlife in our case as when our dogs start they scare off the birds so I just photograph them instead.

Pictured above is my camera setup, its probably quite heavy for most people to use comfortably but I like it for its ruggedness and weather proof sealing. If I'm feeling really adventurous I could sit out in the rain and not have to worry too much about my gear getting wet. Because of the weight I use a carbon fibre monopod which attaches to the lens (or the body). The monopod fits nicely between my legs onto the floor and supports most of the weight which allows me to get a steady shot. If your upper body is not as strong then you could opt for a tripod. Ideally one that when opened up you could sit underneath in your wheelchair and be able to access your camera easily.

If neither a monopod or tripod is going to work for you then there are other alternatives. I did a bit of research into this a while back but decided I didn't need anything other than a monopod or tripod.

Frames like the one above can be used with a tripod head clamped to it. There are even companies that make proper camera supports for your wheelchair but from what I found were quite expensive.

Photography as a hobby needn't be expensive, you can get the setup I have for about £500 on eBay and you can get some cameras quite a bit cheaper than that. Shop around for the best deals as most modern cameras will take an acceptable picture nowadays.

And with camera in hand get outside and get shooting, learn your camera and learn your subject and in time you will be taking cracking shots.