Northern Harrier, Perched

This shot as well as the photograph in the preceding post were both shot from the car window. With a little care; road hunting wildlife can provide photographs that otherwise are exceeding difficult to obtain. Most wildlife is accustomed to vehicles and may only flee when a person emerges from it.

First and foremost if one wishes to attempt this type of photography safety must be the first consideration with consideration of other drivers the next highest priority.

It is always best to turn off the ignition before shooting as engine vibrations will frequently blur the image. Another concern when shooting in cold weather is image distortion from heat waves escaping from the window. It is best to keep the automobile interior somewhat on the cold side and try to ensure the end of the lens is well outside of the window when shooting.

Wildlife’s vulnerability to hunters in vehicles has resulted in many states passing regulations prohibiting people from killing wildlife in this way and imposing heavy penalties for doing so. Fines not withstanding, many “sportsmen” in our area regularly engage in this illegal and unethical activity during our Pennsylvania deer season.

Fortunately there are no such restrictions on photographers that I am aware of.