WILDLIFE PHOTOGRAPHY HIDES

I use a variety of hides in my Wildlife photography for a number of reasons.  Firstly, my prime Canon lens, camera and tripod are too heavy for me to carry and more importantly, I don't like to disturb wildlife. The only time I do carry this heavy lens is at Bempton Cliffs.

Many years ago, I started out with a Simon King pop up hide.  I have about three of them now.  In the Autumn of 2025 I bought a 8 x 6 Pent shed and made that into a permanent hide in my garden.  I am just in the process of setting up perches, carpeting it and just generally getting it how I want it.  This little vixen was one of my first visitors to my hide.

Sadly, on bonfire night when all the bangers were going off, she disappeared and I never saw her again :(

PAID WILDLIFE PHOTOGRAPHY HIDES

Commercial Wildlife Photography hides are mainly  set up by professsional wildlife photographers who have a good understanding of attractive perches and clean backdrops.  They will advise on what lens length is needed and know exactly what works to ensure clients go away with fantastic images.

A customer leaving the hide with images of which they are very proud,  means they will return again and again and will also share their images on social media so others can see what can be achieved at that hide.  The price range can be anything from around £75 to £100 per day.  

Wildlife hides may  offer somewhere to charge your camera batteries, maybe a gimbal head and ground pod, bean bag, toilet facilities and maybe a flask of hot tea!

My personal preferences are:

Attractive perches having a good separation distance from the background with no messy twigs and dark tree trunks spoiling a clean image. I'm trying to achieve this with my own garden hide, but it's a work in progress ! 

Here are a few of the paid hides I have visited with images obtained.  These animals are totally wild and being wild, it can never be guaranteed that they will show !!

Image of male Kestrel taken at the Yorkshire Wildlife Photography hides near Bradford

YORKSHIRE WILDLIFE PHOTOGRAPHY HIDES, BRADFORD

I visited "Charlies" hide one bitterley cold January day.  I took Hotties hand warmers and a microwaveable heat pad which was supposed to keep warm for 10 hours - It didn't.

Mick and Dan run the hides and they are lovely blokes and very helpful.  Prior to my visit I was sent a short video to watch as the hide is very much self service.  So it's up to you where you want to place the supply of mice for the kestrels.  There's a wonderful choice of interesting perches with clean backgrounds, giving a lovely soft bokeh which I love.  A breeding pair of Kestrel made many visits to the perches in search of the wee mousies.  Despite the cold, I really enjoyed my visit.

In April, I booked the "Dark Woods Hide" which is a new venture for Yorkshire Wildlife Photography hides.  I had several visits from the Tawny Owl and a beautiful badger who stayed quite a while.

I took my my Canon R6 camera with a RF 100 - 500mm lens, which at 500mm gives an aperture of 7.1.  I would have liked to blur out the background a bit more, so certainly, for the perched tawny owl, I wished I had taken my 500mm F4 lens.  But hey ho, my first time, so now I know.

Dan who runs the hides, met me at my car  and led me to the hide which is in a lovely, privately owned little wood.  Dan then set up the lighting system and a trigger on the top of my camera.  He then explained what to do when I left the hide and also checked on me later in the night to see if everything was ok.  It was, and I had an amazing experience with the hours passing very quickly.  I left about 12.30 am although the hide is booked until 1 am.

NORTH YORKSHIRE WILDLIFE PHOTOGRAPHY HIDE, NORTON, MALTON, NORTH YORKS

I have visited this hide a number of times and it just gets better and better.  

Set in private woodland at the side of a lake which attracts the beautiful kingfishers, often at very close range.  I had a very successful visit in April and the Kingfishers, both male and female were very busy in front of the hide.  

There are also Jays, Buzzards, Great Spotted woodpeckers and many smaller woodland birds.

There is also the opportunity to book an evening session in the hide to photograph badgers who live in a nearby sett.  Otters have also been spotted.

My next visit, again in April, will include a two night stay in the highly recommended Glamping pod which has its own hide and in front of its own lake.  I cannot wait.

Gary is a wonderful host who will supply you with flask of hot water, teas and coffees.  As he lives on site, he is also on hand to help out with any queries you may have. 

www.welhamlake.co.uk