KIRK FAT BAG
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Not all wildlife photography is done while roaming the hinterlands…In fact, many of my favorite shots were taken right from the driver’s seat of my car! The Kirk Fat Bag is literally a fat bag that straddles your car door so you can rest your telephoto lens on it to dampen vibrations and get sharper photos. I filled mine with split peas…It takes EIGHT POUNDS! But you won’t starve if you get stranded!
BUY IT HERE FROM KIRK ($39.95 empty)

THERMOS KING—40 OZ.
thermos-stainless-kingI just received the 40-ounce Thermos as an early Christmas present (Thanks Mom and Dad!). And I love it! I tested it with nearly boiling water…24 hours later it was still nearly too hot to drink! Even 36 hours later, the water was still very warm. There is nothing more comforting on a cold winter day in the field than knowing you have a thermos of hot coffee or cocoa within arms reach. You could also bring extremely hot water into the field on an extremely cold day (minus 20 F or lower) to create instant vaporization photos like I did in this video
Stainless steel, Thermax double-wall construction, twist pour spout so you don’t need to remove stopper, cap doubles as insulated mug.
BUY IT FROM SEARS HERE ($37.80)

WILDLIFE PHOTOGRAPHY DVD
Get Close DVD and case photo IMG_0064812 copyWARNING! Shameless product promotion ahead: Yes, this is my video. It was a blast to make and I think you’ll really enjoy it. The DVD is 90 minutes of non-stop wildlife photography tips and tricks on getting close to wildlife. We go Moose calling, learn about pop-up blinds, create a backyard bird pool, make a blind out of snow and even go out in a floating blind (with details on how to make your own!) Available as a download too.
BUY THE DVD FROM AMAZON HERE ($29.95)
OR email me at thesparkygroup@gmail for download info ($29.95)

LENSCOAT
lens-coatProtect those expensive telephoto lenses with a LensCoat neoprene wrap. I love mine…I got one for my 400mm f5.6 lens. They not only protect your lens from dings and scratches, but they also camouflage your black or white lens and keep them quieter. Choose from several camouflage patterns.
BUY IT HERE FROM B&H PHOTO (price varies with lens…$20-$100)

WILDLIFE PHOTOGRAPHER OF THE YEAR PORTFOLIOS
portfolio-22-1000Need some photographic inspiration? Just flip through the pages of the gorgeous hardcover books from the Veolia Wildlife Photographer of the Year competition. This is the most prestigious wildlife photography competition in the world…and the resulting photos prove it! I’d stick with the last five portfolios…#s 18-22.
BUY IT FROM AMAZON HERE ($39.95 for portfolio 22)

LENS MUG
canon-ef-lens-mug-20100319-122844Drink your coffee out of a Canon 70-200mm lens? At least that’s what your friends will think! Convincing replica of the actual Canon 70-200mm lens.
BUY IT FROM UNIQUE PHOTO HERE ($22.95)

Just a few ideas! Coming up next…Gift Ideas for Birders