Blinds & Ethics   Photographing wildlife takes time. It also takes planning, patience and persistence. Unlike many animals photographed along roadsides in National Parks where they are often accustomed to human presence, Great Plains animals are mostly wary and shy, and human presence is often not well accepted. Blinds play a major role in my work. For blinds to be effective, they have to fit into the habitat of the animal I am trying to photograph, and they often have to be introduced over a period of days or weeks or even months so an animal accepts them as an ordinary part of the landscape.  Mike in camouflage photographing cranes on the nest in northern Michigan. -Photo by Paul Tebbel Open River Blind There are two common mistakes photographers make using blinds, and I've made them both. First, many photographers assume that because an animal can't see them in a blind, the animal doesn't know they are there. We bang gear around, are careless with flashlights, etc. We just tend to assume than an animal's senses are only as good as our own. Usually that is not true. If they can't see you, they can smell you; if they can't smell you they can hear you or sense you in some other way. They may not detect you as human, but I think they usually know there is something inside. The key is to be patient and committed enough to have them accept your presence without perceiving you as a threat, and then never break that trust.   Field Blind Interior The second mistake we make is to jeopardize an animal's behavior for the sake of photographs, which is sadly often the case these days. Sometimes it's a matter of education and sometimes it's a matter of ethics. Creating a situation that hinders an animal from feeding, resting or caring for its young is irresponsible. Doing your homework on the animal first, being patient, using common sense and having a good ethic can go a long way towards minimizing those problems.       Remote Camera Blind Blinds should never be exited unless you can get away undetected, either after an animal has left the immediate area, or after dark. Sometimes that may mean a commitment of several hours or a day or more. Usually you should know the situation you are getting into. On the downside, blinds can be pretty uncomfortable. On the upside, the pictures are usually worth the commitment you make.