Jacob Rheams Discovers How Thermal Imaging Can Help a Wildlife Photographer Capture the Perfect Image
Over the past month I’ve been using the Pulsar Merger LRF XL50 thermal binoculars around my local area, taking them out with me whenever going for a quick stroll, or if I’m searching for a particular species. Now, although there isn’t anything of amazing interest surrounding where I live — there are no large predatory animals or super rare species — one thing I will say is, using the thermal imaging binos, I was taken aback by how many individuals of the “common” species are right on my doorstep!
Being a wildlife photographer, finding as many animals as I can is my main goal, as this will provide me with more opportunities to achieve the shots I have set out to get. Doing this with a camera alone can sometimes prove to be tricky, so having a tool like the Mergers is incredibly helpful — I can spot wildlife hiding in the bushes or in long grass that might usually escape my attention. This means I can head out and spend significantly less time searching for my subject (which makes my job a whole lot easier!).
With the Merger LRF XL50 set to white hot, any animals I come across will glow a bright white against their surroundings, making them really stand out. Even when the view is obscured by branches or other vegetation, this white glow can still be easily distinguished as an animal. Plus, with their extremely long 2300 m detection range, I don’t have to be anywhere near the animal to be able to pick it up and locate it with the Mergers. What’s even better is the in-built range finder — using this function, I can gauge how far away from the animal I am, allowing me to plan my moves in advance, without getting too close to my subject and spooking it.
I’ve used the Merger LRF XL50 in both day- and night-time scenarios, testing to see which works best; but once you’re looking through the binoculars you wouldn’t be able to tell the difference, as they work in exactly the same way, regardless of lighting conditions. However, one thing that I did appreciate when using them at night is that they reveal things that I usually can’t just with the naked eye — I’ve noticed how some animals behave very differently after darkness falls and human activity is reduced.
I’m lucky enough to have grown up in a house abutting a nature reserve, so I am all too familiar with the distinctive sound of a fox call. But, other than the odd sighting here and there, hearing those fox calls was the only evidence I had that they were around me. Now, kitted out with the Merger LRF XL50, I’ve been able to head into the nature reserve after dark and put a face to the noise! The binos revealed dozens of foxes and even badgers — it was incredible to watch them and study their behaviour after dark.
During my night-time trips into the nature reserve, I would follow the route I usually took in daylight, taking a look through the thermal binoculars as I went. The fields and meadows would light up with little white dots everywhere I looked, revealing rabbits sat feeding during the night (another instance in which wildlife behaves completely differently while there are no people or dogs to disturb them).
But it’s not just these “common” species I’ve been observing during my time with the Mergers. I’ve also taken them down to the coast in search of turnstones — a species of bird found along the rocky shore well-known for their incredibly effective camouflage. The feathers along their backs blend in perfectly with the rocks when they crouch down, making them a difficult species to spot at times (unless they are flying or on the sand). So having the Merger LRF XL50 definitely made the search a whole lot easier, and meant I could go down and spend as much time filming them before the tide came in.
Setting off to the beach in search of these little birds, I headed straight over to the rockpools. There were a few shags perched on the rocks drying their feathers down by the water, so I thought it would be a good spot to begin searching for the turnstones. Using the thermal binos to scan along the rocks yielded no results, so I moved along a little further up and decided to sit down and wait patiently for any birds to move along the rocks. I could even use this time to see if I’d be able to hear any activity further along from where I was positioned.
After around 10 minutes of waiting, I heard the turnstones’ calls and spotted a small group of them flying across the water towards the rock I was sat on. Once again, up came the binoculars, and there, hidden among the rocks, was a cluster of bright white dots. I quickly switched to my main camera and, suddenly, it became much harder to spot them. Using the thermals to locate them and get the camera pointed in the right direction made it nice and easy to get the shots I had set out to capture. They allowed me to spend more time setting up a composition and capturing the perfect image, and less time searching for my subject.
Another nifty feature on these thermal binoculars is the built-in camera. It allowed me to take pictures and capture video, meaning (especially at night when I can’t use my main camera) I’m able to document all the animals that I see while on walks. I can even share things like the hidden nocturnal wildlife of the UK with my audiences on social media. Proving how, for me, these aren’t just a useful piece of kit to help spot wildlife, but also valuable commodity when it comes to helping me spread my love for the natural world through filming the wildlife many people might not get to see!
You can see some of the shots Jacob captured during his travels below:
About the Author:
Jacob Rheams
Jacob Rheams is a UK based wildlife photographer who is currently studying Marine & Natural History at University. Alongside his studies, Jacob uses his skills as a photographer to reveal the the beauty of wildlife in the UK and around the world, lending a perspective that most people haven’t had the opportunity to experience themselves. You can check out some of his work on his website here, or you can follow him on Instagram and TikTok to join him on his travels.
