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Binoculars are a great technology for not looking at yr phone and instead looking with sustained attention at cool s**t that you otherwise might just let fly by you unnoticed — birds, literally and most obviously, but also any other intriguing visual phenomenon, like for instance incredible lichen growing somewhere high up. If you are doing a picnic (see above), bring some binoculars and see what’s in the trees. If you don’t have any, get a pair at a local place or cop some secondhand online. I have a pair of simple Nikon Prostaff 7S 10x42s that I like; you could get those or something more compact… check out standard-issue Nikons or Bushnells, or drop more $$ on some Fujinons or Leicas. Just be careful not to get anything so cheap & s**ty that it’ll work badly and bum you out…
May 27, 2021
Related Recs
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You'd be surprised at the things you're missing
Jan 24, 2024
for an entire year I was too lazy/poor to buy a fancy zoom lens so I just used my camera and cheap binoculars carefully aligned to my camera lens to take photos of birds in my local park.
it’s called digiscoping and it’s actually kinda fun once you get the hang of it. not pro-level, but def better than just zooming in on your phone like a maniac.
💡 how to do it:
get steady
your hands will shake. rest your binoculars on something solid (or better yet, a tripod). no tripod? lean on a tree or something.
line it up
open your camera, then gently press your phone’s lens against the binocular eyepiece. it might take a sec to find the sweet spot — you’ll know when you get that nice circle shot.
zoom a lil
use just a bit of your phone’s zoom if needed, but too much = grainy mess. tap to focus if your bird is looking blurry.
spam that shutter
birds don’t pose. just take like 10 pics and pick the best one later. trust.
📸 what to expect:
magnified birdies 🐦✨
kinda artsy circle frame (crop if u want)
not DSLR level but solid for ig or your birding finsta
🔧 pro tips (but like, amateur-friendly):
bigger eyepiece bins = easier to align
adapter mounts exist if ur serious — they’re like $20 on amazon
shoot in good light (early morning is chef’s kiss 🌅)
burst mode = your new bestie
🧠 bonus bird nerd tip:
if you ever upgrade to a spotting scope, your bird pics will pop off. like, frame-on-the-wall level.
May 31, 2025
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Its fun to have a little peek into peoples gardens, or across the hills, or into the bushes, or just straight into someone's kitchen window tbh. it really adds some excitement to the walk
Apr 15, 2024
Top Recs from @blackbird-spyplane
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You don’t actually need whatever s**t is in yr cart, and at the very least you don’t need it boxed up and rush delivered in <24 hours by workers whose quotas mean they can’t take bathroom breaks baby!! (Also Amazon stole millions of dollars in driver tips — true slimeball s**t, look it up!!) The “it’s so convenient” argument is weak, you’re not that busy, player, go for a walk, bet you there’s a store in yr hood that sells that same s**t — cop it there, even if it costs a few dollars more. If there *isn’t* a good store in yr hood, it’s because Amazon helped kill it, making your neighborhood less VIBRANT, so f**k ‘em for doing that, don’t reward them with more $$... And if it’s about wanting to watch movies and shows, pfffft get Criterion like a grown-up ; )
May 27, 2021
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This is an animal-rights group that, among other things, breaks into factory farms to document abuse and liberate suffering cuties. Whatever yr thoughts are about eating animals, if you have a soul you can agree that factory farming is deeply heinous nightmare evil s**t, and in fighting against it, these activists are doing tremendously hard, brave and lonely work — so throw ‘em some bucks and / or help ‘em out in other ways!!
May 27, 2021
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Public parks are great places to post up, see friends and kick back in the company of people in yr community who might not hang out at the same bar u do … This was true before the pandemic and it’s true today. A few years ago someone gave me a lightweight (6 oz?) canvas drop-cloth that has gotten very soft with time & now we toss it in a backpack & bring it with us to parks & on hikes. If you don’t have a picnic blanket already you can cop a ~$12 canvas drop-cloth from a local hardware or paint-supply store. You could use this to re-paint a room at the crib or make some art -- any “process splatters” will just make your picnic look more beautiful.
May 27, 2021