Welcome to the “12 Days of Kit-mas,” a series where I’m sharing with you 12 things that I find helpful to have in my wildlife photography kit. As always, I only review products I’ve paid for and use in the field. I do not accept review compensation or free products from brands.
Make sure to follow me on Instagram to see the videos that go along with it!

On the first day of Kit-mas, I’m bringing you one of my absolute FAVORITE pieces of wildlife photography gear, the Kirk Enterprises Super Grip Handle.

*Using the Kirk Super Grip photographing bears in Alaska, where the water was too deep for me to get out.*

There are tools that make life a little easier, and then there are tools that transform what is possible. The Kirk Super Grip falls into both categories. Priced at $155 at the time I’m writing this, it isn’t the cheapest handle on the market, but it’s the best option in terms of simplicity, practicality, and it solves a problem that many wildlife photographers have: getting that crucial low angle, especially when working from a boat or other challenging location.

On its surface, it’s practical and makes walking with and hiking with my heavy glass a little easier, especially in winter when my hands are all gloved up and simply holding the foot is not really possible for me. But where this tool really shines and earns its place in my wildlife photography kit “must haves” is at the boat’s edge.

Whether I’m working the waters of Alaska or navigating the Pantanal in Brazil I can safely hang my rig over the side to photograph at or just above the water’s surface. That perspective, that right-at-eye-level shot with a caiman or a giant otter creates an intimacy that transforms an image into something immersive.

Take a look at the two images below. The one on the left was taken with me sitting in the boat in my seat, like 99% of photographers will do in this situation. The one on the right? My camera hanging over the edge of the boat for the shot just seconds between the two. Same caiman, same angle in the boat, just dropping my camera over the edge and getting close to the water’s surface.

Helluva difference, right? You can see more images made while hanging over the boat in the gallery at the end of this post.

Caiman Seconds Later Sitting Up-1473.jpg

As you know, I love working from in the water itself to get photos like these. But sometimes it’s just not possible. In Alaska, some of those spots were simply too deep for me to stand in. In Brazil, when you’re surrounded by thousands of caimans, wading in seems like spectacularly poor judgment. But I could still get that same effect because I use this handle.

The gallery below shows photos made while hanging over the edge of a boat to get low to the water. Notice how the foreground instantly becomes smooth vs. the ripples and distractions that you can see in photos like the “boat seat” caiman photo above.

What I love most is the simplicity of the design. We’ve had top handles in video work for ages, but they often need to be mounted to a camera cage or more permanently attached. The Super Grip handle mounts via a standard Arca Swiss connection, so I can move it from my 400mm to my 100-400mm in seconds, just like if it were cage-mounted, but it’s not a more permanent (or bulky) setup.

I love how easy it is to hold my 400mm, a not-light piece of glass for most, above the water. I never felt “safe” doing that when I was just holding my lens foot - the grip that way was simply too awkward to trust my $13,000 lens to.

While in Brazil, I let anyone who wanted to try it give it a go (Michael got so lost in the difference it made he nearly drowned his camera!)I am not exaggerating when I say that a couple of them liked it so much that they ordered one while on the trip so that it would be at their house by the time they arrived home. It’s simply that transformative.

My only modification? The flat bottom on the inside of the handle means square edges and that gets uncomfortable over time. Most video top handles have a more ergonomic grip (rounded or little indents for your fingers) and if Kirk ever updates this product to follow suit, I will buy it again in a heartbeat. But a simple modification on my end made it infinitely more comfortable and usable for me. I took a thin layer of foam that came inside a package I ordered, trimmed it to fit the handle, and then wrapped it with self-adhesive tape that you can get from Amazon or any generic department store. Now it’s perfect for all-day work.