I’ve been making more and more “quick” trips, or trips where I “can’t” bring every piece of gear I normally like to have at my disposal, so I thought I’d share a bit of my thought process.
I’ve been really, really focused on vision, rather than gear lately, but they’re both critical. I recently was shooting out in Colorado, had to take a bus to Cleveland, and was in Cincinnati a couple months back shooting bmx. These three trips didn’t really allow me to bring all my normal gear. I like c-stands, beauty dishes, big lights, etc- but I didn’t want to shell out cash for luggage on my flight, couldn’t fit it all on a bus, and needed to be super mobile when shooting bmx. Pictured above is the basic “go to kit” for me. Let’s break it down:
1: Obviously a camera body. Two preferably, main and back up, but I only have one, for now. I have a wide angle zoom on it, which is kind of my go to lens. Covers wide to a normal range, which is great when you are in a situation where you need to grab the camera quickly to make a shot. Also extra batteries and a charger. Duh.
2: I never leave home without my 70-200mm.
3: I like to have a super fast prime. Mine’s a 50mm. For those low light situations or when you need the depth.
4: As many memory cards as you have, as well as a card reader for dumping cards on location. Also a lens pen.. keeps that glass clean.
5: My trusty pocket wizards. Allows me to have my lone flash off camera.
6: One speedlight or handle mount. I choose the latter. A sunpak 544. If I can fit it, and want to, I’ll bring a battery pack for it.
7: All this fits snuggly into a smallish shoulder bag. I like Lowepro bags, but this is a Tamrac.
*Not pictured: Laptop (macbook), rubber bands, g-tape, and all those sort of small goodies.
There you go.. nothing real fancy, but just the right amount of gear where I feel comfortable in most situations to make the images I want. Of course, this all depends on the assignment, shot in mind, situation, etc- If I feel I need a beauty dish and all my strobes, I’ll make sure I have them. This list is more of a starting place, and then I build around it when needed.
What’s your go to kit like?