Daily Archives: September 9, 2012

11 years, 6 months ago 10

 

 

 

I get a lot of emails from folks wanting to know what gear I carry, and how I carry it.  Since I’m sitting in a Courtyard getting ready to fly to Reno at O:Dark thirty, and I have my travel bag and system with me, let’s dig into it right now!

This is my favorite rolling bag when I need to take a substantial amount of stuff, the Think Tank Airport Security 2.0.  This is what it holds;

 

1.  Nikon D7000 with strap and L Bracket.

 

2.  Nikon D800 with strap and L Bracket

 

3.  On top in the black Nikon pouch is my Jambox bluetooth speaker.  Below is my Nikon 16-35 AF-s VR f4 lens with a thin polarizer in a Think Tank lens bag.    Also my 4G MiFi and charging cord, for getting a  hot spot almost anywhere!

 

4.  A small SnapR case for a my Point and Shoot (which ever one I’m currently carrying), extra batteries and accessories.

 

5.   Bag with a Point and Shoot charger.

 

6.  Spare En-EL15 batteries for the two bodies and MH-25 charger.

 

7.  Sing Ray 8 Stop Variable ND filter and 77mm 2 element Diopter.   Small card reader from Rocketfish.  Small Sony Digital recorder for taking notes.

 

8. 2 Western Digital 1 TB portable hard drives, below, Maxpedition gear pouch with two Monster cables fro iPhone and iPad, plus Apple wall warts.

 

9. Power cord for Macbook Pro.

 

10.  Cable release in zippered pouch, MC-25 cord and MR-3 release button, below, Manfrotto lens case with Nikon 70-300 AF-S VR f4.5-5.6 lens with shade and polarizer.

 

11. Rocket blower, below, lens pouch with Nikon 24-120 AF-S VR f4 lens, two LED flashlights, and charger.

 

12. Macbook Pro in sleeve.

 

13.  The Think Tank Airport Security 2.0 rolling bag.

 

In the extra pockets are;  Two Think Tank Pocket Rocket Memory card holder for CF and SD cards, business card wallet.  Interior pockets hold; Allen wrenches, Shower Cap (dust and rain protection), standard threaded cable releases, a few dozen Zeiss pre-moistened wipes.   Two bottles of  Visine.  Spare lens caps and two ML-L3 Wireless Remotes for the D7000, I love these little things, buy them by the half dozen!  Everything is protected with a half dozen large micro fiber cloths.  One side exterior pocket has strong bungee cord to allow carrying my backpack on the bag handles.

 

Well there you have it two bodes, lenses from 16mm to 450 (on the DX bodies), poalrizers for every lens, a dioper for the 24-120 for close-up work and all the associated accessories for both the cameras and computer!

 

I never share these posts to suggest that you need to buy all of this or the same stuff, but it does give you and idea how to go into the field on and airplane and have everything you need to work productively!!

 

A tripod?  Of course, it goes in my large checked suitcase, with the ball head removed and in a separate ball head bag.

 

Good travels, and blessings,

 

the pilgrim

 

 

 

 

 


11 years, 6 months ago 16

This is the week, the week, one of my favorite weeks of the year!  Great friends, tons of airplanes, both flying and sitting on the tarmac!  Photo opportunities galore and just plane great Reno early fall weather, couldn’t be better!  I always get to work with my favorite crew from Nikon, Bill Pekala and Mark Kettenhofen, and we are joined by David Lee for part of the week, all aviation guys and great to work and hang out with!   I have a special love for airplanes and love to photograph them, especially the antique and older planes and I will be giving the D800 and real workout this week.  I have also, as mentioned earlier, assigned myself the single subject of color for color sake.  I think it is valuable to assign yourself things to look for and work on while doing your normal photographic walk arounds.

 

The shot above is one of my favorites with a liberal application of Glamour Glow from NIk Color Efex 3.0.  I hope to find more subjects that will work with his kind of digital filter use.

 

I’m asking a special favor of you guys, I need you to pray for me in a special way.   This will be the first time the entire team will be back at Reno since last year’s terrible crash.  I know a lot of people will need to be wrapped in love, prayer, and concern.  For those of us that were in the middle of last years tragedy will find it hard to return to the scene of so many bad memories.  It is especially hard for me, as I was the unlucky fellow selected by the NTSB and the FAA to edit the video and still images that revealed what really happened in the crash, that very few in the public will ever see.  I still have lasting memories I wish I could erase.  I want to be there for others and be supportive, but will also be struggling with those horrible memories myself.  I shutter when I think back and remember that I was standing, shooting, at almost the exact spot of the crash fifteen minutes before it happened. Please lift all of my team up, and all the photographer, and officials of the Reno Air Racing Association that must climb this hill together!

 

Now to better thought; God is in control, He has a plan, and I will trust Him with everything!  How good it is to leave home knowing He is with me, driving up to the airport, flying out to Reno, and in my day by day duties there.  Please pray that I can rise above my own concerns and be His man on the ground in Reno.  I would not want to be doing anything more, than serving Him, and that goes for my obligation to you too!  I will pray for you, and will share faithfully what God is giving me for you and I!!   I hope to post everyday from Reno, but just in case that doesn’t start until Tuesday, (the first day is always rea lly busy getting set up), this hopefully will work as my Monday post!

 

One last thing, thank you so very much for your visiting this blog, and I’m so pleased that so many of you are sharing that it means a lot to you, and that God is speaking to your heart!!   Just remember to put the praise where it belongs, with my Heavenly Father and His Son, Jesus!  When we lift Him up and praise Him, it frees Him to bless us in unimaginable ways!  I know, that’s what He has done for  me!

 

Blessings to all of you,

 

the pilgrim