We are getting ready this week to head up to Flagstaff, AZ to photograph some fall colors. In preparing for our day trip I decided to clean out and organize my camera bag as I just returned from Zion National Park and let's just say I used my camera bag as a catch all. As I'm going through my bag it dawned on me that others may be interested to hear what we consider to be some essentials as we travel and explore the great outdoors with our cameras. Our essentials are a little different than they used to be in our wedding photography days, so that may be a blog post for another day. Here are our top 10 items we keep in our bags when exploring the outdoors (in addition to our cameras and lenses, of course):
1) Lens Cleaning Wipes or Microfiber Cloth: You never know what conditions you may find yourself shooting in when exploring the outdoors. Your camera may be exposed to water, dust, or dirt. We like to keep both a little cloth, as well as some Zeiss Cleaning Wipes in our bag. Sometimes the cloth is good enough to get simple dust off the lens, but sometimes we need the extra cleaning power of the wipes:
2) Air Blower: Living in Arizona we find ourselves changing our lenses often in the desert. We may go from shooting our beautiful Salt River Horses with a telephoto lens, then changing to a wide-angle for a gorgeous Arizona sunset. One of the most disappointing feelings is getting home, unloading your card to see all your sunset pictures had sensor dust littering the sky. A quick easy blast of your air on your sensor could have saved you the tedious task of spot healing in post processing!
3) Extra Memory Cards: I have to admit there have been times I've left the house in an unorganized hurry and took only the memory card in my camera as I set out to explore. Do you know what a horrible feeling it is to have an extremely rare photo opportunity present itself, but you missed the shot because you were deleting images on your card to make more room? Well hopefully you haven't experienced that, but to prevent it always have a few extra memory cards in your bag. I've just ordered this water resistant memory card holder and what I like most about it is that it will hold SD cards for my camera, but underneath each SD card there is a little slot for my drone's micro-SD cards.
4) Tripod: When possible we like to carry our tripods with us. This is especially true if we are out chasing waterfalls, walking along flowing water, and during our night photography. I carry the MeFoto Globetrotter tripod because it is lightweight and fits easily into the side pocket of my camera bag. If you do not want to be bothered by the size and weight of a regular tripod, you can always look into compact travel tripods (like Joby Gorillapods) just ensure the tripod is rated to hold the weight of your camera.
5) Flashlight/Headlamp: I keep both in my bag. I prefer the headlamp as it keeps my hands free to manipulate my camera. However, in case my batteries die or my headlamp malfunctions I keep a small flashlight in my bag as well. It was of popular opinion recently that red lights were best to help preserve night vision, but now we have seen more debates in the photography world that red lights interfere with images and make it more difficult to correct in post processing. Our thoughts, as always, is just to be considerate of other photographers near you. If they were there first, then be considerate and follow their lead. If a large group/workshop is using white lights, maybe it's best to refrain from using your red light. Either way, we consider a light essential to have in our bags!
6) Extra Batteries/Solar Charger: It is important to have extra batteries or a way to charge your batteries when you are out exploring. Not only for your camera, but for your flashlights and your phone (in case of emergency). I bought this solar charger for my last camping trip and it worked great. It has 2 usb charging ports so I can charge my camera battery and phone at the same time. In addition, it is a flashlight and has a little compass on back. I had charged it prior to leaving on my trip and it lasted the weekend. I would keep it out in the sun when possible to add some supplemental charge to it.
7) Multi-function Tool: The main reason we keep a multi-function tool in our bag is because we are based out of Arizona, home of the cholla (also known as the jumping cactus). Whether they actually jump or not I don't know, but all it takes is getting close to one of these chollas (or pieces of chollas that are scattered throughout some locations) for you to find there spines embedded in your skin. It's a painful experience and not easy to remove from your skin because the cactus is covered in these spines, that seem to fishhook once under the skin. When in the desert you want pliers/tweezers handy in the unfortunate event of a cholla encounter. We've also had numerous times where these tools have helped with slight adjustments of tripods and such.
8) Filters: Some may argue if these are really essential, however, they can become crucial in creating an image when presented with the right subject at the right time. For example, if I need a longer shutter time in the middle of the day to show movement in storm clouds or water then I would hate to be without my ND filter. The circular polarizer helps remove glare and makes colors pop. This will be on my lens when photographing the fall foliage in Flagstaff later this week. While there are several other filters available, those are the only 2 I personally keep in my bag. I can argue for a UV filter as it has protected my glass before, preventing the actual lens from being cracked, however my lens hood offer some protection so I no longer use UV filters. There are many options and a huge variance in price when it comes to these filters. It's best to work with your budget. As your experience in photography progresses and quality of your gear increases then you may find yourself wanting to invest in higher quality filters. In the meantime, get filters you can afford and see how they affect your art. You will also want to ensure the size of the filter fits the lens you intend to use with the filter. Here is a good starting set for beginners:
9) Shutter Release: Another item which may not really be essential, but due to it's small size and weight I find no reason to not have one in my camera bag. A shutter release is helpful in long exposures and precise macro shots, to ensure you are not accidentally introducing movement into your camera while pressing down the shutter button. It will help ensure sharp images in these situations.
10) Water: This is a must. Especially in Arizona and especially if you will be out exploring for a long period of time. A good recommendation is about 1/2 liter water/hr if you will be hiking while you photograph. More intense exploring, or exploring in hotter weather may require more. Stay hydrated!
This is a list of our top 10 essentials for every day exploring. We would be remiss if we did not add that you want to take your climate and weather forecasts into consideration when packing your camera bags. When we lived in Illinois and would photograph during the winter, it was essential to have gloves and hand warmers in our bag. During monsoon season here in Arizona you may see us with rain covers to help protect our bags/gear. Depending on how remote you explore you may also want to consider a GPS locator/2 way communicator. While they are pricey, if you are in a situation where you are lost or hurt, it could very well be the one thing that saves your life. A few other non-essentials we keep in our bag include: wet wipes and a small garbage bag (to carry out any trash we may make, but to pick up other trash we come across as well). We would love to hear what you keep in your camera bag when you explore! Let us know if the comments, or visit us on our Face Book Community page and share with other photographers! Until next time, Explore, Create and Do Good!
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