Hey Everyone! Hope you've had a good week.  This week I want to talk about what you have in your camera bag.  That's right your camera bag not mine.  This will be a guideline on what I think you should have in your camera bag. Of course this is very personal.  Everybody's needs are different.  I think that you should pack what is needed and not what is not.  Being lightweight and nimble is a key to great photography.  No matter if your a street photographer landscape wildlife or whatever.  It is said in backpacking that you pack your fears. Which means you pack a lot of "what ifs?" What if I get thirsty, More water, what if I get hungry more food. You get the idea.  All of these what if's is what makes a pack heavy.  The same goes with your camera bag.  If you take everything you own you will have a miserable time being a pack mule lugging all of your equipment around.  Being economic in what you bring will enhance the photography experience.  And we all want that.  Part of this is knowing what to take and this comes with experience.  I have 40 years of caring around a camera bag and I'm still figuring out what to bring and what to leave home but I have come to a conclusion Less is more! Sometimes One lens and one body is all you really need. ( I do like a one lens challenge.)  Especially as I get older I don't want to be a pack mule.  So here goes a few rules and some hints on what to bring in no particular order.

1. Plan you trip. Try to learn what you are going to be taking photo's of.  If your going to a museum you don't need a 500mm lens and if your _MSP6316 going to shoot birds in flight you don't need a super wide lens.  Bring what you need and remember the less the better.

2. Bring a bag just large enough to carry what you need.  I have found with backpacking the larger bag you bring you must fill that sucker up with things you don't need.  So if your going to do street photography you don't need a 50 liter backpack .  Your only going to carry a body and a couple of lenses so bring a small shoulder bag or a large purse to carry your extra lenses.  You will be happier with the light weight and the mobility that this serves.  I pick and choose what bag I use on the outing that I'm going on.

3. Pretty obvious from the statements before take a Camera body and the lenses you will need.  If your not going to need it take it out of your bag.  If your not going to need that macro or Large Telephoto take it out of your bag.  If your not going to do long exposure take out that remote shutter don't tote that tripod if your not going to use it.

4.  Tripods?  Are you going to need it take it.  If not don't.  A light weight carbon fiber tripod can be good to have.  I have one but I don't tote it all the time only if I think I'm going to need it.  I usually use a tripod if I'm shooting sunrise or sunset or waterfalls or maybe even macro but during the middle of the day I don't need it and I don't tote it.  If your driving keep it in the car.

5.  Flash and lighting  equipment.  Like the tripod if you need it bring it if not leave it home.  If I'm doing street photography or landscape and I won't need a flash I don't bring it.  But if I'm shooting a wedding or event where a flash is needed I might bring two.  Planning is the key.  I used to tote one all of the time and never used it so it has to be a special occasion for me to bring mine. I do carry a small LED light to help with dark spaces and I carry a Headlamp that comes in handy.

6.Non Photography Accessories.  These are personal but remember less is more.  I have a little first aid kit that I bring it has stuff like bug repellent, sun block, band aide, glass cleaner.  These are some of the things I bring but medication could be another.  Small amounts you are not going on a week trip only usually only for a couple of hours.  I have small one use pouches that I take not full tubes or bottles.

7.Batteries.  Well we need batteries but if your like me I have a lot .  I only take enough for the day.  I also take a 10000 mha external battery pack to charge my phone and camera battery in a pinch.  The extra battery pack is on the heavy side but one I like to take with me.  I'm sure it's a option that many wont use . 

8. Cleaning clothes. Small microfiber cloths are cheap I have them in every divided section of my bag.

As you can see there are many things we can do to save weight and volume in your bag.  Remember only bring what you'll need not everything you own.  Be lightweight and nimble when you shoot.  Get outside and shoot! With a lighter pack.

Hey everyone! Hope you are doing well today. This week I want to talk about a trip I took with a photography explorer friend of mine Robert to New Jersey.  Yep New Jersey.  I was basically just a wingman on this trip he did all of the planning and I can't take any credit for it.  And I was like you New Jersey? But he had some family and friends that we would stay with while on our trip.  This trip ended up being almost 1000 miles round trip which would be a good condensed version of a trip we have planned for later this spring. Our trip took on a Nautical theme by accident or maybe not by accident my exploring partner Robert was a former Navy man.  So here's a day by day account of our trip.

Day 1- We left from home on Friday afternoon and headed to our first stop in Norfolk VA. We were in a hotel only a few miles from the Naval Station and we went onto the base and looked at the ships docked at the pier.  My formal Navy partner thought it would be a good idea to photograph Naval War Ships at night I wasn't too sure.  I snapped a couple of shots before the Shore Patrol informed us that it wasn't Okay.  We left and went downtown Norfolk to get our bearings and maybe some nighttime shots. After a little while we went back to the hotel.

Day 2- The next morning we had breakfast at the hotel and went downtown to do some street photography. We decided to go to the Naval Museum which has the USS Wisconsin a WWII class Battleship that was used until 1991. We took some shots downtown until the Museum opened and when we went in we had the whole place to ourselves. We got lots of photo's of the battle ship.  We then headed to Delaware to stay with some Friends of Robert. We had a great meal at there house and took some Family portraits.  They were great hosts.

Day 3- This day was a cold morning start with temps in the 20's. We had an early start because we had to catch a ferry that would take us from Delaware to New Jersey .  The Ferry ride was fun and it was very windy and the water was a little choppy but we make it fine.  Then it was up the Jersey turnpike until we arrived at Roberts uncle's house in Ocean Grove NJ.  We went on a walking tour of Asbury Park which was the stomping grounds of the likes of Bon Jovi and Bruce  Springsteen.  It was very nice but cold! We had a delightful dinner.

Day 4- This was our day to travel home.  We headed out early so we wouldn't get back too late. This was going to be a almost 8 hour drive. We decided to break the drive in two and stopped in Washington DC at the Iwo Jima memorial or the (USMC Memorial) and stayed for a while taking photo's.  It was a nice break and I haven't been to this monument before.  We kept on driving out of DC until we arrived at home.

All in all it was a lot better trip than I thought it would be and of course we had lots of laughs and fun.  I think everyone should have a photo nut to go on outings with.  It can be fun and you learn a lot of photography on the side. So until Next week Have fun and get outside!

Hey Everyone! This week is about trip planning!  I am currently in quarantine due to Covid symptoms so I have plenty of time to plan.  Don't worry I'm feeling fine just have to take a test today and I should be cleared.  But while I was at home I had plenty of time to plan for an epic photography trip ( to me anyway) out west to Utah.  There are a lot of decisions to make when planning your trip.  First when are you going?  What is the main objective for the trip?  How will you get there?  Where will you stay?  Transportation? Permits?  So many questions.  My first suggestion is to start early!  We are 4 months out of our trip and I think this is almost too late.  The earlier the better. I am making an itinerary that I know we will not be able to follow to the letter but it is a good guide line to our trip.  I know that we must be flexible when we are on our trip and some of the best photographs will come from this.   But I like to know things especially where I'm sleeping.

When are you going?  This is a big decision.  We had to make plans that would not interfere with work or family things.  All of our other decisions will depend on these dates.  Weather is another decision to consider will it be too cold or hot when you go.  Will school be in session?  The crowds will be less if school is in session. So after this time frame has been set then you can start all of the other planning.

What is the main objective of this trip?  Is it photography like ours is.  We are taking a road trip of sorts in the west where photography and hiking is the main purpose. Getting to see something that I have never seen before and a pre curser to when I retire I would like to travel and see the west more being from the east coast.

How will you get there?  If its not too far a way a car might be your best bet.  Or even a train oh how I like a train to travel.  But for us going to Utah a plane is our choice.  Its cheap (especially with the price of gas) and  its quick.  Quick is really a big deal.  The less time you take traveling the more time you'll have on your adventures.  For our trip we will be flying into Las Vegas NV. and leaving from Albuquerque NM.

Where will you stay?  Another hard choice.  Can you stay in one spot and take day trips to everywhere?  Thats a great choice.  This won't work for us as we are taking over a 1000 mile road trip.  We will be staying at 4 strategic locations.  Being that these places are such a popular places booking in advance is a must! Share a room if you can to cut cost!  A 200 dollar a night room sounds expensive but if you have two paying its not as bad.  Remember that you will be just sleeping and showering there if you're like us.  We will be exploring all day so you don't have to get a lavish place to stay.  Simple and Clean is what you want.  These can be Air B&B type places or hotels.  We went the hotel route just for simplicity and location.  For where we were going it was the right choice but in other situations Air B&B might be right one.

Transportation?  How will you get from point A to B?  Some trips I have use public transportation like the subway or trains.  For this trip its a car .  We will be traveling over 1000 miles in remote places so we will need transportation to get there.  So we have to rent a car.  What type?  Economy car will be small and not as comfortable as a larger one but it will be less expensive and take less gas to operate.  Terrain also makes a difference if you are going off road you might need something with clearance that a small car wouldn't do. Then there is where you pick it up from and drop it off at.  We will be doing the Airports that we use.

Permits?  If you are traveling to National Parks as we are you might need permits for things you do.  Don't wait till the last minute or you might be too late. One of the hikes that we want to do you have to have a permit to do it with and to get one you have to enter a lottery.  If you wait too long you might miss the time to get permits.  We will also need a car permit for a small National Park to keep it from over crowding.  These are things that you must think of in advance.

As you can see there is a lot that goes into planning a trip whether it is a short over the weekend trip or a long trip that can last a week or more.  I used apps like Expedia and Hotels.com to help me with reservations. I used Recreation.gov to secure permits.  Plan ahead and be flexible when you get there and you are assured to have a great time on your trip.  Explore and plan for your next Adventure!