Web: www.fishfoto.com -- E-Mail: fish@flyingwithfish.com
26/6/2008 - The Great Mountainsmith Bag Give Away From Flying With Fish!
As a photographer I have relied on Mountainsmith bags to carry my gear for years. I currently use five Mountainsmith products on a regular basis (well really six, since I have two Mountainsmith Tour packs). I have been writing about my Mountainsmith bags since I started Flying With Fish, and even dedicated a whole week to the versatility of the Mountainsmith Tour.
My consistent references to Mountainsmith products have caught the attention of Mountainsmith and they have very graciously offered me three bags to give away to the readers of Flying With Fish!
What do you have to do to win one of these Mountainsmith bags? Simple, you need to tell the 'worst case scenario' you have experienced on the road and how you overcame it! In 400 words or less, I need the details of what and where your worst case scenario happened and I need the details of how you overcame the situation to keep on going (FYI: telling me you ended up in jail is not a solution to overcoming a travel problem).
Be honest! Any stories that seem a little far-fetched will be verified; also I have read the "worse case scenario" series of books, so no lifting material from there; I also read Flyer Talk and can search the archives so no ripping off material!
So what's at stake?
First Prize : The Mountainsmith Parallax photo backpack.
My Mountainsmith Parallax carried everything I needed to travel around the world 1.5x times approximately 4 days while shooting a project for an airline. The backpack held everything I needed to pack, it is legal for carry on with virtually every airline.....and.....it is compact and comfortable enough to be worn while shooting!
Second Prize: The Mountainsmith Day Recycled lumbar pack
I love that Mountainsmith produces bags from recycled material. This is very forward thinking and it helps reduce our individual footprint on the planet. My Mountainsmith Day is used as a small satchel for both my 15" PowerBook and 13" MacBook. I also use the Day as my 'hit the ground running' bag, stocked with a small kit of lenses and basic lighting accessories.
Third Prize: The Mountainsmith Cyber II Recycled Pouch
These compact pouches are fantastic for carrying a point & shoot, flash, or small lens. I have a used a Cyber II (large) to hold lenses such as the 16-35f2.8 and 85f1.8 on my belt when traveling one body and only two small lenses.
...So think back on your travels and write down the details of your 'worst case scenario' and how you overcame the problems to keep on trudging along. Once you have correctly recalled the details of your ordeal and triumph send me an e-mail of 400 words or less! The e-mail address your entry should go to is : traveltips@flyingwithfish.com
THE DEADLINE FOR ENTRIES IS MONDAY THE 7TH OF JULY! Winners will be announced on the 9th of July.
You may enter once. All entries must have your full first and last name. Anyone enters twice will have both entries disqualified.
…………..and let’s all give Mountainsmith a big round of applause for supporting the readers of Flying With Fish!
Happy Flying!
Small Print:
- Flying With Fish is in no way affiliated with Mountainsmith
- Mountainsmith is in no way affiliated with Flying With Fish
- Judges decisions on winners is final
- Disqualification is at the sole discretion of judges
- Prizes may be swapped for an equal prize at the discretion of Mountainsmith
- Winning entries may be posted, with winners’ names, on Flying With Fish
- Entries that tell me they encountered someone releasing the dogs; or the bees; or the dogs with bees in their mouth and when they bark, they shoot bees at you......will get a good laugh, then be disqualified.
Showing posts sorted by relevance for query mountainsmith. Sort by date Show all posts
Showing posts sorted by relevance for query mountainsmith. Sort by date Show all posts
23 July 2008
What Mountainsmith bags does Flying With Fish personally travel with? Lets find out!
Web: www.fishfotoworldwide.com -- E-Mail: fish@flyingwithfish.com
22/07/2008 - What Mountainsmith bags does Flying With Fish personally travel with? Lets find out!
With the recent Mountainsmith Bag giveaway contest, during the 'The Great Mountainsmith Bag Give Away From Flying With Fish' I received a few e-mails asking me if I chose to use Mounatainsmith bags because of of the company's giveaway on Flying With Fish.
I dismissed the first email or two, but when the next three rolled in I decided I should probably address this question. In fact I have been using Mountainsmith bags for my camera equipment for many years...........nearly a decade now! Throughout this past year I have detailed my use of Mountainsmith bags in great detail, including a five part series on the Mountainsmith Tour back in January.
As a photographer who travels, I have used Mountainsmith bags around the world and chose to accept Mountainsmith's offer of giving away a few of their bags because I am a huge fan of their products!
How big of a fan am I of the Mountainsmith line of bags? To demonstrate my enjoyment of their bags I loaded up some of my collection into the back of my 1990 Volvo 245 and shot a picture of my collection (missing from the photo is my bright pink Mountainsmith Tour).
The Mountainsmith bags in the photo below from left to right are:
- The Day : The Day is a fantastic 'hit the ground running bag' to carry multiple carry configurations for shooting, lighting, taking your laptop to the library (it's even good for hiking).
- The Parallax : I used The Parallax as the only bag I brought with me while shooting a project where I flew around the world 1.5x in 4 days! Great bag to carry everything, while still being carry-on legal and small enough to wear on my back while shooting!
- The Cube : The Cube is great for not only packing your clothes for travel, like a duffel bag, however I use mine to disguise checked camera equipment. When I am forced to check camera gear in cases such as the Pelican 1514, or long lens shipping trunks, I place these cases inside the The Cube. When The Cube comes around the baggage carousel no one gives it a second glance as it looking nothing like what you'd expect to find camera equipment in. The bright neon green colour is to allow me to quickly and easily spot my bag among the sea of black ballistic-nylon bags in the baggage area
- The Correspondent : The Correspondent is the newest bag in my collection, and after some heavy travel in the past few months it has proved to be fantastic rolling bag! The unique interior configurability, while taking getting used to, has been great, and for many trips this bags design has allowed me to travel with one bag only for gear, clothes, laptop, etc.
-The Tour (in front of The Cube): The Tour has been by far my most used Mountainsmith pack. The Tour is a lumbar pack designed for hiking, but for me it is the do it all bag. I have at least half-a-dozen configurations of this pack. The Tour coupled with a 'Newswear Pouch' can meet nearly any shooting situations needs. The bright yellow interior is also ideal for not loosing little black lens caps, black cords etc etc........I also have a bright pink Tour which my daughter bought me that is not shown in the photo
- The Amp (in front of the Tour) : The Amp is a small mobile phone holster which I use every day to carry my Motorola Razr around on my belt. I wish they made a sleeve large enough for my Blackberry! The Amp's oversized top-flap and excessive use of Velcro ensures my phone is always in its case even when constantly being banged by camera equipment, lens pouches or waist packs. It has been by far the best mobile phone holster I have ever used........and I have used mine for over a year now since I first spotted the Amp at the Kittery Trading Post up in Maine.
Well there you go, my regular line-up of Mountainsmith bags (and yes I have others that are old and worn out elsewhere, but I wasn't emptying my entire closet into the back of my car)..........and why the Volvo again (I used the bumper in this week's post on the Sony PSP), I just felt like photographing my car for no real reason :0)
Happy Flying!
--Click Image To Enlarge It--
22/07/2008 - What Mountainsmith bags does Flying With Fish personally travel with? Lets find out!
With the recent Mountainsmith Bag giveaway contest, during the 'The Great Mountainsmith Bag Give Away From Flying With Fish' I received a few e-mails asking me if I chose to use Mounatainsmith bags because of of the company's giveaway on Flying With Fish.
I dismissed the first email or two, but when the next three rolled in I decided I should probably address this question. In fact I have been using Mountainsmith bags for my camera equipment for many years...........nearly a decade now! Throughout this past year I have detailed my use of Mountainsmith bags in great detail, including a five part series on the Mountainsmith Tour back in January.
As a photographer who travels, I have used Mountainsmith bags around the world and chose to accept Mountainsmith's offer of giving away a few of their bags because I am a huge fan of their products!
How big of a fan am I of the Mountainsmith line of bags? To demonstrate my enjoyment of their bags I loaded up some of my collection into the back of my 1990 Volvo 245 and shot a picture of my collection (missing from the photo is my bright pink Mountainsmith Tour).
The Mountainsmith bags in the photo below from left to right are:
- The Day : The Day is a fantastic 'hit the ground running bag' to carry multiple carry configurations for shooting, lighting, taking your laptop to the library (it's even good for hiking).
- The Parallax : I used The Parallax as the only bag I brought with me while shooting a project where I flew around the world 1.5x in 4 days! Great bag to carry everything, while still being carry-on legal and small enough to wear on my back while shooting!
- The Cube : The Cube is great for not only packing your clothes for travel, like a duffel bag, however I use mine to disguise checked camera equipment. When I am forced to check camera gear in cases such as the Pelican 1514, or long lens shipping trunks, I place these cases inside the The Cube. When The Cube comes around the baggage carousel no one gives it a second glance as it looking nothing like what you'd expect to find camera equipment in. The bright neon green colour is to allow me to quickly and easily spot my bag among the sea of black ballistic-nylon bags in the baggage area
- The Correspondent : The Correspondent is the newest bag in my collection, and after some heavy travel in the past few months it has proved to be fantastic rolling bag! The unique interior configurability, while taking getting used to, has been great, and for many trips this bags design has allowed me to travel with one bag only for gear, clothes, laptop, etc.
-The Tour (in front of The Cube): The Tour has been by far my most used Mountainsmith pack. The Tour is a lumbar pack designed for hiking, but for me it is the do it all bag. I have at least half-a-dozen configurations of this pack. The Tour coupled with a 'Newswear Pouch' can meet nearly any shooting situations needs. The bright yellow interior is also ideal for not loosing little black lens caps, black cords etc etc........I also have a bright pink Tour which my daughter bought me that is not shown in the photo
- The Amp (in front of the Tour) : The Amp is a small mobile phone holster which I use every day to carry my Motorola Razr around on my belt. I wish they made a sleeve large enough for my Blackberry! The Amp's oversized top-flap and excessive use of Velcro ensures my phone is always in its case even when constantly being banged by camera equipment, lens pouches or waist packs. It has been by far the best mobile phone holster I have ever used........and I have used mine for over a year now since I first spotted the Amp at the Kittery Trading Post up in Maine.
Well there you go, my regular line-up of Mountainsmith bags (and yes I have others that are old and worn out elsewhere, but I wasn't emptying my entire closet into the back of my car)..........and why the Volvo again (I used the bumper in this week's post on the Sony PSP), I just felt like photographing my car for no real reason :0)
Happy Flying!
--Click Image To Enlarge It--
16 January 2008
The Mountainsmith Tour - Part 2 - The General Purpose Pack
Web: www.fishfotoworldwide.com -- E-Mail: fish@fishfoto.com
16/01/08 - The Mountainsmith Tour - Part 2 - The General Purpose Pack
Like most photographers I have used many bags for many purposes, but I always return to the Mountainsmith Tour as my "general purpose" pack. My love affair with the Mountainsmith Tour started many years ago while covering the National Football League (NFL) with the now ancient Nikon/Kodak NC2000c and Nikon D1 (just for reference I switched to Canon in 2002).
The slim profile of the Mountainsmith Tour coupled with it's sizable storage capacity, it's incredibly durable construction and mostly weather proof design made the pack ideal for covering sports in the New England winter. The more I used the pack for sports, the more I adapted it to a general purpose pack and it has no evolved into my "go to" bag.
As a general purpose bag I tend to use a variety of set-ups, which always revolves around what equipment is needed. Rather than write up a dozen potential set-ups of the Mountainsmith Tour I'll address my use of the bag, for general shooting on a broad level.
My equipment needs for news, corporate work, weddings and even a long weekend away with my family is generally very similar. I try and work as simply as possible, carrying as little as possible, maximizing the potential options with a minimum amount of weight.
A typical set up walking out the door is two cameras on my shoulders, three lenses in the Mountainsmith Tour, basic accessories and a Newswear Large Press Pouch. While I like using a Domke 3-slot insert with the Mountainsmith Tour I often go without the insert. I make sure I use lens caps to protect my glass. I am not overly worried about lenses rubbing against each other or having superficial cosmetic scuffs on the barrels of the lenses.
To add to the Mountainsmith Tour's versatility and comfort I attach a Newswear Large Press Pouch. The Newswear Pouch is secured with a small carabiner, that also holds a strap for a small roll of gaffers tape.
A typical set up for the Mountainsmith Tour for news or general assignments is the following:
- Canon 580ex Speedlight
- Canon 28-70f2.8L (reversed lens hood)
- Canon 50f1.4 (lens hood affixed)
- Canon ETTL Cord
- 3 spare EOS 1D batteries
- 2 packs of four "AA" batteries
- Maglight Mini-Mag flashlight
- Think Tank Pixel Pocket Rocket (CF Card Wallet with 10 CF Cards)
............on my shoulders walking out the door will be to EOS 1D series bodies with 16-35f2.8L and 70-200f2.8L
A typical set up for the Mountainsmith Tour for weddings or corporate assignments is the following
- Canon 580ex
- Canon 14f2.8
- Canon 50f1.4 (lens hood affixed)
- Canon 70-200f2.8 (in Newswear Pouch with Nikon HN-28 screw in lens hood)
- Holga Modified lens
- Canon ETTL Cord
- 3 spare EOS 1D batteries
- 2 packs of four "AA" batteries
- Maglight Mini-Mag flashlight
- Think Tank Pixel Pocket Rocket
.....................on my shoulders is usually two Canon EOS 1D bodies with 24f1.4L and 85f1.2L.
What I carry varies depending on my needs or wants at any moment for any job. I can end up with a 16-35f2.8, 24f1.4L and 24f3.5 TS-E (tilt shift) in the bag depending on the job........and yes it is unusual to walk out the door with three 24mm focal length lenses at the same time, but it has happened for specific shoots.
Below are photos of these two common set ups for a "General Purpose" set up of my Mountainsmith Tour bag. The photos show the Mountainsmith Tour bag laid out next to all the gear, as well as the bag with all the gear packed in it.
Happy Flying!
--Click The Images To Enlarge Them--
16/01/08 - The Mountainsmith Tour - Part 2 - The General Purpose Pack
Like most photographers I have used many bags for many purposes, but I always return to the Mountainsmith Tour as my "general purpose" pack. My love affair with the Mountainsmith Tour started many years ago while covering the National Football League (NFL) with the now ancient Nikon/Kodak NC2000c and Nikon D1 (just for reference I switched to Canon in 2002).
The slim profile of the Mountainsmith Tour coupled with it's sizable storage capacity, it's incredibly durable construction and mostly weather proof design made the pack ideal for covering sports in the New England winter. The more I used the pack for sports, the more I adapted it to a general purpose pack and it has no evolved into my "go to" bag.
As a general purpose bag I tend to use a variety of set-ups, which always revolves around what equipment is needed. Rather than write up a dozen potential set-ups of the Mountainsmith Tour I'll address my use of the bag, for general shooting on a broad level.
My equipment needs for news, corporate work, weddings and even a long weekend away with my family is generally very similar. I try and work as simply as possible, carrying as little as possible, maximizing the potential options with a minimum amount of weight.
A typical set up walking out the door is two cameras on my shoulders, three lenses in the Mountainsmith Tour, basic accessories and a Newswear Large Press Pouch. While I like using a Domke 3-slot insert with the Mountainsmith Tour I often go without the insert. I make sure I use lens caps to protect my glass. I am not overly worried about lenses rubbing against each other or having superficial cosmetic scuffs on the barrels of the lenses.
To add to the Mountainsmith Tour's versatility and comfort I attach a Newswear Large Press Pouch. The Newswear Pouch is secured with a small carabiner, that also holds a strap for a small roll of gaffers tape.
A typical set up for the Mountainsmith Tour for news or general assignments is the following:
- Canon 580ex Speedlight
- Canon 28-70f2.8L (reversed lens hood)
- Canon 50f1.4 (lens hood affixed)
- Canon ETTL Cord
- 3 spare EOS 1D batteries
- 2 packs of four "AA" batteries
- Maglight Mini-Mag flashlight
- Think Tank Pixel Pocket Rocket (CF Card Wallet with 10 CF Cards)
............on my shoulders walking out the door will be to EOS 1D series bodies with 16-35f2.8L and 70-200f2.8L
A typical set up for the Mountainsmith Tour for weddings or corporate assignments is the following
- Canon 580ex
- Canon 14f2.8
- Canon 50f1.4 (lens hood affixed)
- Canon 70-200f2.8 (in Newswear Pouch with Nikon HN-28 screw in lens hood)
- Holga Modified lens
- Canon ETTL Cord
- 3 spare EOS 1D batteries
- 2 packs of four "AA" batteries
- Maglight Mini-Mag flashlight
- Think Tank Pixel Pocket Rocket
.....................on my shoulders is usually two Canon EOS 1D bodies with 24f1.4L and 85f1.2L.
What I carry varies depending on my needs or wants at any moment for any job. I can end up with a 16-35f2.8, 24f1.4L and 24f3.5 TS-E (tilt shift) in the bag depending on the job........and yes it is unusual to walk out the door with three 24mm focal length lenses at the same time, but it has happened for specific shoots.
Below are photos of these two common set ups for a "General Purpose" set up of my Mountainsmith Tour bag. The photos show the Mountainsmith Tour bag laid out next to all the gear, as well as the bag with all the gear packed in it.
Happy Flying!
--Click The Images To Enlarge Them--
07 November 2008
Flying With Fish To Join Mountainsmith's Design Board
Web: www.thetravelstrategist.com -- E-Mail: fish@flyingwithfish.com
7/11/2008 – Flying With Fish To Join Mountainsmith's Design Board
Since very early on in my writing on Flying With Fish I have written about my enjoyment of using Mountainsmith's products. I have been using Mountainsmith gear for years. Along the way I have modified their gear to meet my needs, and packed their bags well beyond their intended design specifications.
Earlier in 2008 Mountainsmith recognized my completely unaffiliated, non-endorsed and unsolicited promotion of their gear and sponsored a contest on Flying With Fish. While I kept in touch with Mountainsmith over the past year, I assumed at most they would maybe sponsor another contest at some point.
Well at this time Mountainsmith is not sponsoring another contest I know of (although they are welcome to), what they have done is asked me if I'd like to join their Design Board.
It took me all of 3 seconds to accept the invitation to be a part of the process of helping design bags that make life easier for photographers. I have been involved with other companies in the past in the testing of bags, but this should be a whole different process.
So now I'll not only be a happy, long time, loyal customer of Mountainsmith products, I'll also have a hand in helping creative process of designing the bags I choose to use. It is great that Mountainsmith looks outside its own internal design team to incorporate those who use their products in the field. As my background and use of their bags is different that many of those who use their gear for hiking, climbing and working outdoors, I hope to bring a unique perspective to the table.
My joining Mountainsmith's Design Board does not prohibit me from using other bags, traveling with other bags, discussing other bags or reviewing other bags. I have many bags for many different purposes and will continue to use the other bags in my closet. I'll also continue to use whatever bag is best for each specific job.......and should the opportunity come up to work with a non-competing company, work with them as well.
My goals in working with Mountainsmith, as well as maintaining Flying With Fish, are similar. My goal is to make life easier for those who travel and put those on the road at the forefront of everything I put into these projects.
............what else may be in the future for Flying With Fish and Mountainsmith? Keep your eyes open for some retooled workshops in the near future.
Happy Flying!
7/11/2008 – Flying With Fish To Join Mountainsmith's Design Board
Since very early on in my writing on Flying With Fish I have written about my enjoyment of using Mountainsmith's products. I have been using Mountainsmith gear for years. Along the way I have modified their gear to meet my needs, and packed their bags well beyond their intended design specifications.
Earlier in 2008 Mountainsmith recognized my completely unaffiliated, non-endorsed and unsolicited promotion of their gear and sponsored a contest on Flying With Fish. While I kept in touch with Mountainsmith over the past year, I assumed at most they would maybe sponsor another contest at some point.
Well at this time Mountainsmith is not sponsoring another contest I know of (although they are welcome to), what they have done is asked me if I'd like to join their Design Board.
It took me all of 3 seconds to accept the invitation to be a part of the process of helping design bags that make life easier for photographers. I have been involved with other companies in the past in the testing of bags, but this should be a whole different process.
So now I'll not only be a happy, long time, loyal customer of Mountainsmith products, I'll also have a hand in helping creative process of designing the bags I choose to use. It is great that Mountainsmith looks outside its own internal design team to incorporate those who use their products in the field. As my background and use of their bags is different that many of those who use their gear for hiking, climbing and working outdoors, I hope to bring a unique perspective to the table.
My joining Mountainsmith's Design Board does not prohibit me from using other bags, traveling with other bags, discussing other bags or reviewing other bags. I have many bags for many different purposes and will continue to use the other bags in my closet. I'll also continue to use whatever bag is best for each specific job.......and should the opportunity come up to work with a non-competing company, work with them as well.
My goals in working with Mountainsmith, as well as maintaining Flying With Fish, are similar. My goal is to make life easier for those who travel and put those on the road at the forefront of everything I put into these projects.
............what else may be in the future for Flying With Fish and Mountainsmith? Keep your eyes open for some retooled workshops in the near future.
Happy Flying!
15 January 2008
The Mountainsmith Tour - Part 1 - The Perfect Travel Companion
Web: www.fishfotoworldwide.com -- E-Mail: fish@fishfoto.com
15/01/08 - The Mountainsmith Tour - Part 1 - The Perfect Travel Companion
One of the most common problems all photographers face is the "search for the perfect bag." We all clamor for that one bag that will solve all our problems, I have more than a dozen "perfect bags." Over the years I have come back to one bag over and over and over again, the Mountainsmith Tour.
This week Flying With Fish is dedicated to the Moutainsmith Tour and the multiple ways I have used, adapted and pack this bag, from a news/sports/wedding bag, to a lighting kit bag to a "wow it can haul that also! "bag. I have owned three of these bags, currently owning two of them, and have also started to use the Mountainsmith Tour's slightly larger sibling the Mountainsmith Day bag. In fact, if possible, I plan to try and travel approximately 18,000 miles over three days, shooting in two countries, on two continents, with just the Mountainsmith Tour and Mountainsmith Day next month!
Before we kick this week off of the Mountainsmith Tour off, let me go over the basics of the bag and why I love it.
1) The Mountainsmith Tour is a near perfectly designed lumbar bag. It sits comfortably on my body no matter what he weight load
2) The waist strap has two independent adjustment straps to allow me to change the angle of the bag for more comfort as I work
3) The pack has a bright yellow interior making it almost impossible to lose anything inside the bag
4) The main pocket has a small zipper pouch to store smaller items in their own area
5) The exterior pocket has a small "clip-strap" to attach small items, such as a CF card wallet, securely in your bag
6) The pack has an optional shoulder strap which is great at times when you want extra support
7) The pack's waist straps can be tucked in an hidden for use as a shoulder bag
8) The rear padding has a small pocket built in to quickly stash items, such as a CF card wallet while shooting or an airline ticket while going through security
9) The nylon construction of the bag is nearly indestructible (I had one die, my dog ate it after I left a candy bar on it, I can't fault the bag for my dog's munchies)
10) The Mountainsmith Tour (and Mountainsmith Day) are available in Recycled Materials! That's right the bags are made up from approximately 13-to-16 plastic bottles! Mountainsmith estimates that the Recycled Tour & Day pack saved about 1.1million bottles from going into the landfills in 2007!
Below are three photos of my two Tour packs. I use a Pink one (my daughter Lauren chose it for me) and a black one (for those slightly more formal occasions). The photos show an overall view of the packs, the yellow interior and the proud recycled logo!
Happy Flying!
--Click The Images To Enlarge Them--
15/01/08 - The Mountainsmith Tour - Part 1 - The Perfect Travel Companion
One of the most common problems all photographers face is the "search for the perfect bag." We all clamor for that one bag that will solve all our problems, I have more than a dozen "perfect bags." Over the years I have come back to one bag over and over and over again, the Mountainsmith Tour.
This week Flying With Fish is dedicated to the Moutainsmith Tour and the multiple ways I have used, adapted and pack this bag, from a news/sports/wedding bag, to a lighting kit bag to a "wow it can haul that also! "bag. I have owned three of these bags, currently owning two of them, and have also started to use the Mountainsmith Tour's slightly larger sibling the Mountainsmith Day bag. In fact, if possible, I plan to try and travel approximately 18,000 miles over three days, shooting in two countries, on two continents, with just the Mountainsmith Tour and Mountainsmith Day next month!
Before we kick this week off of the Mountainsmith Tour off, let me go over the basics of the bag and why I love it.
1) The Mountainsmith Tour is a near perfectly designed lumbar bag. It sits comfortably on my body no matter what he weight load
2) The waist strap has two independent adjustment straps to allow me to change the angle of the bag for more comfort as I work
3) The pack has a bright yellow interior making it almost impossible to lose anything inside the bag
4) The main pocket has a small zipper pouch to store smaller items in their own area
5) The exterior pocket has a small "clip-strap" to attach small items, such as a CF card wallet, securely in your bag
6) The pack has an optional shoulder strap which is great at times when you want extra support
7) The pack's waist straps can be tucked in an hidden for use as a shoulder bag
8) The rear padding has a small pocket built in to quickly stash items, such as a CF card wallet while shooting or an airline ticket while going through security
9) The nylon construction of the bag is nearly indestructible (I had one die, my dog ate it after I left a candy bar on it, I can't fault the bag for my dog's munchies)
10) The Mountainsmith Tour (and Mountainsmith Day) are available in Recycled Materials! That's right the bags are made up from approximately 13-to-16 plastic bottles! Mountainsmith estimates that the Recycled Tour & Day pack saved about 1.1million bottles from going into the landfills in 2007!
Below are three photos of my two Tour packs. I use a Pink one (my daughter Lauren chose it for me) and a black one (for those slightly more formal occasions). The photos show an overall view of the packs, the yellow interior and the proud recycled logo!
Happy Flying!
--Click The Images To Enlarge Them--
23 June 2008
The Mountainsmith Correspondent : A Versatile, Rugged, Do-It-All, General Purpose Rolling Camera Bag
Web: www.fishfotoworldwide.com -- E-Mail: fish@flyingwithfish.com
23/6/2008 - The Mountainsmith Correspondent : A Versatile, Rugged, Do-It-All, General Purpose Rolling Camera Bag
For years I have used and trusted the Mountainsmith Tour pack as my 'do it all' shooting bag. Having used the Mountainsmith Tour waist pack as a versatile multi-purpose platform, as well as the Tour's 'larger brother' the Mountainsmith Day pack and the Mountainsmith Parallax photo backpack, Mountainsmith seemed like the logical option when searching for a new soft-sided rolling camera bag.
When looking for a new soft-sided rolling camera bag I kept in mind that there is no such thing as the 'perfect bag,' however the Mountainsmith Correspondent came across as the most versatile rolling camera bag. When choosing my equipment I generally choose versatility over all other deciding factors. In the business of traveling as a photographer every assignment is different, ever need is different, every packing situation is different, and versatility is key.
Having now used the Mountainsmith Correspondent for approximately two months, I have used this rolling camera bag on a variety shooting and travel situations. From 'valet' checking the Correspondent on small regional jet flights, to rolling it down the aisle of a Boeing 747-400 to right now, as I write this review of the Correspondent while sitting on a Northwest Airlines Airbus A320 with the bag in the overhead above me in Seat 3D, the bag has exceeded my expectations.
What makes the Mountainsmith Correspondent different? For starters the versatile design of the bag has at times let me travel with only this bag. No backpack or secondary camera bag. I can do my job in just this one bag and a waist-pack/belt system (which is what I wear and work out of when shooting). Being able to place everything I need inside a single bag when getting on a place is great.
A unique feature of the Correspondent is it's interior main compartment. The interior main compartment can be configured for all camera equipment by utilizing two independent and padded zippered 'cubes.' These 'cubes are secured by heavy Velcro on three sides. The interiors of the ‘cubes’ come with a variety of semi-rigid dividers that allow you configure each 'cube' individually. The padding around each 'cube' is not space consuming, however it is significant in its protections abilities. Having been forced to 'valet' check my Corresponded loaded with camera equipment on a number of regional jet flights (and a turbo-prop flight) I have had not once single piece of equipment damaged. The Correspondent is now one of only three bags I would trust to 'valet' checking on a regional jet (although I would still never check this bag as baggage with camera equipment in it, that is still reserved for only Pelican cases). If I packed a little tighter could add a third body, and two more 'short' lenses.
In the two fully packed cubes can hold a significant amount of equipment. Generally my wedding photography kit consists of two full-sized bodies, 8 lenses, a flash (sometimes two), an ETTL cord, battery CF card wallet, and 3 spare sets of "AA" batteries
The Correspondent's design of two individual cubes makes configuring the bag for multi-purpose use very easy. For short overnight-trips where my camera equipment needs are not extensive, or when traveling to meetings, I can remove the top 'cube' leaving only the bottom 'cube' in place. With this set up I generally place two full-size camera bodies and two lenses (16-35f2.8 & 70-200f2.8) in the lower 'cube' while packing my clothing in the upper open interior compartment. Being able have one bag do double duty is fantastic. This set up for minimal camera equipment and space for clothes is also nice for a weekend getaway where you want to pack some gear, but don't need all the usual trappings of traveling as photographer.
The front pocket of the Mountainsmith has a full-size laptop slot that can accommodate a laptop up to 17". While many rolling camera bags are missing a laptop slot, or only have a smaller laptop slot, this is a nice feature. Along the front flap of the exterior of the front pocket are slots for your pens, as well as a small mesh pocket which I tend to use for loose change and my keys. Having this mesh pocket at the top of the flap makes accessing my keys easy when the bag is loaded and I'm wandering through the parking lot looking for my car.
When traveling with a full camera kit with me to shoot a job, I often use the large front pocket to pack my clothes. In this front pocket I place my folded shirt inside the laptop slot to keep them neat and unwrinkled. The main compartment holds two t-shirts, two pairs of underwear, two pairs of socks, the laptop slot holds two dry-cleaned (folded) shirts, and a space pair of pants can be folded and placed in the main compartment over the 'cubes.' This is actually how I am packed at the moment for my travel over the next two days.
The exterior wall of both the 'cubes' and the main pocket are lines with see-thru plastic pockets. I tend to use these pockets for space camera batteries, flashlight, at times travel documents and other random items. With the Canon 5D/20d series bodies (with extended battery grips, roughly the same size as a Canon 1D or Nikon D3 body) I use the lower pocket on the wall of the main pocket to hold four compact battery chargers and a Manfrotto 3007 mini-tripod, while the pockets on the flaps of the 'cubes' can be a bit tight, they are a good place to store lens caps, body caps and a CF card wallet.
When the front pocket is packed with clothing I obviously travel with a backpack or other shoulder bag to accommodate items such as my laptop. Depending on my needs, this bag tends to be either North Face Surge when I need to carry more gear or a Mountainsmith Day when I need less gear. Despite the Mountainsmith Day's compact side it easily holds both a 13" MacBook or a 15" MacBook Pro.
On the top of the bag, under the business card slot, you'll find a small zippered pocket. This pocket is an idea place to store your spare lock and zip-cable. I like keeping my lock-and-cable combo in a location that requires no digging around so I can quickly get it out and lock up my bag when I sit down.
From a security point of view, the design of the zippers make locking the bag very easy. I prefer zippers that are durable rather than 'tied rope' as quite a few camera bags have, as this zipper style appears to be much harder to breach.
The exterior front of the bag is an 'open slot' to carry a tripod, along with a lashing strap to secure the tripod. Since I don't travel with full-size tripods, and rarely if ever secure a tripod to the exterior this feature is lost on me, but I know quite a few photogs who do, so I thought it was worth mentioning
Just above the tripod slot are three lash tabs, this is a feature I have used a few times. I have at various times, for a variety of reasons use a carabineer to secure a Newswear pouch to the outside while in transit. I have also use a Velcro securing strap to lash a fleece vest or water proof shell to the outside of the bag when walking through an airport.
I'll end this review of the Mountainsmith Correspondent with its ability to withstand Mother Nature. At the base of the Correspondent, on the front main flap, is a raincoat tucked away in it's own pocket. Affixing the raincoat is ease and can come in very hands when weather turns on you in a hurry!
If I could change two minor features in the bag they would be this
1) Make the retractable handle I use when rolling the bag 2" (5cm) longer, but that is a common request I have for nearly every rolling bag I have used.
2) Have the front entry flap open to the side instead of out to the front. This is a personal preference as I know many people prefer the 'lay-flat' front entry.
For my purposes the Mountainsmith Correspondent has an excellent bag. I look forward to continuing to schlep this bag through airports with me when my travels require me to use a rolling bag.
Below are a few detail photos of my Mountainsmith Correspondent. These photos show certain details of the bag, as well as different ways I sent my bag up for different shooting/travel needs.
Happy Flying!
--Click Images To Enlarge Them--
23/6/2008 - The Mountainsmith Correspondent : A Versatile, Rugged, Do-It-All, General Purpose Rolling Camera Bag
For years I have used and trusted the Mountainsmith Tour pack as my 'do it all' shooting bag. Having used the Mountainsmith Tour waist pack as a versatile multi-purpose platform, as well as the Tour's 'larger brother' the Mountainsmith Day pack and the Mountainsmith Parallax photo backpack, Mountainsmith seemed like the logical option when searching for a new soft-sided rolling camera bag.
When looking for a new soft-sided rolling camera bag I kept in mind that there is no such thing as the 'perfect bag,' however the Mountainsmith Correspondent came across as the most versatile rolling camera bag. When choosing my equipment I generally choose versatility over all other deciding factors. In the business of traveling as a photographer every assignment is different, ever need is different, every packing situation is different, and versatility is key.
Having now used the Mountainsmith Correspondent for approximately two months, I have used this rolling camera bag on a variety shooting and travel situations. From 'valet' checking the Correspondent on small regional jet flights, to rolling it down the aisle of a Boeing 747-400 to right now, as I write this review of the Correspondent while sitting on a Northwest Airlines Airbus A320 with the bag in the overhead above me in Seat 3D, the bag has exceeded my expectations.
What makes the Mountainsmith Correspondent different? For starters the versatile design of the bag has at times let me travel with only this bag. No backpack or secondary camera bag. I can do my job in just this one bag and a waist-pack/belt system (which is what I wear and work out of when shooting). Being able to place everything I need inside a single bag when getting on a place is great.
A unique feature of the Correspondent is it's interior main compartment. The interior main compartment can be configured for all camera equipment by utilizing two independent and padded zippered 'cubes.' These 'cubes are secured by heavy Velcro on three sides. The interiors of the ‘cubes’ come with a variety of semi-rigid dividers that allow you configure each 'cube' individually. The padding around each 'cube' is not space consuming, however it is significant in its protections abilities. Having been forced to 'valet' check my Corresponded loaded with camera equipment on a number of regional jet flights (and a turbo-prop flight) I have had not once single piece of equipment damaged. The Correspondent is now one of only three bags I would trust to 'valet' checking on a regional jet (although I would still never check this bag as baggage with camera equipment in it, that is still reserved for only Pelican cases). If I packed a little tighter could add a third body, and two more 'short' lenses.
In the two fully packed cubes can hold a significant amount of equipment. Generally my wedding photography kit consists of two full-sized bodies, 8 lenses, a flash (sometimes two), an ETTL cord, battery CF card wallet, and 3 spare sets of "AA" batteries
The Correspondent's design of two individual cubes makes configuring the bag for multi-purpose use very easy. For short overnight-trips where my camera equipment needs are not extensive, or when traveling to meetings, I can remove the top 'cube' leaving only the bottom 'cube' in place. With this set up I generally place two full-size camera bodies and two lenses (16-35f2.8 & 70-200f2.8) in the lower 'cube' while packing my clothing in the upper open interior compartment. Being able have one bag do double duty is fantastic. This set up for minimal camera equipment and space for clothes is also nice for a weekend getaway where you want to pack some gear, but don't need all the usual trappings of traveling as photographer.
The front pocket of the Mountainsmith has a full-size laptop slot that can accommodate a laptop up to 17". While many rolling camera bags are missing a laptop slot, or only have a smaller laptop slot, this is a nice feature. Along the front flap of the exterior of the front pocket are slots for your pens, as well as a small mesh pocket which I tend to use for loose change and my keys. Having this mesh pocket at the top of the flap makes accessing my keys easy when the bag is loaded and I'm wandering through the parking lot looking for my car.
When traveling with a full camera kit with me to shoot a job, I often use the large front pocket to pack my clothes. In this front pocket I place my folded shirt inside the laptop slot to keep them neat and unwrinkled. The main compartment holds two t-shirts, two pairs of underwear, two pairs of socks, the laptop slot holds two dry-cleaned (folded) shirts, and a space pair of pants can be folded and placed in the main compartment over the 'cubes.' This is actually how I am packed at the moment for my travel over the next two days.
The exterior wall of both the 'cubes' and the main pocket are lines with see-thru plastic pockets. I tend to use these pockets for space camera batteries, flashlight, at times travel documents and other random items. With the Canon 5D/20d series bodies (with extended battery grips, roughly the same size as a Canon 1D or Nikon D3 body) I use the lower pocket on the wall of the main pocket to hold four compact battery chargers and a Manfrotto 3007 mini-tripod, while the pockets on the flaps of the 'cubes' can be a bit tight, they are a good place to store lens caps, body caps and a CF card wallet.
When the front pocket is packed with clothing I obviously travel with a backpack or other shoulder bag to accommodate items such as my laptop. Depending on my needs, this bag tends to be either North Face Surge when I need to carry more gear or a Mountainsmith Day when I need less gear. Despite the Mountainsmith Day's compact side it easily holds both a 13" MacBook or a 15" MacBook Pro.
On the top of the bag, under the business card slot, you'll find a small zippered pocket. This pocket is an idea place to store your spare lock and zip-cable. I like keeping my lock-and-cable combo in a location that requires no digging around so I can quickly get it out and lock up my bag when I sit down.
From a security point of view, the design of the zippers make locking the bag very easy. I prefer zippers that are durable rather than 'tied rope' as quite a few camera bags have, as this zipper style appears to be much harder to breach.
The exterior front of the bag is an 'open slot' to carry a tripod, along with a lashing strap to secure the tripod. Since I don't travel with full-size tripods, and rarely if ever secure a tripod to the exterior this feature is lost on me, but I know quite a few photogs who do, so I thought it was worth mentioning
Just above the tripod slot are three lash tabs, this is a feature I have used a few times. I have at various times, for a variety of reasons use a carabineer to secure a Newswear pouch to the outside while in transit. I have also use a Velcro securing strap to lash a fleece vest or water proof shell to the outside of the bag when walking through an airport.
I'll end this review of the Mountainsmith Correspondent with its ability to withstand Mother Nature. At the base of the Correspondent, on the front main flap, is a raincoat tucked away in it's own pocket. Affixing the raincoat is ease and can come in very hands when weather turns on you in a hurry!
If I could change two minor features in the bag they would be this
1) Make the retractable handle I use when rolling the bag 2" (5cm) longer, but that is a common request I have for nearly every rolling bag I have used.
2) Have the front entry flap open to the side instead of out to the front. This is a personal preference as I know many people prefer the 'lay-flat' front entry.
For my purposes the Mountainsmith Correspondent has an excellent bag. I look forward to continuing to schlep this bag through airports with me when my travels require me to use a rolling bag.
Below are a few detail photos of my Mountainsmith Correspondent. These photos show certain details of the bag, as well as different ways I sent my bag up for different shooting/travel needs.
Happy Flying!
--Click Images To Enlarge Them--
07 November 2008
7/11/2008 – The Weekly Round Up : Fish Joins Mountainsmith's Design Team : Locks : FBOweb : TSA Sells Ads Space : Mountainsmith Amp : Less Seats Fly
Web: www.fishfotoworldwide.com -- E-Mail: fish@flyingwithfish.com
7/11/2008 – The Weekly Round Up : Fish Joins Mountainsmith's Design Team : Locks : FBOweb : TSA Sells Ads Space : Mountainsmith Amp : Less Seats Fly
This week the most discussed topic on Flying With Fish was Election Day in the United States. This topic has nothing to do with photography and even less to do with travel, but it is a topic I feel strongly about. I hope you all went out and voted. I don't care whom you voted for, as long as you let your voice be heard! The two posts on Election Day were these:
4/11/2008 – U.S. Election Day : GO VOTE!
4/11/2008 – Do You Need Some Incentive To Vote Aside From Democracy? How About Free Coffee From Starbucks?
Aside from Election Day the exciting news on Flying With Fish was being asked to join Mountainsmith's Design Board. Mountainsmith has recognized my completely unsolicited enjoyment of their gear and asked me to pitch in. I head off to Golden, Colorado, in Mid-December for the first Design Board meeting. For more info, click here :
7/11/2008 – Flying With Fish To Join Mountainsmith's Design Board
Last week kicked off discussing the advantages to using a combination lock over a key lock on your bags. It may seem trivial, but believe it or not, combination locks can provide you with some significant advantages for peace of mind. Interested in finding out why you should ditch your key locks for combination locks? Check here:
3/11/2008 – Baggage Locks : Keys vs Combination
Over the past year the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) has experimented with allowing the sale of advertising on TSA security checkpoint equipment, such as security bins and the tables before the x-ray machine. I personally see this as something that needs to be discontinued. TSA checkpoints are federally controlled security area, and should be free from advertising and endorsements. Read more on this topic in this entry:
5/11/2008 – Ads At TSA Airport Security Checkpoints : Should They Be For Sale?
What can you do once you've planned your camera and lens selection, researched the perfect bag then discover the flights you researched earlier in the year no longer exist? With 59.7-million fewer seats flying in the 4th quarter of 2008 this can be tricky. For some tips on how to plan your next journey click here:
6/11/2008 – Packed To Travel But No Seats To Be Found?
This week's iPhone 'App' Of the Week, FBO Web Flight Tracker, is a fun fight-tracking tool for 'geeks.' FBO Web Flight Tracker allows you to track fights by tail number, airport, specific flight and find out where they are in the sky on a real-time map, as well as their altitude and estimated time remaining in flight. This iPhone 'App' does require slightly more than basic knowledge to use properly. Sound like a fun tool you want to explore? Check here:
6/11/2008 – iPhone 'App' Of The Week : FBO Web Flight Tracker
My quest to find the ideal mobile phone belt holster came to a stop last year on the second floor of the Kittery Trading Post, in Kittery, Maine, while shopping for a pair of pants. While browsing the store I came upon the Mountainsmith Amp mobile phone holster and I never looked back. Since I started using the Mountainsmith Amp I have never knocked my phone out, despite being banged my cameras, lenses, waist packs, belt pouches, having climbed over, on and through objects and flying around the world a few times. To read more about this durable, reliable and versatile mobile phone holster click this link:
6/11/2008 – Mountainsmith Amp : A Phone Holster For People On The Run
Next week I hope to introduce you to a whole new type of bag, this bag I should mention is NOT a Mountainsmith bag. From what I have seen this new bag looks to be a highly customizable. The bag I'll be reviewing should arrive on Monday and be packed with gear by Monday night. This bag was designed for use by wildlife photographers, and while I see incredible potential for sports photographers, for my purposes, I see this bag as a fantastic bag for traveling with a complete compact mobile lighting kit. So what is this new bag I'll be one of the first to use in the field? You'll need to check in next week to find out!
Happy Flying!
7/11/2008 – The Weekly Round Up : Fish Joins Mountainsmith's Design Team : Locks : FBOweb : TSA Sells Ads Space : Mountainsmith Amp : Less Seats Fly
This week the most discussed topic on Flying With Fish was Election Day in the United States. This topic has nothing to do with photography and even less to do with travel, but it is a topic I feel strongly about. I hope you all went out and voted. I don't care whom you voted for, as long as you let your voice be heard! The two posts on Election Day were these:
4/11/2008 – U.S. Election Day : GO VOTE!
4/11/2008 – Do You Need Some Incentive To Vote Aside From Democracy? How About Free Coffee From Starbucks?
Aside from Election Day the exciting news on Flying With Fish was being asked to join Mountainsmith's Design Board. Mountainsmith has recognized my completely unsolicited enjoyment of their gear and asked me to pitch in. I head off to Golden, Colorado, in Mid-December for the first Design Board meeting. For more info, click here :
7/11/2008 – Flying With Fish To Join Mountainsmith's Design Board
Last week kicked off discussing the advantages to using a combination lock over a key lock on your bags. It may seem trivial, but believe it or not, combination locks can provide you with some significant advantages for peace of mind. Interested in finding out why you should ditch your key locks for combination locks? Check here:
3/11/2008 – Baggage Locks : Keys vs Combination
Over the past year the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) has experimented with allowing the sale of advertising on TSA security checkpoint equipment, such as security bins and the tables before the x-ray machine. I personally see this as something that needs to be discontinued. TSA checkpoints are federally controlled security area, and should be free from advertising and endorsements. Read more on this topic in this entry:
5/11/2008 – Ads At TSA Airport Security Checkpoints : Should They Be For Sale?
What can you do once you've planned your camera and lens selection, researched the perfect bag then discover the flights you researched earlier in the year no longer exist? With 59.7-million fewer seats flying in the 4th quarter of 2008 this can be tricky. For some tips on how to plan your next journey click here:
6/11/2008 – Packed To Travel But No Seats To Be Found?
This week's iPhone 'App' Of the Week, FBO Web Flight Tracker, is a fun fight-tracking tool for 'geeks.' FBO Web Flight Tracker allows you to track fights by tail number, airport, specific flight and find out where they are in the sky on a real-time map, as well as their altitude and estimated time remaining in flight. This iPhone 'App' does require slightly more than basic knowledge to use properly. Sound like a fun tool you want to explore? Check here:
6/11/2008 – iPhone 'App' Of The Week : FBO Web Flight Tracker
My quest to find the ideal mobile phone belt holster came to a stop last year on the second floor of the Kittery Trading Post, in Kittery, Maine, while shopping for a pair of pants. While browsing the store I came upon the Mountainsmith Amp mobile phone holster and I never looked back. Since I started using the Mountainsmith Amp I have never knocked my phone out, despite being banged my cameras, lenses, waist packs, belt pouches, having climbed over, on and through objects and flying around the world a few times. To read more about this durable, reliable and versatile mobile phone holster click this link:
6/11/2008 – Mountainsmith Amp : A Phone Holster For People On The Run
Next week I hope to introduce you to a whole new type of bag, this bag I should mention is NOT a Mountainsmith bag. From what I have seen this new bag looks to be a highly customizable. The bag I'll be reviewing should arrive on Monday and be packed with gear by Monday night. This bag was designed for use by wildlife photographers, and while I see incredible potential for sports photographers, for my purposes, I see this bag as a fantastic bag for traveling with a complete compact mobile lighting kit. So what is this new bag I'll be one of the first to use in the field? You'll need to check in next week to find out!
Happy Flying!
23 September 2008
Simple Baggage Solutions : Make Your Own Modular System
Web: www.fishfoto.com -- E-Mail: fish@flyingwithfish.com
24/09/2008 – Simple Baggage Solutions : Make Your Own Modular System
There are dozens of modular bag systems on the market today that are used by photographers. These bags are for general packing solutions, photography specific solutions and a hybrid of both. As I have been trying to reduce the gear I travel with for 'general shooting' situations I had started to investigate a variety of bags possibilities for more than a dozen manufacturers.
While researching a variety of bags one night I started staring at a set of bags I have used, trusted, loved and preached about often on Flying With Fish, and almost everywhere else I discuss bags. These bags as you frequent readers may have already guessed are my Mountainsmith bags.
To make a simple carry on + roll-aboard that could carry everything I'd need for a 'simple kit,' I turned to the Mountainsmith Correspondent roll-aboard bag, The Day and The Tour. These three bags can be easily combined into two bags for short trips, around the corner or around The World.
When initially setting up this configuration I removed the top 'cube' from inside the Mountainsmith Correspondent and sized up the Mountainsmith Tour to see if it would easily fit inside. Once I determined that the Tour would fit into the open slot, normally filled by a 'cube,' I was off and running.
For my needs, this how I packed for travel:
-The Day : 4 magazines (Photo District News, Airliner World, National Geographic, The Economist); sleeve of 10 DVDs, Newswear pouch with my Sony PSP Survival Kit (swapping the Skullcandy headsets for the Sony MDR-NC22 headsets), Vector 100watt emPower inverter; 15" MacPowerBook, PowerBook AC power supply;
- The Tour: Domke 4-slot insert (the original non-padded chocolate brown insert, how many of you remember when the bags were only brown?); PSP power supply; Garmin GPS; GPS accessories; Think Tank Cable Management 10 pouch (for all my random photo & computer accessories, mobile phone chargers, CF card reader, thumb-drive, etc, etc), Energizer rapid "AA" battery charger
- The Correspondent
(In The 'Cube') : Canon 5D w/BG-E4 grip; Canon 20D w/BG-E2 grip; Canon 16-35f2.8L; Canon 70-200f2.8L; Canon 24f1.4L; Canon 50f1.4; Canon EF-12II extension tube; Canon 580ex; Think Tank PeeWee Pocket Rocket (CF Card Wallet) ; two spare "AA" packs of rechargeable batteries, two spare BP-511 batteries; Canon ETTL Cord; Ilford Anti-Stat cloth
(In The Pocket Intended For A Laptop & Magazines): two button down folded shirts (folded and inside the laptop sleeve), 2 pairs of a socks, 2 pairs of boxers, belt.
(In The Inside Flap Clear Pockets) Hefty 1-quart (TSA Approved) bag with toiletries, stick of deodorant , two Canon battery chargers for the BP-511 batteries.
(In The Main Compartment): one pair of folded pants (placed above 'The Cube' behind The Tour)
With all of my gear with me, set up in easy to access and configured in a way that is easy to both unpack and repack, I am able to get to work easily. Once I am ready to get to work I remove the gear I'll be shooting with and set up my Mountainsmith Tour pack. Generally I'll head out with a 16-35f2.8 attached to my 5D and a 50f1.4 on my 20D, leaving the 24f1.4 & 70-200f2.8 in The Tour, along with a Canon 580ex, spare batteries, a Think Tank PeeWee Pocket Rocket and an ETTL cord.
The items that were in The Tour get transferred to 'The Cube' and off I go.
I have now traveled with this kit of three transcontinental trips to shoot projects and weddings and the set up has been perfect. The size and weight are easy to handle, the design function of all three items are ideal for traveling fast and light, while allowing me to carry everything I need to make sure I arrive with everything I need to do my job.
Overall, as I have mentioned time-and-time again, I trust my Mountainsmith products (they even make my mobile phone belt holster for my Razr and iPhone, the Mountainsmith Amp). The products Mountainsmith makes are reliable and durable, the space is ample, the bright yellow interior of the waist packs are easy to work out of , the zippers are strong and at the end of the day I know their products will take anything I can throw at them (including being left at the stairs, loaded with my gear, when boarding a regional jet or turbo prop flight).
Next time you're looking for a complete carry-on solution think outside the box and make your own.........maybe also check out the Mountainsmith line of bags for your needs.
Below are two photos of my Mountainsmith kit
Happy Flying!
--Click Images To Enlarge--
24/09/2008 – Simple Baggage Solutions : Make Your Own Modular System
There are dozens of modular bag systems on the market today that are used by photographers. These bags are for general packing solutions, photography specific solutions and a hybrid of both. As I have been trying to reduce the gear I travel with for 'general shooting' situations I had started to investigate a variety of bags possibilities for more than a dozen manufacturers.
While researching a variety of bags one night I started staring at a set of bags I have used, trusted, loved and preached about often on Flying With Fish, and almost everywhere else I discuss bags. These bags as you frequent readers may have already guessed are my Mountainsmith bags.
To make a simple carry on + roll-aboard that could carry everything I'd need for a 'simple kit,' I turned to the Mountainsmith Correspondent roll-aboard bag, The Day and The Tour. These three bags can be easily combined into two bags for short trips, around the corner or around The World.
When initially setting up this configuration I removed the top 'cube' from inside the Mountainsmith Correspondent and sized up the Mountainsmith Tour to see if it would easily fit inside. Once I determined that the Tour would fit into the open slot, normally filled by a 'cube,' I was off and running.
For my needs, this how I packed for travel:
-The Day : 4 magazines (Photo District News, Airliner World, National Geographic, The Economist); sleeve of 10 DVDs, Newswear pouch with my Sony PSP Survival Kit (swapping the Skullcandy headsets for the Sony MDR-NC22 headsets), Vector 100watt emPower inverter; 15" MacPowerBook, PowerBook AC power supply;
- The Tour: Domke 4-slot insert (the original non-padded chocolate brown insert, how many of you remember when the bags were only brown?); PSP power supply; Garmin GPS; GPS accessories; Think Tank Cable Management 10 pouch (for all my random photo & computer accessories, mobile phone chargers, CF card reader, thumb-drive, etc, etc), Energizer rapid "AA" battery charger
- The Correspondent
(In The 'Cube') : Canon 5D w/BG-E4 grip; Canon 20D w/BG-E2 grip; Canon 16-35f2.8L; Canon 70-200f2.8L; Canon 24f1.4L; Canon 50f1.4; Canon EF-12II extension tube; Canon 580ex; Think Tank PeeWee Pocket Rocket (CF Card Wallet) ; two spare "AA" packs of rechargeable batteries, two spare BP-511 batteries; Canon ETTL Cord; Ilford Anti-Stat cloth
(In The Pocket Intended For A Laptop & Magazines): two button down folded shirts (folded and inside the laptop sleeve), 2 pairs of a socks, 2 pairs of boxers, belt.
(In The Inside Flap Clear Pockets) Hefty 1-quart (TSA Approved) bag with toiletries, stick of deodorant , two Canon battery chargers for the BP-511 batteries.
(In The Main Compartment): one pair of folded pants (placed above 'The Cube' behind The Tour)
With all of my gear with me, set up in easy to access and configured in a way that is easy to both unpack and repack, I am able to get to work easily. Once I am ready to get to work I remove the gear I'll be shooting with and set up my Mountainsmith Tour pack. Generally I'll head out with a 16-35f2.8 attached to my 5D and a 50f1.4 on my 20D, leaving the 24f1.4 & 70-200f2.8 in The Tour, along with a Canon 580ex, spare batteries, a Think Tank PeeWee Pocket Rocket and an ETTL cord.
The items that were in The Tour get transferred to 'The Cube' and off I go.
I have now traveled with this kit of three transcontinental trips to shoot projects and weddings and the set up has been perfect. The size and weight are easy to handle, the design function of all three items are ideal for traveling fast and light, while allowing me to carry everything I need to make sure I arrive with everything I need to do my job.
Overall, as I have mentioned time-and-time again, I trust my Mountainsmith products (they even make my mobile phone belt holster for my Razr and iPhone, the Mountainsmith Amp). The products Mountainsmith makes are reliable and durable, the space is ample, the bright yellow interior of the waist packs are easy to work out of , the zippers are strong and at the end of the day I know their products will take anything I can throw at them (including being left at the stairs, loaded with my gear, when boarding a regional jet or turbo prop flight).
Next time you're looking for a complete carry-on solution think outside the box and make your own.........maybe also check out the Mountainsmith line of bags for your needs.
Below are two photos of my Mountainsmith kit
Happy Flying!
--Click Images To Enlarge--
21 January 2008
The Mountainsmith Tour - Part 5 - Traveling The Globe In Two Small Bags
Web: www.fishfotoworldwide.com -- E-Mail: fish@fishfoto.com
21/01/08 - The Mountainsmith Tour - Part 5 - Traveling The Globe In Two Small Bags
What do you get when you pair the Mountainsmith Tour with the Mountainsmith Day? One of the lightest, most flexible bag combinations for traveling light!
Most photographers over pack for travel. A simple overnight trip can often result in a large rolling camera case, a backpack and a full-sized checked bag. There are times you need to pack like this, but you can also scale down what you need, pack entirely based on "needs" not "wants" and do a lot with a very small packing kit.
In a few weeks I will be leading a workshop taking a small group of photographers over to Hong Kong to photograph the Chinese New Year. For me, this will require approximately 18,000 miles of flying over a three day span. I will shoot extensively in Hong Kong on February 7th and 8th, including an engagement session, then photograph an engagement session in Vancouver, British Columbia, on the 8th of February. Sounds like a packing and logistics nightmare? Not at all.
I have chosen my packing to be complete, compact and light and can carry everything I need in the Mountainsmith Tour and the Mountainsmith Day packs. Both bags can hold a remarkable amount of things in a very small space.
The following is everything that will be packed into the Mountainsmith Tour and Mountainsmith Day packs for the No Jet Lag Intensive Photo Workshop
--Camera Gear--
2 - EOS 1D series bodies (carried on my shoulders, each with a lens)
3 - Spare 1D batteries
1 - 14f2.8
1 - 24f1.4
1 - 50f1.4
1 - 85f1.2 (may be swapped for the 85f1.8)
1 - 70-200f2.8
1 - Modified HolgaLens
1 - 580ex
4 - Spare CF Cards
1 - ETTL Off Camera Cord
1 - Photoflex compact 22" reflector gold/white
8 - Spare "AA" batteries
1 - Mini-roll of Gaffers Tape
--Electronics--
1 - Apple MacBook 13"
1 - APC emPower inverter
1 - Canon 1D battery charger
1 - Apple MagSafe Power Supply
1 - Lexar CF Card Reader
1 - USB Phone Charger
1 - USB 2.0 cord
1 - iPod Video
1 - Set of Sennheiser Noise Canceling Headsets
1 - Sleeve of 10 DVDs
1 - 1gb JumpDrive
1 - Compact/Credit Card International PowerTip converter
1 - 3-slot power adapter
2 - Spare "AAA" batteries
--Misc--
2 - Shirts
2 - Pairs of boxer shorts
2 - Pairs of socks
1 - Toothbrush
1 - Mini-container of Gold Bond Powder
2 - Mini-packs of baby wipes
1 - Right Guard deodorant stick
2 - TSA Approved combination locks
Anything else I will need will be worn or carried, such as pants, belt, wallet, passport, etc etc.
The three photos below show everything laid out next to the Mounatinsmith Tour and Mountainsmith Day packs, as well as the two packs full packed up.
If you are interested in the No Jet Lag Intensive Photo Workshop, Feb 5 to Feb 8, there are a few seats still available. You can learn more about this workshop at www.comeflywithfish.com . I will be holding two single day No Jet Lag Workshops on March 15 and March 16 in the Baltimore/DC area and New York City for those interested in learning the "nuts-n-bolts" of traveling as a photographer. For more info drop me an e-mail at fish@flyingwithfish.com
Happy Flying!
-Fish
--Click The Images To Enlarge Them--
21/01/08 - The Mountainsmith Tour - Part 5 - Traveling The Globe In Two Small Bags
What do you get when you pair the Mountainsmith Tour with the Mountainsmith Day? One of the lightest, most flexible bag combinations for traveling light!
Most photographers over pack for travel. A simple overnight trip can often result in a large rolling camera case, a backpack and a full-sized checked bag. There are times you need to pack like this, but you can also scale down what you need, pack entirely based on "needs" not "wants" and do a lot with a very small packing kit.
In a few weeks I will be leading a workshop taking a small group of photographers over to Hong Kong to photograph the Chinese New Year. For me, this will require approximately 18,000 miles of flying over a three day span. I will shoot extensively in Hong Kong on February 7th and 8th, including an engagement session, then photograph an engagement session in Vancouver, British Columbia, on the 8th of February. Sounds like a packing and logistics nightmare? Not at all.
I have chosen my packing to be complete, compact and light and can carry everything I need in the Mountainsmith Tour and the Mountainsmith Day packs. Both bags can hold a remarkable amount of things in a very small space.
The following is everything that will be packed into the Mountainsmith Tour and Mountainsmith Day packs for the No Jet Lag Intensive Photo Workshop
--Camera Gear--
2 - EOS 1D series bodies (carried on my shoulders, each with a lens)
3 - Spare 1D batteries
1 - 14f2.8
1 - 24f1.4
1 - 50f1.4
1 - 85f1.2 (may be swapped for the 85f1.8)
1 - 70-200f2.8
1 - Modified HolgaLens
1 - 580ex
4 - Spare CF Cards
1 - ETTL Off Camera Cord
1 - Photoflex compact 22" reflector gold/white
8 - Spare "AA" batteries
1 - Mini-roll of Gaffers Tape
--Electronics--
1 - Apple MacBook 13"
1 - APC emPower inverter
1 - Canon 1D battery charger
1 - Apple MagSafe Power Supply
1 - Lexar CF Card Reader
1 - USB Phone Charger
1 - USB 2.0 cord
1 - iPod Video
1 - Set of Sennheiser Noise Canceling Headsets
1 - Sleeve of 10 DVDs
1 - 1gb JumpDrive
1 - Compact/Credit Card International PowerTip converter
1 - 3-slot power adapter
2 - Spare "AAA" batteries
--Misc--
2 - Shirts
2 - Pairs of boxer shorts
2 - Pairs of socks
1 - Toothbrush
1 - Mini-container of Gold Bond Powder
2 - Mini-packs of baby wipes
1 - Right Guard deodorant stick
2 - TSA Approved combination locks
Anything else I will need will be worn or carried, such as pants, belt, wallet, passport, etc etc.
The three photos below show everything laid out next to the Mounatinsmith Tour and Mountainsmith Day packs, as well as the two packs full packed up.
If you are interested in the No Jet Lag Intensive Photo Workshop, Feb 5 to Feb 8, there are a few seats still available. You can learn more about this workshop at www.comeflywithfish.com . I will be holding two single day No Jet Lag Workshops on March 15 and March 16 in the Baltimore/DC area and New York City for those interested in learning the "nuts-n-bolts" of traveling as a photographer. For more info drop me an e-mail at fish@flyingwithfish.com
Happy Flying!
-Fish
--Click The Images To Enlarge Them--
17 November 2008
CONTEST! : Win A Free Mountainsmith Amp
Web: www.thetravelstrategist.com -- E-Mail: fish@flyingwithfish.com
17/11/2008 – CONTEST! : Win A Free Mountainsmith Amp
A little less than two weeks ago I wrote about the Mountainsmith Amp mobile phone holster. In this post on Flying With Fish I also mentioned my plans to stockpile a few Amps, because they are scheduled to be removed from the product line in the near future.
Since I have loved using the Mountainsmith Amp with both my iPhone and my Motorola Razr, I've decided to give a brand spanking new Amp away. This give away is from Flying With Fish, not Mountainsmith (although they are welcome to kick in a few extras if they feel like it). Why am I giving one of mine away? Because I'm sure whoever gets the Amp will love it also both at home and on the road.
The contest to receive the Mountainsmith Amp is simple.....in two parts
Part 1: You must correctly answer this question - What is the name 'Qantas' an acronym for? (Careful, two websites that pop up when you Google this answer have the incorrect answer). Those who have submitted the correct answer will have their names entered into random drawing two days from now, on the evening of Wednesday November 19th.
Part 2: As a bonus question, the first reader of Flying With Fish who can correctly tell me the colours that Pan Am used to print their "Press Luggage" tags in the 1950 and 1960s, you'll jump the line and automatically win the Mountainsmith Amp.
.....here is a hint, the 'Press Luggage' tags were marked as "Clipper Cargo"
Have the answers? Drop me an e-mail at fish@flyingwithfish.com
For more info on the Mountainsmith Amp, read this post :
6/11/2008 – Mountainsmith Amp : A Phone Holster For People On The Run
Happy Flying!
17/11/2008 – CONTEST! : Win A Free Mountainsmith Amp
A little less than two weeks ago I wrote about the Mountainsmith Amp mobile phone holster. In this post on Flying With Fish I also mentioned my plans to stockpile a few Amps, because they are scheduled to be removed from the product line in the near future.
Since I have loved using the Mountainsmith Amp with both my iPhone and my Motorola Razr, I've decided to give a brand spanking new Amp away. This give away is from Flying With Fish, not Mountainsmith (although they are welcome to kick in a few extras if they feel like it). Why am I giving one of mine away? Because I'm sure whoever gets the Amp will love it also both at home and on the road.
The contest to receive the Mountainsmith Amp is simple.....in two parts
Part 1: You must correctly answer this question - What is the name 'Qantas' an acronym for? (Careful, two websites that pop up when you Google this answer have the incorrect answer). Those who have submitted the correct answer will have their names entered into random drawing two days from now, on the evening of Wednesday November 19th.
Part 2: As a bonus question, the first reader of Flying With Fish who can correctly tell me the colours that Pan Am used to print their "Press Luggage" tags in the 1950 and 1960s, you'll jump the line and automatically win the Mountainsmith Amp.
.....here is a hint, the 'Press Luggage' tags were marked as "Clipper Cargo"
Have the answers? Drop me an e-mail at fish@flyingwithfish.com
For more info on the Mountainsmith Amp, read this post :
6/11/2008 – Mountainsmith Amp : A Phone Holster For People On The Run
Happy Flying!
16 July 2008
Winners Announced For 'The Great Mountainsmith Bag Give Away From Flying With Fish'
Web: www.fishfoto.com -- E-Mail: fish@flyingwithfish.com
16/07/2008 – Winners Announced For 'The Great Mountainsmith Bag Give Away From Flying With Fish'
Choosing the top three 'worst case scenarios' most deserving of the Mountainsmith Parallax photo backpack for first place; the Mountainsmith Day Pack for second place and the Mountainsmith Cyber II for the third place was difficult.
I have read more than 100 entries (and tossed a few, including a personal favourite that involved being abducted by aliens) before whittling down the entries to make it to the 'next round.' From this 'next round' I sought the insight from a few expert travelers. The decision on the final three entries has taken a few days of deliberations. I hoped to have my winners first thing Tuesday morning, but in reality I kept coming back to five entries, and ultimately had to make my decisions from these final five.
So what were the winning entries in the 'The Great Mountainsmith Bag Give Away From Flying With Fish'? Let's find out!
---
1st Place: David Ringrose takes home a Mountainsmith Parallax!
Have Crowbar, Will Travel
I was traveling by rail in Portugal, watching the countryside go by. Suddenly there was a horrble screeching noise, and I saw that rocks and pieces of metal were flying past the carriage windows at a high rate of speed. My first thought was, "We've been derailed!" So I grabbed the bottom of my bench seat waiting for the carriage to tip one way or the other.
The locals began sticking their heads out the windows, this seemed crazy to me since things were still whizzing past. Luckily nothing was flying up at an angle to hit one of these brave, or stupid, souls. The train slowed and came to a stop, and several of us got off the train to see what had happened. The brakeman was out of the locomotive looking at a small car that was now attached to the front of the locomotive and there was a man running in our direction from the other direction, the driver as I later learned.
Immediately, visions of being stuck here for hours waiting on the Portugese version of the NTSB to show up, while my friend who was being married in two days waited for me to arrive at my destination. I walked forward to see if I could be of any assistance. As I walked past the locomotive the engineer handed me a crowbar, using the international, "take this" sign, since I don't speak Portugese.
Thankfully there was no one in the car, and amazingly the car radio was still playing. Several of the men were trying to push the car off the tracks. When they saw me with the crowbar they waved me up onto the car. So I crawled up there and started prying the car and locomotive apart at a couple of points where they'd become melded together. With a lot of heaving and pidgin and about ten minutes of work we managed to get the two separated and were on our way. Leaving behind one destroyed small car, with a working radio, and an upset, yet relieved driver. We managed to get to my destination only twenty minutes late.
My travel tips from this experience. Follow the wisdom of the Hitchhiker's Guide [to the Galaxy], DON'T PANIC. It also helps to keep your sense of humor, and your worst case
scenario can become an adventure, and a great story.
(Sidenote from Fish: I love the 4th book in the Hitchhikers Guide trilogy "So Long and Thanks For All The Fish")
---
2nd Place: Rikk Flohr (www.fleetingglimpse.com) takes home a Mountainsmith Day!
"My scheduled 20-day shoot began on June 1st of this year. I would shoot a sculpture workshop at Mt. Rushmore, Waterfalls in Spearfish Canyon, Devil's Tower, a family reunion, a family portrait, and a week camping in the Bighorn Mountains.
I arrived at Rushmore on Monday - Day 2 and attended the workshop without my gear to scope the location. Afterwards, I secured a campsite at Grizzly Gulch and decided to hike in to photograph the Grizzly Bear Falls. Forgoing my entire backpack of gear, I slung a 40D with 17-40 and a 5D with a 70-200 zoom over each shoulder and set out.
Recent heavy rains eroded the stream banks rather severely. The boulder at the base of the falls onto which I stepped gave way, tipping me into the stream, depositing me and my gear into a 5-foot deep pool of icy rushing water. The 5D and telephoto zoom went completely under. The 40D and wide angle zoom were doused but I managed to get them out of the water quickly. It took nearly 10 seconds of flailing about to get my feet underneath me and the cameras out of the water.
Sloshing back to my tent, I reflected on my options. I was on Day 2 of a 20 day safari and I was without my main camera and my backup without having fired a shutter. My cell phone was protected in my breast pocket and still worked, as did the key fob for my Prius so I had transportation and phone service. I called my wife and had her ship my backup 5D and my ancient 20D via Fed Ex for a Day 4 arrival. I called my insurance company (I carry a rider for my gear) and reported the accident.
Two trips into Rapid City for desiccant and the ultimate post-mortems at Ritz Camera to satisfy the underwriter and I had assurances a check was on the way. Day 4 came, the backup gear arrived. I was back in business. My wife called on Day 5 and had the check in hand. The order to B&H was placed and on Day 9, the replacement gear was delivered. One shoot was cancelled due to lack of gear and a few shots were salvaged by using the 2.0 MP cell
phone camera to get the shots I needed for my blog.
Days 10-20 were a picnic by comparison."
---
Third Place: Melody Bostad (www.oneeyedesigns.com) takes home a Mountainsmith Cyber II!
Rain.
I should be used to it by now. I live in Seattle! Yet, there I was, in Boston on July 4 all set to photograph fireworks for the first time. My friend and I staked out a great location hours before the start of the show. I didn’t have any problems setting up the tripod, camera
settings and cable release were ready – and then the rain came. It wasn’t just a light drizzle but the kind of rain you can swim in. Put my hat on my Canon 20D to help protect it from the water but I didn’t even have a lens hood on the camera so rain was pelting the lens, ruining any chance of still getting a decent shot of the fireworks. Not wanting to lose my spot in search of protection from the elements, I tore up a walking map of Boston I had in my pocket, wrapped it around the lens, and swiped my friend’s hair tie to secure the paper. Viola! A temporary lens hood. I happened to have a clear plastic shower cap that I took from the hotel a while back (read in a book that they can be useful in such a situation) and placed it around the rest of the camera. I ended up getting some great shots of the fireworks and even better memories.
16/07/2008 – Winners Announced For 'The Great Mountainsmith Bag Give Away From Flying With Fish'
Choosing the top three 'worst case scenarios' most deserving of the Mountainsmith Parallax photo backpack for first place; the Mountainsmith Day Pack for second place and the Mountainsmith Cyber II for the third place was difficult.
I have read more than 100 entries (and tossed a few, including a personal favourite that involved being abducted by aliens) before whittling down the entries to make it to the 'next round.' From this 'next round' I sought the insight from a few expert travelers. The decision on the final three entries has taken a few days of deliberations. I hoped to have my winners first thing Tuesday morning, but in reality I kept coming back to five entries, and ultimately had to make my decisions from these final five.
So what were the winning entries in the 'The Great Mountainsmith Bag Give Away From Flying With Fish'? Let's find out!
---
1st Place: David Ringrose takes home a Mountainsmith Parallax!
Have Crowbar, Will Travel
I was traveling by rail in Portugal, watching the countryside go by. Suddenly there was a horrble screeching noise, and I saw that rocks and pieces of metal were flying past the carriage windows at a high rate of speed. My first thought was, "We've been derailed!" So I grabbed the bottom of my bench seat waiting for the carriage to tip one way or the other.
The locals began sticking their heads out the windows, this seemed crazy to me since things were still whizzing past. Luckily nothing was flying up at an angle to hit one of these brave, or stupid, souls. The train slowed and came to a stop, and several of us got off the train to see what had happened. The brakeman was out of the locomotive looking at a small car that was now attached to the front of the locomotive and there was a man running in our direction from the other direction, the driver as I later learned.
Immediately, visions of being stuck here for hours waiting on the Portugese version of the NTSB to show up, while my friend who was being married in two days waited for me to arrive at my destination. I walked forward to see if I could be of any assistance. As I walked past the locomotive the engineer handed me a crowbar, using the international, "take this" sign, since I don't speak Portugese.
Thankfully there was no one in the car, and amazingly the car radio was still playing. Several of the men were trying to push the car off the tracks. When they saw me with the crowbar they waved me up onto the car. So I crawled up there and started prying the car and locomotive apart at a couple of points where they'd become melded together. With a lot of heaving and pidgin and about ten minutes of work we managed to get the two separated and were on our way. Leaving behind one destroyed small car, with a working radio, and an upset, yet relieved driver. We managed to get to my destination only twenty minutes late.
My travel tips from this experience. Follow the wisdom of the Hitchhiker's Guide [to the Galaxy], DON'T PANIC. It also helps to keep your sense of humor, and your worst case
scenario can become an adventure, and a great story.
(Sidenote from Fish: I love the 4th book in the Hitchhikers Guide trilogy "So Long and Thanks For All The Fish")
---
2nd Place: Rikk Flohr (www.fleetingglimpse.com) takes home a Mountainsmith Day!
"My scheduled 20-day shoot began on June 1st of this year. I would shoot a sculpture workshop at Mt. Rushmore, Waterfalls in Spearfish Canyon, Devil's Tower, a family reunion, a family portrait, and a week camping in the Bighorn Mountains.
I arrived at Rushmore on Monday - Day 2 and attended the workshop without my gear to scope the location. Afterwards, I secured a campsite at Grizzly Gulch and decided to hike in to photograph the Grizzly Bear Falls. Forgoing my entire backpack of gear, I slung a 40D with 17-40 and a 5D with a 70-200 zoom over each shoulder and set out.
Recent heavy rains eroded the stream banks rather severely. The boulder at the base of the falls onto which I stepped gave way, tipping me into the stream, depositing me and my gear into a 5-foot deep pool of icy rushing water. The 5D and telephoto zoom went completely under. The 40D and wide angle zoom were doused but I managed to get them out of the water quickly. It took nearly 10 seconds of flailing about to get my feet underneath me and the cameras out of the water.
Sloshing back to my tent, I reflected on my options. I was on Day 2 of a 20 day safari and I was without my main camera and my backup without having fired a shutter. My cell phone was protected in my breast pocket and still worked, as did the key fob for my Prius so I had transportation and phone service. I called my wife and had her ship my backup 5D and my ancient 20D via Fed Ex for a Day 4 arrival. I called my insurance company (I carry a rider for my gear) and reported the accident.
Two trips into Rapid City for desiccant and the ultimate post-mortems at Ritz Camera to satisfy the underwriter and I had assurances a check was on the way. Day 4 came, the backup gear arrived. I was back in business. My wife called on Day 5 and had the check in hand. The order to B&H was placed and on Day 9, the replacement gear was delivered. One shoot was cancelled due to lack of gear and a few shots were salvaged by using the 2.0 MP cell
phone camera to get the shots I needed for my blog.
Days 10-20 were a picnic by comparison."
---
Third Place: Melody Bostad (www.oneeyedesigns.com) takes home a Mountainsmith Cyber II!
Rain.
I should be used to it by now. I live in Seattle! Yet, there I was, in Boston on July 4 all set to photograph fireworks for the first time. My friend and I staked out a great location hours before the start of the show. I didn’t have any problems setting up the tripod, camera
settings and cable release were ready – and then the rain came. It wasn’t just a light drizzle but the kind of rain you can swim in. Put my hat on my Canon 20D to help protect it from the water but I didn’t even have a lens hood on the camera so rain was pelting the lens, ruining any chance of still getting a decent shot of the fireworks. Not wanting to lose my spot in search of protection from the elements, I tore up a walking map of Boston I had in my pocket, wrapped it around the lens, and swiped my friend’s hair tie to secure the paper. Viola! A temporary lens hood. I happened to have a clear plastic shower cap that I took from the hotel a while back (read in a book that they can be useful in such a situation) and placed it around the rest of the camera. I ended up getting some great shots of the fireworks and even better memories.
My next stop on my vacation was New York were I bought a camera rain protector from B & H
---
I want to thank everyone for their entries, and I especially want to thank Mountainsmith for their support of Flying With Fish's reader........and Ingrid at Mountainsmith! Without Ingrid this contest would never have existed. THANK YOU INGRID!
Happy Flying!
---
I want to thank everyone for their entries, and I especially want to thank Mountainsmith for their support of Flying With Fish's reader........and Ingrid at Mountainsmith! Without Ingrid this contest would never have existed. THANK YOU INGRID!
Happy Flying!
10 July 2008
Mountainsmith Bag Giveaway Deadline Is Rapidly Approaching!!!
Web: www.fishfotoworldwide.com -- E-Mail: fish@flyingwithfish.com
10/07/2008 - Mountainsmith Bag Giveaway Deadline Is Rapidly Approaching!!!
Come on, you know you want to win a Mountainsmith bag to load up your gear and go! Many travelers are procrastinators. Many photographers are worse procrastinators than travelers, so here is a friendly reminder that 'The Great Mountainsmith Bag Give Away From Flying With Fish' deadline is just a few days away !!
The deadline is the 14th of July at Midnight New York time.
Why New York time? Because it is the center of the universe! Yep, that's right, it is home to three incredibly important airports. New York is home to some of the most congested airspace on the planet. You can fly nearly anywhere from New York (often non-stop!) . The World tunes in to watch 'the new year' begin in Times Square. New York is was home to the first airline lounge (the American Airlines Admirals Club at Glenn H. Curtiss Airport , now known as LaGuardia Airport). Most importantly, New York is the place of my birth ..................... oh yea, and I happen to live outside New York in the GMT-5 time-zone (but that answer is really boring).
What do you have to do to win one of three great Mountainsmith bags? Well to win a Mountainsmith Parallax, Mountainsmith Day or Mountainsmith Cyber II, you need to tell the 'worst case scenario' you have experienced on the road and how you overcame it!
Your ordeal and triumph must be 400 words or less. I need the details of what and where your worst case scenario happened and I need the details of how you overcame the situation to keep on going (FYI: telling me you ended up in jail is not a solution to overcoming a travel problem).
Any stories that seem a little far-fetched will be verified; also I have read the "worse case scenario" series of books, so no lifting material from there; I also read Flyer Talk and can search the archives so no ripping off material!
Once you have correctly recalled the details of your ordeal and triumph send me an e-mail of 400 words or less! The e-mail address your entry should go to is : traveltips@flyingwithfish.com
Remember, 12:00 midnight, July 14th ....... New York Standard Time (or Eastern Standard Time, or GMT-5, or Zulu-5, etc etc etc). Late entries will end up in the trash.
Happy Flying!
10/07/2008 - Mountainsmith Bag Giveaway Deadline Is Rapidly Approaching!!!
Come on, you know you want to win a Mountainsmith bag to load up your gear and go! Many travelers are procrastinators. Many photographers are worse procrastinators than travelers, so here is a friendly reminder that 'The Great Mountainsmith Bag Give Away From Flying With Fish' deadline is just a few days away !!
The deadline is the 14th of July at Midnight New York time.
Why New York time? Because it is the center of the universe! Yep, that's right, it is home to three incredibly important airports. New York is home to some of the most congested airspace on the planet. You can fly nearly anywhere from New York (often non-stop!) . The World tunes in to watch 'the new year' begin in Times Square. New York is was home to the first airline lounge (the American Airlines Admirals Club at Glenn H. Curtiss Airport , now known as LaGuardia Airport). Most importantly, New York is the place of my birth ..................... oh yea, and I happen to live outside New York in the GMT-5 time-zone (but that answer is really boring).
What do you have to do to win one of three great Mountainsmith bags? Well to win a Mountainsmith Parallax, Mountainsmith Day or Mountainsmith Cyber II, you need to tell the 'worst case scenario' you have experienced on the road and how you overcame it!
Your ordeal and triumph must be 400 words or less. I need the details of what and where your worst case scenario happened and I need the details of how you overcame the situation to keep on going (FYI: telling me you ended up in jail is not a solution to overcoming a travel problem).
Any stories that seem a little far-fetched will be verified; also I have read the "worse case scenario" series of books, so no lifting material from there; I also read Flyer Talk and can search the archives so no ripping off material!
Once you have correctly recalled the details of your ordeal and triumph send me an e-mail of 400 words or less! The e-mail address your entry should go to is : traveltips@flyingwithfish.com
Remember, 12:00 midnight, July 14th ....... New York Standard Time (or Eastern Standard Time, or GMT-5, or Zulu-5, etc etc etc). Late entries will end up in the trash.
Happy Flying!
17 January 2008
The Mountainsmith Tour - Part 3 - The Compact Road Warrior Lighting Kit
Web: www.fishfotoworldwide.com -- E-Mail: fish@fishfoto.com
17/01/08 - The Mountainsmith Tour - Part 3 - The Compact Road Warrior Lighting Kit
While working on the road there are many situations that require me to light quickly and on the run............and my Mountainsmith Tour provides me a packing option that is perfect for working quickly and effectively.
As much as I'd often like the opportunity to set up a full lighting kit for many of my subjects, or at least be able to set up a carefully planned small lighting set up, this is not always possible. Many of my shoots need to be shot quickly, with little-to-no planning in regard to location and this leaves me with the old reliable "single light stand-by" option.
The "single light" set up is an extremely common set up among news and editorial photographers. It is not always the most ideal set up, but it is done for a variety of reasons, the most common being that it can be done quickly. You're waiting for a very high profile person, once they arrive you are told you have 5 minutes (which really means 2 minutes) and you are told where to set up and given 5 minutes to do so. These can be frustrating situations, but I have learned to plan for these situations. The constraints placed on me are not my client's problem, they just need the photographs, and it is my job to provide these images regardless of obstacles.
With the need to create a very small, very unassuming, ultra portable lighting kit, I have adapted my Mountainsmith Tour bag to meet my most basic lighting needs. This kit makes my "stripped down" kit look complex, but it gets the job done. This configuration of the Mountainsmith Tour can be carried on the plane, worn around your waist with two cameras on your shoulders and easily be set up and torn down in less than five minutes anywhere...........it is my "Road Warrior Single Light Kit".
The following equipment makes up my "Road Warrior Single Light Kit":
- Nikon SB-28dx
- Calumet Swivel Adapter
- PhotoFlex Speedring
- Pocket Wizard Transmitter
- Pocket Wizard Receiver
- PC Cord
- 2 "AA" four packs
- Roll of Gaffers Tape
- 22" Photoflex LiteDisc
- Maglight MiniMag Flashlight
- Bogen 3373 Compact Light Stand
- (often added and not pictured : Photoflex Q39 Small Softbox)
All of this gear fits neatly inside the Mountainsmith Tour (including the Photoflex Q39 Softbox that is not pictured). The Bogen 3373 Compact Light Stand is attached to the Mountainsmith Tour by the bags strap system under the bag.
If you are interested in learning more about single light set ups, you need to check out Neil Turner's web site www.dg28.com
For those interested in learning a wide variety of small light shooting concepts and techniques, I strongly suggest visiting The Strobist at www.strobist.com . The Strobist is the most comprehensive source anywhere for using small strobes and learning to maximize the potential of your small strobe capabilities.
Below are some photos of my Mountainsmith Tour and the gear that makes up my "Road Warrior Single Light Kit." Even with all the gear pictured below (and the often added, but not pictured Photoflex Q39 Softbox) the pack has enough room for other items you may want to add. I have packed all this, plus tossed in an additional small lens (like the 50f1.4 , 85f1.8, 12mm macro extension tubes) and lashed on a Gitzo 0012 tripod with no problems in regard to space, weight and maneuverability.
Happy Flying!
--Click The Images To Enlarge Them--
17/01/08 - The Mountainsmith Tour - Part 3 - The Compact Road Warrior Lighting Kit
While working on the road there are many situations that require me to light quickly and on the run............and my Mountainsmith Tour provides me a packing option that is perfect for working quickly and effectively.
As much as I'd often like the opportunity to set up a full lighting kit for many of my subjects, or at least be able to set up a carefully planned small lighting set up, this is not always possible. Many of my shoots need to be shot quickly, with little-to-no planning in regard to location and this leaves me with the old reliable "single light stand-by" option.
The "single light" set up is an extremely common set up among news and editorial photographers. It is not always the most ideal set up, but it is done for a variety of reasons, the most common being that it can be done quickly. You're waiting for a very high profile person, once they arrive you are told you have 5 minutes (which really means 2 minutes) and you are told where to set up and given 5 minutes to do so. These can be frustrating situations, but I have learned to plan for these situations. The constraints placed on me are not my client's problem, they just need the photographs, and it is my job to provide these images regardless of obstacles.
With the need to create a very small, very unassuming, ultra portable lighting kit, I have adapted my Mountainsmith Tour bag to meet my most basic lighting needs. This kit makes my "stripped down" kit look complex, but it gets the job done. This configuration of the Mountainsmith Tour can be carried on the plane, worn around your waist with two cameras on your shoulders and easily be set up and torn down in less than five minutes anywhere...........it is my "Road Warrior Single Light Kit".
The following equipment makes up my "Road Warrior Single Light Kit":
- Nikon SB-28dx
- Calumet Swivel Adapter
- PhotoFlex Speedring
- Pocket Wizard Transmitter
- Pocket Wizard Receiver
- PC Cord
- 2 "AA" four packs
- Roll of Gaffers Tape
- 22" Photoflex LiteDisc
- Maglight MiniMag Flashlight
- Bogen 3373 Compact Light Stand
- (often added and not pictured : Photoflex Q39 Small Softbox)
All of this gear fits neatly inside the Mountainsmith Tour (including the Photoflex Q39 Softbox that is not pictured). The Bogen 3373 Compact Light Stand is attached to the Mountainsmith Tour by the bags strap system under the bag.
If you are interested in learning more about single light set ups, you need to check out Neil Turner's web site www.dg28.com
For those interested in learning a wide variety of small light shooting concepts and techniques, I strongly suggest visiting The Strobist at www.strobist.com . The Strobist is the most comprehensive source anywhere for using small strobes and learning to maximize the potential of your small strobe capabilities.
Below are some photos of my Mountainsmith Tour and the gear that makes up my "Road Warrior Single Light Kit." Even with all the gear pictured below (and the often added, but not pictured Photoflex Q39 Softbox) the pack has enough room for other items you may want to add. I have packed all this, plus tossed in an additional small lens (like the 50f1.4 , 85f1.8, 12mm macro extension tubes) and lashed on a Gitzo 0012 tripod with no problems in regard to space, weight and maneuverability.
Happy Flying!
--Click The Images To Enlarge Them--
06 November 2008
Mountainsmith Amp : A Phone Holster For People On The Run
Web: www.thetravelstrategist.com -- E-Mail: fish@flyingwithfish.com
6/11/2008 – Mountainsmith Amp : A Phone Holster For People On The Run
For years I had a habit of dropping, cracking and breaking phones that were on holsters on my belt. I prefer my phone be on my belt, however my camera would bang into the phone, my waist pack would open a holster flap, or the holster's Velcro was not sufficient enough to keep a phone in the case.
A little over a year ago while standing in the Kittery Trading Post, in Kittery, Maine, I found a the durable, reliable and versatile phone holster I have been searching for. This holster was the black Mountainsmith Amp, made from recycled materials. It is no secret that I like Mountainsmith's bags and packs, so when I found a mobile phone holster made by Mountainsmith I had to have one.
What separates this mobile phone holster from others is a few things
1: The Amp can be worn vertically or horizontally on your belt (I wear it horizontally)
2: The Amp has durable-&-stretchable neoprene size to allow it to fit many phones snuggly
3: The Amp has a lot of Velcro, which makes it very difficult to knock open
4: The Amp's stretchy neoprene keeps its shape, so should you knock it open you won't lose your phone.
My Amp was primarily used with a Motorola Razr V3, until I switched to the primarily using the Apple iPhone. While the Amp may appear to be too small for the iPhone, it fits it perfectly. When I travel internationally I switch back to the Razr to use local pre-paid SIM cards, and the Amp holds its shape to switch between the more slender Razr and wider iPhone. Most holsters would be to wide or two narrow to accommodate both phones, while Amp is ideal for both.
Having used the Amp in some very fast paced situations, where my phone holster is constantly being brushed, pushed and banged by a waist pack, belt-pouches or my camera gear, I have never had my phone drop out of the Amp.
The fact that the Amp is manufactured with recycled materials is just an added bonus. I strongly support recycling, the purchasing of carbon offsets when traveling and supporting those who choose to help the environment. So the Amp follows other items Mountainsmith manufactures using recycled products, such as the Tour and Day packs.
...........Mountainsmith may be discontinuing the Amp at the end of this season, so priced at only around US$10 each, you may want to snap them up now while you still can (I plan on stock piling half-a-dozen).
Below are five photos of my phones with the Mountainsmith Amp
Happy Flying!
--Click Images To Enlarge--
6/11/2008 – Mountainsmith Amp : A Phone Holster For People On The Run
For years I had a habit of dropping, cracking and breaking phones that were on holsters on my belt. I prefer my phone be on my belt, however my camera would bang into the phone, my waist pack would open a holster flap, or the holster's Velcro was not sufficient enough to keep a phone in the case.
A little over a year ago while standing in the Kittery Trading Post, in Kittery, Maine, I found a the durable, reliable and versatile phone holster I have been searching for. This holster was the black Mountainsmith Amp, made from recycled materials. It is no secret that I like Mountainsmith's bags and packs, so when I found a mobile phone holster made by Mountainsmith I had to have one.
What separates this mobile phone holster from others is a few things
1: The Amp can be worn vertically or horizontally on your belt (I wear it horizontally)
2: The Amp has durable-&-stretchable neoprene size to allow it to fit many phones snuggly
3: The Amp has a lot of Velcro, which makes it very difficult to knock open
4: The Amp's stretchy neoprene keeps its shape, so should you knock it open you won't lose your phone.
My Amp was primarily used with a Motorola Razr V3, until I switched to the primarily using the Apple iPhone. While the Amp may appear to be too small for the iPhone, it fits it perfectly. When I travel internationally I switch back to the Razr to use local pre-paid SIM cards, and the Amp holds its shape to switch between the more slender Razr and wider iPhone. Most holsters would be to wide or two narrow to accommodate both phones, while Amp is ideal for both.
Having used the Amp in some very fast paced situations, where my phone holster is constantly being brushed, pushed and banged by a waist pack, belt-pouches or my camera gear, I have never had my phone drop out of the Amp.
The fact that the Amp is manufactured with recycled materials is just an added bonus. I strongly support recycling, the purchasing of carbon offsets when traveling and supporting those who choose to help the environment. So the Amp follows other items Mountainsmith manufactures using recycled products, such as the Tour and Day packs.
...........Mountainsmith may be discontinuing the Amp at the end of this season, so priced at only around US$10 each, you may want to snap them up now while you still can (I plan on stock piling half-a-dozen).
Below are five photos of my phones with the Mountainsmith Amp
Happy Flying!
--Click Images To Enlarge--
26 March 2008
The Mountainsmith Day - The Hit The Ground Running Micro-Location Day Bag
Web: www.fishfotoworldwide.com -- E-Mail: fish@fishfoto.com
26/03/2008 - The Mountainsmith Day - The Hit The Ground Running Micro-Location Day Bag
One of the biggest challenges I face in my travel logistics is trying to pack as much as I can into the smallest, lightest, most mobile kit available to me. Every job is different, every job has it's own unique needs and challenges. If I stay focused on what I "need," not what I "want," I can continuously make my kit smaller and more tailored to each type of shoot.
Two months ago I added the Mountainsmith Day Pack to compliment my often talked about Mountain Smith Tour packs. I have played with the Mountainsmith Day in various set ups, and as much as I enjoyed the bag I knew I was somehow missing the real niche' of this bag in my day-to-day shooting.
This past Saturday I decided to create a while new light versatile mobile kit based around the size and strengths of this bag. I wanted a shoulder bag that was light, but one that transfered the majority of the weight to my waist; one that could hold a significant amount of equipment and also give me more internal working room; one that could vertically transport a light stand and still not be a full sized bag. The answer to all these questions, wants and needs was obvious, the Mountainsmith Day Pack.
To separate my lenses from my reflector and flag/gobo I used the Domke F-803 lens insert, this gave me a more stable working space. The lens insert also keeps my lenses & flashes organized while going through airport security, sitting in the aircraft's overhead bins and obviously while out and about shooting in the streets of Philadelphia. With the Mountainsmith Day being considerably deeper than the Mountainsmith Tour I could fully insert my Canon 70-200f2.8L , with Nikon HN-28 metal screw in hood, into the main compartment rather than using an exterior Newswear Pouch. I still used my Newswear Pouch, however this was used to transport 2 Pocket Wizard Receivers, 1 Pocket Wizard Transmitter and a Calumet Swivel Adapter.
The tricky part was affixing the Bogen 3373 compact light stand. I did not want to attach the light stand using the lash-tabs at the bottom of the bag. After playing with a few options, I ended up inserting the the fully closed light stand upside down into one of the side mesh pouches. To keep the light stand in place I clipped a small carabiner to the rear top handle and a single leg section of the light stand. It held in place comfortably all day, and no one at airport security gave me a second look (I didn't expect any second looks at the airport, I fly with light stands externally all the time)
My "hit-the-ground-running" kit consisted on the following
2 - Canon EOS 1D bodies (one on each shoulder)
1 - Canon 14f2.8
1 - Canon 50f1.4 (on EOS 1D)
1 - Canon 85f1.8
1 - Canon 16-35f2.8 (on EOS 1Ds)
1 - Canon 70-200f2.8
2 - Nikon SB-28dx Speedlights
2 - Spare EOS 1D batteries
1 - Think Tank PeeWee Pocket Rocket (not pictured)
1 - Photoflex 22" white/gold LiteDisc reflector
1 - David Honl black/white Gobo w/speed strap(packed in LiteDisc)
1 - Bogen 3373 Compact Light Stand
1- Calumet Swivel Adapter
1 - Manfrotto 345 Table Top tripod w/extension pole
1 - Wein optical slave (used as a flash-foot on the Manfrotto 345)
2 - Pocket Wizard Receivers
1 - Pocket Wizard Transmitter
2 - Pocket Wizard to PC cords
2 - 4-packs of rechargeable "AA" batteries(for Nikon SB-28dx)
6 - 2-packs of AA batteries (for Pocket Wizard units)
1 - Small Roll of Gaffers Tape
1 - Ilford Anti-Stat Cloth (for lens cleaning)
1 - Set of Phillips Noise Canceling Headsets
1 - 60gb iPod Video
1 - Sony PSP w/Manhattan Portage Canvas Case
1 - Case of 4 UMD Disks (PSP Disks)
Another change in how I approached this shoot was to not travel with my laptop. Normally I fly with a 13" Apple MacBook, at times a 15" Apple PowerBook, but I have been seeking to shed this item due to weight and size restrictions. I know I need a laptop the majority of the time, however on this day trip I decided to shed the excess size and weight of a computer.
For entertainment on this day trip I brought a handheld Sony PSP with four movies on UMD disk. The UMD disks are smaller in diameter than the Canon EOS rear lens caps, and are roughly the same height as two DVDs (since the UMD disk is in a plastic protective case). I'd never used the Sony PSP before and really enjoyed it..........but that's for another post.
All in all for my day long trip to Philadelphia, two trips through TSA check points, packing the bag for flights on two regional jets and a few hours of packing and unpacking my kit on location while shooting I think this set up is fantastic. In the long run I can see this kit completely changing how I approach my short shoots.
Below are a few detailed photos of the kit in the bag and laid out with the bag. The images below also show some detail shots of the Newswear pouch with the Mountainsmith Day; the Manfrotto 345 and it's carry pouch attached to the Mountainsmih Day; the Domke lens insert and the Domke lens insert inside the Mountainsmith Day.
I have also added a few images from the engagement session this kit produced.
Happy Flying!
--Click Images To Enlarge Them--
26/03/2008 - The Mountainsmith Day - The Hit The Ground Running Micro-Location Day Bag
One of the biggest challenges I face in my travel logistics is trying to pack as much as I can into the smallest, lightest, most mobile kit available to me. Every job is different, every job has it's own unique needs and challenges. If I stay focused on what I "need," not what I "want," I can continuously make my kit smaller and more tailored to each type of shoot.
Two months ago I added the Mountainsmith Day Pack to compliment my often talked about Mountain Smith Tour packs. I have played with the Mountainsmith Day in various set ups, and as much as I enjoyed the bag I knew I was somehow missing the real niche' of this bag in my day-to-day shooting.
This past Saturday I decided to create a while new light versatile mobile kit based around the size and strengths of this bag. I wanted a shoulder bag that was light, but one that transfered the majority of the weight to my waist; one that could hold a significant amount of equipment and also give me more internal working room; one that could vertically transport a light stand and still not be a full sized bag. The answer to all these questions, wants and needs was obvious, the Mountainsmith Day Pack.
To separate my lenses from my reflector and flag/gobo I used the Domke F-803 lens insert, this gave me a more stable working space. The lens insert also keeps my lenses & flashes organized while going through airport security, sitting in the aircraft's overhead bins and obviously while out and about shooting in the streets of Philadelphia. With the Mountainsmith Day being considerably deeper than the Mountainsmith Tour I could fully insert my Canon 70-200f2.8L , with Nikon HN-28 metal screw in hood, into the main compartment rather than using an exterior Newswear Pouch. I still used my Newswear Pouch, however this was used to transport 2 Pocket Wizard Receivers, 1 Pocket Wizard Transmitter and a Calumet Swivel Adapter.
The tricky part was affixing the Bogen 3373 compact light stand. I did not want to attach the light stand using the lash-tabs at the bottom of the bag. After playing with a few options, I ended up inserting the the fully closed light stand upside down into one of the side mesh pouches. To keep the light stand in place I clipped a small carabiner to the rear top handle and a single leg section of the light stand. It held in place comfortably all day, and no one at airport security gave me a second look (I didn't expect any second looks at the airport, I fly with light stands externally all the time)
My "hit-the-ground-running" kit consisted on the following
2 - Canon EOS 1D bodies (one on each shoulder)
1 - Canon 14f2.8
1 - Canon 50f1.4 (on EOS 1D)
1 - Canon 85f1.8
1 - Canon 16-35f2.8 (on EOS 1Ds)
1 - Canon 70-200f2.8
2 - Nikon SB-28dx Speedlights
2 - Spare EOS 1D batteries
1 - Think Tank PeeWee Pocket Rocket (not pictured)
1 - Photoflex 22" white/gold LiteDisc reflector
1 - David Honl black/white Gobo w/speed strap(packed in LiteDisc)
1 - Bogen 3373 Compact Light Stand
1- Calumet Swivel Adapter
1 - Manfrotto 345 Table Top tripod w/extension pole
1 - Wein optical slave (used as a flash-foot on the Manfrotto 345)
2 - Pocket Wizard Receivers
1 - Pocket Wizard Transmitter
2 - Pocket Wizard to PC cords
2 - 4-packs of rechargeable "AA" batteries(for Nikon SB-28dx)
6 - 2-packs of AA batteries (for Pocket Wizard units)
1 - Small Roll of Gaffers Tape
1 - Ilford Anti-Stat Cloth (for lens cleaning)
1 - Set of Phillips Noise Canceling Headsets
1 - 60gb iPod Video
1 - Sony PSP w/Manhattan Portage Canvas Case
1 - Case of 4 UMD Disks (PSP Disks)
Another change in how I approached this shoot was to not travel with my laptop. Normally I fly with a 13" Apple MacBook, at times a 15" Apple PowerBook, but I have been seeking to shed this item due to weight and size restrictions. I know I need a laptop the majority of the time, however on this day trip I decided to shed the excess size and weight of a computer.
For entertainment on this day trip I brought a handheld Sony PSP with four movies on UMD disk. The UMD disks are smaller in diameter than the Canon EOS rear lens caps, and are roughly the same height as two DVDs (since the UMD disk is in a plastic protective case). I'd never used the Sony PSP before and really enjoyed it..........but that's for another post.
All in all for my day long trip to Philadelphia, two trips through TSA check points, packing the bag for flights on two regional jets and a few hours of packing and unpacking my kit on location while shooting I think this set up is fantastic. In the long run I can see this kit completely changing how I approach my short shoots.
Below are a few detailed photos of the kit in the bag and laid out with the bag. The images below also show some detail shots of the Newswear pouch with the Mountainsmith Day; the Manfrotto 345 and it's carry pouch attached to the Mountainsmih Day; the Domke lens insert and the Domke lens insert inside the Mountainsmith Day.
I have also added a few images from the engagement session this kit produced.
Happy Flying!
--Click Images To Enlarge Them--
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