9-July-2007 : A New Way To Power Your Toys In-Flight

Web: www.fishfotoworldwide.com -- E-Mail: fish@fishfoto.com

9-July-2007 : A New Way To Power Your Toys In-Flight

The eternal quest for in-flight power has a new cool gizmo, In-flight Power Recharger Cables. This device draws power off the arm rest audio jack rather than a traditional power source, such as an AC power socket or an emPower outlet.

I need to state up front, this in seat power device does not power laptops. That is a major draw back. But with the ability to watch movies in iPods, iPhones and Sony PSPs devices, this little power source alternative looks really cool!

Sure we all want to work in flight, or at least we say we want to work in flight, but sometimes on really long flights we just want to watch a bunch of really bad 80's movies (admit it, you have the Breakfast Club, Ferris Bueller's Day Off and the Blues Brothers somewhere on your DVD shelf)

Sound interesting to you ? Then check it out!
http://www.inflightpower.com/



Happy Flying!

4-June-2007 : Just When You Think Carry-On Restrictions Can't Get Any Worse

Web: www.fishfotoworldwide.com -- E-Mail: fish@fishfoto.com

4-June-2007 : Just When You Think Carry-On Restrictions Can't Get Any Worse

So, there I am at 5:00am standing at the U.S. Airways check in counter at my local airport, New Haven,Connecticut (HVN), when I glance over at the Pan-Am Airways check in counter. Right below the check in counter is the smallest carry-on template box I have ever seen. I thought I was bleary eyed and looking at this template box from a weird angle, so I decided to investigate after checking my baggage.

It turns out that I was not bleary eyed, the carry on baggage template is about three times smaller than my standard carry on gear bag, a Pelican 1514 (22Lx14Wx9D). While I didn't have the chance to measure the psychotically small carry on baggage template I did shoot a photo of it in relation to my Pelican 1514

(FYI: Pan Am Airways is now owned by the B&M Railroad and is NOTHING like how anyone envisions the legendary Pan Am that used to dominate the global airways.............and the Pan Am sticker you see on my case is in remembrance of the once great airline not for the airline currently flying Pan Am's colours)


Happy Flying!

-Click On The Photos Below To Enlarge The Images-

3-June-2007 : Lights Aren't Light, But They Can Be Lighter Than You Think

Web: www.fishfotoworldwide.com -- E-Mail: fish@fishfoto.com

3-June-2007 : Lights Aren't Light, But They Can Be Lighter Than You Think

A challenge for many photographers is traveling quickly and efficiently with a full set of location lights. While every photographer has their own specific needs, wants, desires, there are ways to pack a full set of location lights to shoot nearly any environmental portrait and most editorial and corporate shoots and get it into a small rolling suite case that comes in UNDER the standard 50lbs weight limit (some airlines and airline alliances have higher weight limits for elite fliers,such as 70lbs per bag for Star Alliance "Star Gold" flyers).

When I started to travel heavily to shoot environmental portraits for editorial and corporate usage I was lost on how to travel with a kit I wanted that was not going to kill my back at the curb and empty my wallet at the check in counter with excess weight fees. At the time I purchased my set up, it needed to be able to travel and average of five different segments per day, two or three times a week, generally racking up 5,000 miles in a 24hr period, two or three times a week. This problem resulted in a few weeks of intensive research for the right kit that would meet 85% of my general usage needs (the remaining 15% gets packed into another rolling case that still stays under 70lbs!). Obviously my gear and case had to meet certain weight restrictions, but it also needed to be able to withstand a lot of physical abuse from the airlines, my gear needed to be able to show up and go to work every time without fail (except of course when the airlines "delayed" my bag and I showed up with no lighting gear (how to survive those situations when you have 10 minutes with a CEO on a tight schedule will be discussed in another post)

For most of my jobs I shoot between 1 and 2 people, or a simply need broad lighting to shoot a group of people. These situations are usually in a controlled environment which allows me to use 5-section compact Bogen light stands that can easily blow over in a breeze a soft-box attached (although I have been known to stop at Home Depot and buy cinder blocks to secure my light stands on my way to a job).

After an exhaustive search I found my saviour, Lumedyne. I found these lights by way of an out standing newspaper photog in the U.K., Neil Turner. Neil runs a fantastic web site, www.dg28.com, that anyone and everyone should scour. His knowledge base for quick and easy location lighting is fantastic!

My standard travel case is the following
1 - Lowe Pro - Pro Roller II rolling case.
2 - Bogen/Manfrotto 5-section compact light stands
3 - Bogen universal adapters
1 - Bogen Super Clamp
2 - Lumedyne 800w/s "classic" strobe heads with "Wide-Normal" reflectors attached
2 - Spare Lumedyne strobe tubes
1 - Lumedyne PLX Power Pack
2 - Lumedyne BLG batteries (one attached to the pack)
1 - 10ft power cable
1 - 20ft power cable
1 - set of vise-grips
3 - Spot Grides (5 degrees, 20 degrees , 40 degrees)
2 - PhotoFlex Medium Soft-boxes
8 - PhotoFlex Medium Soft-box rods
2 - Westcott Universal Speed-Rings
2 - Pocket Wizard receivers
1 - Pocket Wizard transmitter
2 - RoadWires padded wraps (which are wrapped around the strobes)
2 - Full packs of gels for the strobes
1 - mini-roll of gaffers tape
/ - A whole lot of rubber bands
/ - Spare PC cords
/ - Spare "AA" batteries

I also at times stick a 3rd Bogen/Manfrotto 5 section compact light stand, a Nikon SB-28dx, a mini-PhotoFlex softbox and a mini-PhotoFlex Speed-Ring in this case. This addition makes for a very tight fit, but I can get it in there for a 3rd light, often used for hair-light or accent light.

This kit has been uses to shoot more than 80% of the images in the "people" section of my web site : www.sefimages.com

My case and kit have only been damaged once. On the ramp at Hartford/Springfield Bradley International Airport (BDL) my bag was backed by a Delta Airlines (DL) Ramp Tug. You know, one of those massive tractors that is used to push a Boeing 757-200 back from the gate. I can't really blame my Lowe Pro Pro Roller II's durability when faced with a multi-ton tractor designed to push back a fully loaded passenger aircraft.

A few photos of my mobile lighting kit are posted below

Happy Flying!

-Click On The Photos Below To Enlarge The Images-

14-April-2007 The Walls Are Closing In! ...... No They Are Not! (Simple Ways To Avoid A Fear of Flying)

Web: www.fishfoto.com -- E-Mail: fish@fishfoto.com

14-April-2007 The Walls Are Closing In! ...... No They Are Not! (Simple Ways To Avoid A Fear of Flying)

I am not going to profess to know about anxiety and what causes fears, panic and that feeling some people have that they are like a vacuum sealed peach in a can as soon as the aircraft door closes. What this post is about is a few ideas to try that make make flying a more enjoyable experience for those who tend to be a little nervous about flying.

Obviously I have no fear of flying, From a very young age, like under one year in age, my parents took my brothers and I down to Florida to see my Grandma. This trip involved flying from the airport five miles from our house, New York's JFK, down to my Grandma's local airport in Florida, Fort Lauderdale/Hollywood (FLL) on a Delta (DL) L-1011. I always looked forward to these trips, the excitement of watching the planes come and go, watching the people in the terminal rushing from gate to gate.

Something my father told me as a very young child has stuck with me through all my travels and flying. It was a trivial, humourous comment, but is always in my head when I am booking my seat selection, "If you can see the wing you know you're doing just fine." With this in my head I almost always book my seat on the wing or just behind the wing. By sitting in these seats I am able to watch the wing , which using my father's logic means we're going OK.

I do have more practical advise, which I'll get to, I just always liked the advice I got as a young........so onto the other suggestions.......

Prior to flying try and make yourself as relaxed as possible. I know travel can be stressful, packing, traffic, the wait at the ticket counter, etc. Don't worry about these things. Try and put yourself in a happy state of mind before heading to the airport. Try and leave plenty of time to get through the airport, even as an experienced traveller with access to the "priority" check in lines and the "priority" security lanes, I still like to leave myself two hours at the airport when possible. Leaving plenty of extra time takes some of the mental burden off checking in baggage, getting through security and allows you to sit down and relax prior to boarding rather than running for your flight. I know this is not always possible, but it helps.

While waiting for your flight DO NOT DRINK! (OK, water , Gatorade, soda, those are OK, but NO BOOZE!) Alcohol can make the affects of jet lag much worse and overall it tends to have more of a negative affect on people when flying than the normal idea that it will calm you down. Is there anything wrong with drinking pre-flight or on board? No, obviously not, they'll serve you the drinks, but it is not the best idea for people who have jet lag problems or anxiety about flying.

Once in the gate area and the gate agent starts calling boarding zones, if you are in Zone 5 don't get up and start queuing. Queuing very early just clogs up the boarding area, it raises tensions and often brings on anxiety. Once your zone is called, then line up. You have your boarding pass, your seat is assigned, if you are in the gate area the plane is NOT leaving without you. So relax!

If you are taking a long haul flight and want to sleep while on board, it is best to try and take your sleep medication as the boarding zones are being called. Taking the pills prior to boarding, especially for a long haul flight which can take quite a while to pushing back from the gate, means you have a better chance of being asleep when the door gets closed. With both over the counter and prescribed medications you always want to try out the medication at home before you travel. One medication you may want avoid Ambien due, to it's original purpose as an anti-psychotic medication. There are many horror stories about Ambien from very frequent flyers and in-flight cabin crews.

Once on board remember to remain calm. It may sound funny, but it is important. I have seen a number of people start to hyperventilate once they board the aircraft. There is no reason for this, you are on the ground, the door is open, people are walking around, just breath slowly and relax.

A great way to block out everything and make your own personal space is to travel with a hooded sweat shirt and a good set of noise canceling headsets. I suggest a dark sweat shirt because it will block out the light. When you setting into your seat, place your headsets over your ears and pull your hood up over your head. Try and pull the hood slightly ahead of your face on the sides and just over your eyes in the front. This will eliminate most of your peripheral vision, and combined with the noise canceling headsets, you should have now created your own personal space. I often click my iPod on and just zone out from the time I board until I either get fed or I feel like watching a movie (if you fly on United Airlines, you can listen to the air traffic control conversations from the cockpit on Channel 9 during departure and arrival!).

On a long haul flights you want want to consider bringing your own small DVD player with an auxiliary battery. Energizer makes a very compact one that lasts about 4-5hrs on a 7" screen DVD player for around US$30. Watching your own choice in movies , rather than the movies forced on you by the airline, can always make your flight more relaxing.

Remember to also keep yourself hydrated, walk around when you can to stretch and keep the circulation going. If you can do some simple exercises from your seat. These three simple things can make you more relaxed and feel more in control regarding your time spent on board the flight.

Kick back plan your trip and (if I may steal a catch phrase from Virgin Atlantic) Go Jet Set Go!

Happy Flying

31-March-2007 : Planning For Things To Go Wrong, A Humourous Look At The Past Day

Web: www.fishfoto.com -- E-Mail: fish@fishfoto.com

31-March-2007 : Planning For Things To Go Wrong, A Humourous Look At The Past Day

Well I arrived in my hotel on the out skirts of San Francisco International Airports (SFO) around 11:PM PST (2:AM EST for my body clock) last night, I did the usual things. I plugged in my chargers, checked my next day's itinerary, and in my final planning I padded in extra time in the morning. This time padding was really for traffic delays, because there was no way to plan for the double delay I faced this morning on my way to photograph a wedding.

I was supposed to be in Walnut Creek, Calif, at 10:AM so I left my hotel room a little after 8:AM to head back to SFO and the rental car center to pick up my rental car. The shuttle for my hotel is scheduled to run about every 15 minutes so I went to the lobby and inquired when the next shuttle was and was met with this answer "Sometime after 2:00 in the afternoon." I stood stumped and repeated my question and got the exact same answer. It turns out the hotel's shuttle bus was involved in an accident that morning and would be out of service until sometime after 2:PM!!

OK, this is irritating, but not a problem, I called a cab and a few minutes later, and $20 lighter, I was at SFO's rental car facility. As I entered the complex I was promptly met by a Police Officer who asked me if I heard the fire alarms and he pushed me out. In all honestly I didn't hear the alarms and airports always have false alarms. I was a tad taken back when two engines and a ladder all showed up (standard response to this building) but with the crews dressed in full turnout gear , air masks on, carrying portable fire extinguishers. It turned out that a rental car was on fire in the rental car center. This further delayed me an additional 20 minutes

Had I not padded my time, as I always do, I would have been very late for my bride's prep photos. Instead I was only 10 minutes late (due to the traffic I had padded my time for) and when I arrived I found my bride on the steps reading the paper, seems as if no one was awake but her in the house, so I had time to kill upon arrival.

While I was terribly stressed this morning, looking back at my time allowance planning while on the road , I am now finding this whole situation funny. Seriously what are the odds of your hotel shuttle bus being in an accident and there being a car fire in the car rental facility in the span of 30 minutes when you are in a hurry?

Below are two photos shot from the balcony of my hotel this morning.....who needs an alarm clock when you are facing Tandem Arrivals from commercial airplanes?


.........................what's with the landscape shot of San Francisco after midnight? (shot shortly after midnight on April 1), well I flew into SFO and I knew I was flying home out of Oakland (OAK), however I forgot this while leaving the wedding and was headed back to SFO! Once I remembered where I was heading (unfortunately after I paid the toll) I drove around a bit looking for a nice photo and I came up with this shot of the San Francisco skyline.


-Click On The Photos Below To Enlarge The Images-

30-March-2007 : Don't Want To Check Your Bags? Don't Do It!

Web: www.fishfoto.com -- E-Mail: fish@fishfoto.com

30-March-2007 : Don't Want To Check Your Bags? Don't Do It!


Many photographers are under assumption they need to bring it all and need to pack it in five bags to get the job done. I have never understood this mentality, but it exists.

Do I ever over pack, of course I do for some jobs. Do I ever need three or four bags to get out the door? When it involves packing lenses like my 400f2.8 or a full set of location strobes, I do need more bags. When I am lazy I also end up with more bags, but for the most part I can pack two carry on bags, get on a plane, fly across the country, check into a hotel, shoot a wedding (or editorial shoot) and fly home without missing a thing.

Today I boarded the an Amtrak train at 10:55am and headed from New London, Connecticut (NLC) to Boston, Massachusetts (BOS). I hopped on the Silver Line at South Station to Boston's Logan International Airport (BOS). From BOS I boarded a United Airlines Airbus A320 and I was off to Denver International Airport (DEN) and from DEN onto San Francisco International Airport (SFO). Tomorrow morning I will meet my bride at 10:AM and stay with her until 10:PM then I am on a 6:27am flight the next morning from Oakland International Airport (OAK) to Chicago O'Hare Airport(ORD) and homeward bound to Hartford/Springfield (CT/MA) Bradley Airport (BDL).

My total luggage for this trip? A Think Tank Airport Addicted backpack and a North Face Offisite briefcase. These two bags qualify as a full size carry on and a "personal item," and haul all my camera gear, chargers, small waist pack and pouches, toiletries, clothes, GPS, portable DVD player, laptop, etc etc etc.

I will warn you my Think Tank Airport Addicted is extremely heavy, and I might suggest using a Think Tank Airport Security rolling bag instead (except it has no laptop slot, but the Offsite could fit a carefully packed laptop).

By traveling this way I am able to travel without any fear of a lost or delayed bag, and since my flight lands at SFO at 10:17pm (which is 1:17am for my body) I am able to skip the luggage carousel and head right for my hotel saving about 30-35 minutes. By being able to keep my piece of mind when traveling at certain hours of the night, ie: no later flight can delivery my delayed bag, get to bed sooner, etc, this makes traveling much easier at times.

My Think Tank Airport Addicted for this trip contains the following

2 - Canon 1D series bodies
1 - Canon 70-200f2.8L
1 - Canon 28-70f2.8L
1 - Canon 16-35f2.8L
1 - Canon 15f2.8 USM
1 - Sigma 20f1.8
1 - Canon 24f3.5 TS-E Tilt-Shift
1 - Canon 85f1.8 USM
2 - Canon 580ex Speedlights
1 - Canon off camera E-TTL cord
7 - spare Canon 1D batteries
4 - spare sets of AA batteries
1- Think Tank Pixel Pocket Rocket (CF Card Wallet)
1- Canon 1D battery charger
1 - Wagon Air/Car AC inverter
1 - Garmin GPS
1 - Domke small pouch (with cords, chargers, etc)
1 - Apple 15" PowerBook
2 - Newswear belt pouches (empty)

My North Face Offsite contains two buttom up shirts, two pairs of boxers, three pairs of socks, three under shirts, toiletries, Polaroid 7" DVD plater, Energizer external DVD player battery, Domke F5x waist bag (with belt) sleeve of DVD, small Newswear pouch (with iPod, head sets CF card reader, phone chargers, etc) , small surge bar, agenda, etc.

This set up lets me be on the road for three days, if need be, with out ever needing to check a bag.

Traveling this way takes planning, especially when going to work. You need to make sure you not only have everything, but that you can carry it (for international flights my back pack would get weighed due to it's shape and it is way over the weight limit).

If you are looking to make your travel smoother, try it some time.

**This packing method is for US Domestic travel and/or travel within the US & Canada**

Below is a photo of the two bags I am flying with in the gate area at Gate B45 at DEN and a photo of me in the gate area writing this entry

-Click On The Photos Below To Enlarge The Images-

18-March-2007 : Can I Get This On Board?

Web: www.fishfoto.com -- E-Mail: fish@fishfoto.com

18-March-2007 : Can I Get This On Board?

A big unknown to many travelers, not just photographers is "can I bring it on board?"

Many flyers seem to think there is a non-conformist rule between airlines regarding carry on policy. Overall this is not true. The published carry on allowance size of most major airlines is 45 inches (length + width + height). In general 45" breaks out to 9"L x 14"W x 22". Some North American carriers have their own non-conforming standards of 51 inches, US Airways (US) and Continental (CO) both are 11"L x 14"W x 26"H. The 51" size can be deceiving though, because it is good for U.S. domestic travel, or travel outbound from the U.S. If you tried to get your carry on back on board returning from an overseas trip chances are you'd be stopped and have to go buy a new bag in the airport.

To make carry on rules more confusing there are variables. These variables include most U.S. airlines allow for "1 Carry On and 1 Personal Item." Most U.S. carriers allow you to carry on "1 Carry On and 1 Personal Item" on your outbound international travel, however many countries now have restrictions in place that do NOT allow this policy on your return travel. Your return travel, most notably from the United Kingdom, is one carry on only. There are exceptions to the UK carry on rules, such as flying Virgin Atlantic (VS) Upper Class or flying Air New Zealand (NZ) and being Star Alliance/Star Gold (*A/*G). So if you leave with two carry on bags, make sure you can get two carry on bags home!

Airlines such as Emirates (EK) allow one carry on bag only, this means a woman's purse is not allowed on board, it is considered a personal item and will not be allowed to board the aircraft.

Another carry on variable is many airlines simply say "Personal item,such as a lady's purse, briefcase, small camera bag or computer case." This is really vague. For a photographer a small camera bag can be a Domke F2 (http://domkef2.notlong.com) that holds two bodies, four - eight lenses, two flashes and eight Canon 1D/Nikon D2 batteries.

For me, my carry on is often a Pelican 1514 rolling case (9"L x 13.8"W x 22"H) , http://1514.notlong.com , and a "personal item" of a North Face backpack or brief case. Neither bag technically qualifies as a "personal item," however the few times I have been challenged I have pulled out my laptop and explained it was my laptop bag.

Personal item sizes is a grey area that irritates even the most seasoned of travelers. This is because without a defined size you can find yourself at the mercy of the gate agent. I know a few photographers who have lost this argument at the entrance to the jet-way while boarding the plane.

One area you MUST be careful in is the weight of your carry on bag. I cannot stress this enough. While most North American carriers are fairly relaxed in their weight policy (I have only been stopped three times, every time by American Airlines, every time at in Dallas at DFW Int'l Airport). I know a number of photographers who have been stopped while traveling internationally. Not while departing North America but while seeking to return to North America.

There is a tactic I use which has worked very successfully for me while traveling. I shed my "large looking" Think Tank Airport Addicted backpack (http://ArprtAddctd.notlong.com) for a slimmer looking Lowe Pro Stealth backpack (http://stealthbackpack.notlong.com). I use this with a small waist pack which is work as a belt, that does not appear to be carry on, it appears to be a belt (mine is a Domke F5xb with two Newswear pouches).

A slimmer profile backpack gets noticed much less by airline staff , so it is less likely to be stopped to be weighed. I have had my Lowe Pro Stealth backpack weigh as much as 50lbs, but the key is to make it look like it is only 5lbs. When I go through security, enter the gate area and start the boarding process I swing the bag onto one shoulder and walk in a relaxed manner. By showing this body language no one says anything.

I have seen photographers and other travelers struggle to pick up their bag. I have seen numerous travelers that appear to be fairly young and healthy show signs of strain picking up a bag and look like they are extremely uncomfortable carrying their bag. NO MATTER WHAT you must SUCK IT UP and look calm, natural and relaxed if you know your bag is close to or over the carry on weight limit.

If you travel with a hard sided case, such as the hard Pelican 1514 case I like, you must make sure it will fit in the templates at the airport. These templates are generally made of tubular metal. There is no flex or room for squeezing a hard case into these templates. If you use a soft sided case, or a case with three soft sides, you can squeeze the case. It may sound odd, but practice effortlessly squeezing your case into something. If it looks easy no one says a word to you, if you struggle to squeeze the bag into the template you may be forced to do a "voluntary separation" at the gate. This means your bag is taken, tagged and loaded with the baggage to be delivered at the baggage carousel at your destination airport.

If you know your bag meets the "45 inch" rule (I strongly suggest measuring it and not trusting the bag manufacturer) but not the standard 9x14x22 dimensions, such as being 8x13x24 you can ask as the gate agent to measure your bag. Some will balk, some cannot find a tape measure, so it is always handy to have your own paper tape measure handy. Buy one for $1 and stuff it in the outside pocket of your bag for the odd occasion you'll need it.

Despite the published carry on sizes the final ruling is made by the gate agent. I know a few people who have been challenged and lost at the gate when arguing, on international travel, than their 9x14x22 bag was OK. An accepted standard, although not the official one, is quickly becoming 8"L x 14"W x 21"H. I am sure this will become the published size in the next few years for Asian and Pacific carriers, but for now just be able squeeze your bag and you should be OK in most instances.

Below is a list of known current carry on baggage sizes I am aware of. Some of these sizes include carry on size restrictions for your "personal item," as well as carry on sizes for "commuter carriers." All of these sizes are in Inches.

NORTH AMERICA
United Airlines (UA) 9L x 14W x 22H
US Airways (US) 11L x14W x 26H
**US Airways Express (USX) 11L x 15W x 19H
Delta Airlines (DL) 9L x 14W x 22H
American Airlines (AA) 9L x 14W x 22H
JetBlue (B6) 10L x 16W x 24H
**JetBlue (B6) "Personal Item" 8L x 15W x 18H
Southwest Airlines (WN) 10L x 16W x 24H
Continental Airlines (CO) 11L x 14W x 26H
Air Canada (AC) 9L x 15.5W x 21.5H
**Air Canada (AC) "Personal Item" 6L x 13W x 17H
WestJet (M3) 9L x 15.5W x 21.5H

UNITED KINGDOM
British Airways (BA) 8L x 16W x 22H
**BA Connect (TH) 10L x 18W x 22H
**BA Connect (TH) "Personal Item" 6L x 13W x 17H
Virgin Atlantic (VS) 9L x 14W x 22H
BMI (BD) 9L x17W x 22H
BMI Baby (WW) 7.5L x 15W x 21H (*WW has NO weight limit!**)
Ryanair (FR) 7.5L x 15W x 21H
EasyJet (EZ) 7.5L x 15W x 21H

EUROPE
Lufthansa (LH) 8L x 16W 22H
KLM (KL) 10L x 14W x 22H
Air France (AF) 9L x 15W x 22H
Alitalia (AZ) 10L x 14W x 18H
Scandinavian Airlines / SAS (SK) 9L x 18W x 22H
SWISS (LX) 7.8L x 15.7W x 21.6H

ASIA / PACIFIC
Japan Airlines / JAL (JL) 9L x 14W x 22H
JALWays (JO) 8L x 14W x 18H
All Nippon Airways / ANA (NH) 10L x 12W x 19H
Asiana (OZ) 9L x 14W x 22H
Korean Air (KE) 9L x 14W x 22H
Air New Zealand (NZ) 10L x 12W x 21H
Qantas (QF) 10L x 13W x 22H
Virgin Blue (DJ) 9L x 13W x 18H


I strongly suggest looking up your individual airline's carry on baggage allowance. I also strongly suggest printing out your airlines carry on baggage policy. Having a policy, in print, and with you can help eliminate almost any problem you can have at the gate.

If you don't see your airline listed above or are having trouble finding your airline's baggage policy drop me an e-mail. I should be able to point you in the direction of the specifics of your carrier's baggage policy.

Happy Flying!

17-March-2007 : Is There An Airline Alliance For Me? Probably......this post requires some end user homework!

Web: www.fishfoto.com -- E-Mail: fish@fishfoto.com

17-March-2007 : Is There An Airline Alliance For Me? Probably......this post requires some end user homework!

Do often wonder how you could maximize your frequent flyer miles? Come on, you can admit it. You fly, you open up a frequent flyer account, but can't seem to accrue enough miles for a vacation.

Something I find many flyers ignore is combining miles from airlines that are part of an alliance. For example this does not mean you can take your miles from United Airlines and transfer then to their Star Alliance partner Air Canada, but it does mean that you can rack up your redeemable miles and elite qualifying miles with Air Canada's Aeroplan by flying United Airlines.

Currently there are three major global airline alliances

SkyTeam (www.skyteam.com)
Star Alliance (www.staralliance.com)
One World (www.oneworld.com)

The members of these airlines are as follows:

SkyTeam: Delta Airlines ; Northwest Airlines ; Continental Airlines ; AeroMexico ; Aeroflot ; Air France; KLM ; Czech Airlines ; Alitalia ; Korean Air

Star Alliance: US Airways ; United Airlines ; Air Canada ; ANA ; Asiana Airlines; Singapore Airlines ; Thai ; Air New Zealand ; South African Airways ; BMI ; Austrian ; Lufthansa ; TAP ; Spanair ; SAS ; LOT Polish ; Swiss

One World: American Airlines ; Qantas ; Cathay Pacific ; LAN ; Iberia ; Aer Lingus**; British Airways (Joining One World on the 1st of April 2007 will be Japan Airlines, Royal Jordanian and Malev Hungarian Airlines)
**Aer Lingus will be leaving One World on the 1st of April 2007


Choosing the right airline alliance has a lot to do with where you travel, what you want from your airline and their partners and your personal preference.

For years I was loyal to Delta Airlines. My loyalty to Delta kept me at the Delta SkyMiles elite level of Platinum for quite a while. Along with my loyalty to Delta I typically chose to fly airlines that allowed me to gain both redeemable and elite qualifying miles with Delta, obviously this meant most of my flying was on SkyTeam carriers. SkyTeam is a fantastic alliance if you fly extensively within the United States and most of North America. Additionally SkyTeam has a great selection of European carriers. SkyTeam is however quite weak in Asia and the Pacific.

With a shift in my travel about a year ago I switched much of my travel to U.S. Airways, which then shifted much of my travel to Star Alliance carriers. Star Alliance is great for cross-airline benefits once you reach a mutually accepted level referred to as "Star Gold" that is accepted by all the carriers in the alliance. Star Alliance, like SkyTeam has an extensive North American route structure and an extensive European core group of carriers, with excellent connections throughout Asia and the Pacific.

One World is an alliance I have always avoided. Many frequent flyers in the U.S. love American Airlines. Many European and global flyers really like British Airways and Qantas. All three are excellent carriers, I however have never liked either American Airlines or British Airways. These airlines, although serving areas I frequent, have never met my personal needs. I also find the domestic and international route options to be not nearly as extensive as I like. Am I a snob? No, just like a lot of options.

In the last year I have been playing with new airlines and frequent flyer programs.

Going into my 2007 flying year I ended up attaining the following status on these four carriers
US Airways - Platinum (75,000 to 100,000 miles)
United Airlines - Premier Executive (50,000 to 100,000 miles)
Delta Airlines - Gold *dropped from Platinum due to my shift in travel* (50,000 to 75,000 miles)
Northwest Airlines - Gold (50,000 to 75,000 miles)

If you notice, this means I maintained upper level elite status with two Star Alliance carriers and two SkyTeam carriers. The combined minimum travel for these levels of status is 2006 is 225,000 air miles. My travel in 2006, for weddings alone, had taken me extensively throughout the United States, including Hawaii, as well as Canada, England, France, Japan, South Korea and Hong Kong.

At the moment I switching much of my travel to probably United Airlines, although I may keep my miles on US Airways and choose to fly United. Flying this way is very easy. One advantage I find to Star Alliance at the moment is reaching the "Star Gold" level allows me to fly with heavier bags with no excess baggage wait, access to elite check in line across all Star Alliance carriers and access to any Star Alliance/Star Gold lounge when flying internationally. I have found it nice to fly through London Heathrow , with my U.S. Airways/Star Gold card, on United Airlines and sit in the BMI Diamond Club lounge before flying out. On the way back I use my US Airways/Star Gold card to quickly check in at United Airlines, go shower at United's club then hang out in SAS/Air Canada's London Lounge which is nicer than United's club. This is a small perk, but it is very nice.

By knowing which airlines are in your alliance, as well as affiliated regional carriers or outside carriers that allow you to gain miles, you can effectively build up your frequent flyer miles account for when you want them.

I like to fly Virgin Atlantic (VS). Although VS is not a member of any alliance I can attain redeemable miles and elite qualifying miles on my US Airways Dividend Miles account. Additionally by being a Star Alliance/Star Gold flyer I can use VS's ClubHouse lounge (which at London Heathrow is one of the best lounges anywhere) when flying on VS.

If you fly on Alaska Airlines (AS) often (which many do because they are a great carrier throughout the west coast) you can rack up the qualifying miles on Delta Airlines towards your SkyMiles account. When I flew Delta as my primary carrier I often flew AS up and down the west coast out of either Seattle or Orange County.


There is no right or wrong answer and I am not really addressing "What Is The Right Frequent Flyer Program For You," because that is a whole other long drawn out question that can't be easily answered. What I am trying to do here is address how you can maximize your miles to fill up your miles account while trying to get benefits that might make your travel easier.


Each of the airline alliances have detailed web sites. These web sites layout the benefits of flying their carrier. I strongly suggest you read each alliance web site to find out out what is the best alliance for you. What works for me may not be best for you, considering I know many photographers and business travelers who love One World carriers. It may turn out an alliance is not best for you and prefer an independent carrier. If this is the case , sign up for their frequent flyer program and remember to add your FF# to all your reservations!

Happy Flying!

10-February-2007 : Book Now....Book Later....Book Now....Book Later....

Web: www.fishfoto.com -- E-Mail: fish@fishfoto.com

10-February-2007 : Book Now....Book Later....Book Now....Book Later....

We all want the best deal for our airline tickets. Travel is not inexpensive, but most of us have the urge to want to book our travel "right now." You get a job in a cool location, you just want to know your tickets are there and waiting. Most people assume the lowest fares are booked the furthest number of days away from the date of travel.......well it just ain't true.

I recently found a new web site FareCast : www.farecast.com , which is only in it's Beta stage, that not only shows you fares for select city pairs, but it also predicts if the fares will go up or down!

Airlines hold seats back at various fare classes. A flight can have have 10 Q class seats, 10 T class seats and 10 W class seats, however on the day you are booking the airline may have only released 6 Q class seats, 7 T class seats and 5 W class seats,which leaves the airline open to release the other fare buckets (seats) at a later date. I have found the accuracy of FareCast's Beta version to be quite reliable over the past few weeks I have been playing with it.

Of course if you are concerned about your booking class (Y, B, Q, T, W, etc) then this probably isn't the best site for you. Then again if you know what a Y, B, Q, T, W, booking class is you probably don't need FareCast


One a side note, one fare class you will never find again in all it's grandness is the "R" class. This code was reserved for seats sold on The Concorde. While some airlines now offer an "R" class ticket it is now a discounted economy fare. What a major step down from the Grand Daddy of all luxury aircraft.

Happy Flying

9-February-2007 : Kicking Back Wondering Where You've Been........For No Particular Reason

Web: www.fishfoto.com -- E-Mail: fish@fishfoto.com

9-February-2007 : Kicking Back Wondering Where You've Been........For No Particular Reason

Have you ever wondered what your travels look like?

There is a fun site online called the Great Circle Mapper. Using the Great Circle Mapper you type in your point-to-point flights (using airport codes) you can create a map of your flying.

You can find the Great Circle Mapper here : http://gc.kls2.com

I took 10 minutes to rack my brain and entered the routes I have flown over the past two years or three years (some trips blur from one year to the next and some trips I make a few times a month). I am sure some routes are entered twice, I tried not to enter the route trip route (such as JFK-SFO , so I don't enter SFO-JFK), I am sure I messed up and entered a few a few round trips and duplicated some routes, but this isn't scientific. This web site is just a fun place to see where you have been

This is a link to my Great Circle Mapper for the past two years (could be three years for some routes) : http://FlyingWithFish.notlong.com


Darn it, now that I look at the routes I know I left quite a few out......oh well, too late......Have Fun!

Happy Flying

8-February-2007 : A Case You Can Torture And Have Your Gear Be Just Fine (And It's A Carry On!)

Web: www.fishfoto.com -- E-Mail: fish@fishfoto.com

8-February-2007 : A Case You Can Torture And Have Your Gear Be Just Fine (And It's A Carry On!)

An area of frequent concern for photographers traveling is how to carry their equipment with them and not have it get wrecked by the 'Ramp Apes' (also known as the Airline Ramp Agents). I'll admit, I go between bags depending on my needs or at times my mood, but some bags and cases are used regardless of my mood.

My needs and mood were heavily affected this past summer when a suspected terrorist cell was stopped in the United Kingdom and a ban on cabin baggage went into affect for travel on flights departing the U.K. I was never a fan of rolling cases until I had three trips coming up to the U.K., or via the U.K., knowing my equipment would have to be checked.....No Ifs, Ands Or Buts about it. This caused me to shift gears and start exploring my options. ..........

.......it turns out I had only one real option, the Pelican 1514. The Pelican 1514 is the same as the 1510, except it comes with interior dividers for storing equipment in a neat and orderly fashion. The set up is MUCH more convenient and easier to work with than the foam. Foam uses to much space and once you cut it you cannot reconfigure it. Being able to reconfigure a cases interior to meet your job-to-job needs is very important and often overlooked by many photographers. You kit will change, your lens selection may vary, your style of packing needs to be able to quickly adapt to your needs.

My Pelican 1514 has now become a case I travel with often. Many of my flights involve small Regional Jets or Turbo Props (considering my "home airport" is only serviced by Turbo Props) and while my gear has never damaged (knock on wood) being dropped at the stairs to be picked up again at the stairs upon landing (this is often referred to as "valet checking" your bags) in the Think Tank Airport Addicted, I feel safer with the Pelican 1514.

The Pelican 1514 conforms to carry-on bag standards for U.S./Canadian travel, although it may not fit the template for certain European, Middle Eastern and Asia-Pacific carriers. I have used the 1514 on flights from the U.K. to the U.S. with no problem, but that is not a certainty for EU to US flights. I have little fear of checking my equipment with the Pelican Case, after all the whole reason I bought it was because I knew I'd have to check my equipment on the way from from UK to US flights during the cabin baggage restrictions.

My Pelican 1514 has probably only logged about 60,000 miles in 2006, because it was only purchased in the summer and it is not used on all my journeys, but does it's job great! I do wish the wheels were a little bit larger and softer for use when not on perfect sidewalks, airport corridors or hotel lobbies, but the case is guaranteed for life. If the wheels break, I'll just ship it back for new wheels.

The case can look small to some people, but it can hold a lot. Once I add the "Lid Organizer" at some point the case will have even more cargo space, but for now, I use it the way it came from the factory. I like the foam up on the lid for some extra cushion, and I often stick some items behind the foam, such as small Speed-Rings, papers, extra batteries, cords, etc.

I have three different "standard" configurations for the Pelican 1514, but I'll list my two common configurations below. The photos at the end of this post are of the two following configurations.

2 - Canon 1D series bodies
1 - Canon 16-35f2.8L
1 - Canon 70-200f2.8L
1 - Canon 28-70f2.8L
1 - Sigma 20f1.8 (there is no Canon version of this lens)
1 - Canon 85f1.8 USM
1 - Canon 28f1.8 USM
2 - Canon 580ex Speedlights
1 - Canon ETTL Cord
4 - Sets of Reusable "AA" batteries
1 - Stofen Omni Dome (white)
8 - Spare 1D batteries
1 - Mini Mag flashlight
1- Think Tank Pixel Pocket Rocket (CF Card wallett)
*I normally lay a small Domke pouch over the 70-200f2.8 with a small 3 outlet surge bar, a Canon 1D battery charger, an Energizer AA battery charger and a Canon 15f2.8L.

Under the foam in the top lid I tape three TSA approved locks for the case and a 3ft zip wire that is lockable to secure my Pelican case.

The other common configuration used with the Pelican 1514 is
3 - Canon 1D series bodies
1 - Canon 16-35f2.8L
1 - Canon 70-200f2.8L
1 - Canon 85f1.8 USM
1 - Canon 28f1.8 USM
8 - Spare 1D batterues
2 - Canon 580ex Speedlights
1 - Canon ETTL Cord
4 - Sets of reusable AA batteries
1 - Small roll of Gaffers Tape
1 - Stofen OmniDome
1 - MiniMag flashlight
1 - Pixel Pocket Rocket

Obviously what the case hauls is modified to my needs for each job, but the above lists are the two most common configurations for me when I travel with the case.

Some people want a bigger case, and I understand this, but a bigger case is larger than the maximum carry-on size which means your case will always be checked. While I am OK checking my lighting equipment, I am not OK checking my camera equipment (unless no baggage is allowed on board).

Some thing you need to know about the Pelican 1514, when loaded the handle can really hurt your hand. I have two padded wraps on my handle,which are taped into place. I use two wraps, you can get them at stores ranging from Brookstone to Target, because the shape of the pull handle is awkward and it digs into my hand. With the two wraps it is OK. The pull-up handle to roll the case is very flexible, you may see it bend and think it is going to snap, but it isn't. I stick a briefcase (The North Face Off Site : www.thenorthface.com/opencms/opencms/tnf/gear.jsp?site=NA&model=AE6C ) on the handle and while it ads to the weight it can handle it.

When you are having the security check your case you should always offer to snap the latches shut. I have had two TSA Agents pinch their fingers in the latches shutting it after an inspection. One was pinched so hard he was bleeding through his gloves. I now warn everyone and they just let me shut my own case.


Below are detailed shots of my two most common configurations for the Pelican 1514. Additionally I have posted six photos of my Pelican 1514 from every side so you can see what the case really looks like

Happy Flying

-Click On The Photos Below To Enlarge The Images-

30-January-2007 : It's A Boy! Yea!

Web: www.fishfoto.com -- E-Mail: fish@fishfoto.com

30-January-2007 : It's A Boy! Yea!

My wife and I started our morning in a wonderful way, we welcomes our third child, and second son, into the world Simon Rye Frischling. Simon arrived at 7:40am at 7lbs 15oz and 20" long with curly black hair.

I hope to make Simon, and his sister Lauren and brother Max, into world travelers so they can experience the wonders of the world. In the process I hope take some time to relax and actually stop to see the world with my kids as well.

Below is a photo of Simon getting ready to take to the skies.

-Click On The Photo Below To Enlarge The Image-

26-January-2007 : So You Want To Pack It All On Your Back? Sometimes I Do!

Web: www.fishfoto.com -- E-Mail: fish@fishfoto.com

26-January-2007 : So You Want To Pack It All On Your Back? Sometimes I Do!

There are many different bags for many different packing and work situations. Sometimes you need to haul it on your back, sometimes you need it all,sometimes you want to roll it. Is there a perfect bag? No there is not. I now rotate my camera equipment primarily between two backpacks and a rolling case. All are fully carry on compliant by U.S. and Canadian regulations, but one bag seems to be the jack of all trades for me.....it can be extremely heavy when loaded, and is an absolute work horse.................this bag is the Think Tank Airport Addicted Backpack (http://www.thinktankphoto.com/ttp_product_ArprtAddctd.php)

In 2005 my Think Tank Airport Addicted logged hundreds of thousands of miles. I can't put my finger on the exact number, but it is probably around 300,000 miles, with an average of five flights every 29 hours every other day due to my travel schedule in 2005. This bag logged another 100,000 miles in 2006. The Think Tank Airport Addicted was released while I was working as a magazine director of photography, in my position as a magazine Dir of Photo I commuted every other day between Providence, RI (PVD) or New Haven, CT (HVN) and somewhere in the west coast every other day. My average turn around time from my driveway back to my driveway was about 30 hours.

Despite the weight, my Airport Addicted became my travel companion almost every day. I could change the contents easily, I could pack clothing or my second 12" Apple PowerBook in the "back pocket" which was designed for a laptop. I could use it as a desk. I could shove almost everything except the kitchen sink this bag.

For my "daily" editorial assignments my Airport Addicted (First Photo At Bottom Of Post) typically contained the following
2 - Canon 1D series bodies
2 - Canon 550ex Speedlights
2 - Canon 580ex Speedlights
1 - Medium Domke Pouch with my "editing/transmit kit"
1 - Canon 70-200f2.8L
1 - Canon 28-70f2.8L
1 - Canon 16-35f2.8L
1 - Canon 24f3.5L TS-E (Tilt-Shift)
1 - Canon 85f1.8 USM
1 - Canon 50f1.4 USM
1 - Canon 20f2.8 USM
1 - LensBaby
1 - Stofen Omni Dome
2 - Canon ST-E2 IR flash triggers
3 - Rolls of tape (mini roll of Gaffers, mini roll of duct tape, mini roll of electrical tape)
1 - Mini-Mag flashlight
1 - Think Tank Pixel Pocket Rocket (CF Card Wallet)
3 - Pocket Wizard Receivers
1 - Pocket Wizard Transmitter
4 - Spare 1D series batters
8 - Sets of "AA" batteries
.........................as well as other random accessories.

My other set ups, such as as set up for sports and hard news (Middle Photo At Bottom Of Post) would hold 3 1D series bodies, six spare batteries, cell phone for deadline data transmitting as well as other variations. I must have used more than a dozen configurations of this bag, including 3 bodies, a 400f2.8, 70-200f2.8,16-35f2.8, accessories and even stuffing a Gitzo monopod inside this bag.

I have stuck the Think Tank Airport Addicted under many commuter planes, not that I like it, but it is required on small commuter aircraft, and my equipment has never been damaged. I do have a strip of white duct tape across the front with "FRAGILE" written in bright red Sharpie marker on the front, but I like to think this bag is just so well built that my equipment has been well taken care of. Of course I NEVER leave a laptop in this bag when it goes under and I NEVER check this to be sent through as baggage, but never-the-less, the bag is fantastic.

With a schedule that often shifts, needing to change flights in the middle of a schedule, this bag lets me travel and do my job no matter what. On more than one occasion my checked bag with my full lighting kit went to one city while I had to suddenly change my schedule and go somewhere else. Being able to pack a lot of small flashes , radio triggers for the flashes, as well as all the bodies and lenses I'd need I am able to deal with whatever is thrown at me.

Think Tank now makes a very similar rolling version of this bag, the Think Tank Airport Security ( http://www.thinktankphoto.com/ttp_product_ArprtScrty.php ) as well as the Airport International ( http://www.thinktankphoto.com/ttp_product_ArprtInl.php )which conforms to international airline regulations. The Airport International appears to be considerably smaller than the Airport Addicted, but for international travel I am sure it can't be beat, and I will be buying one in the next few months.

One think I never planned on using the Airport Addicted as was a mobile office, but my bag often becomes my mobile office and desk (Bottom Photo At End Of Post). Being able to stick everything in one bag (although it held one laptop not two, my briefcase holds the send laptop) allows me to finish my job, get to the airport, check in, get to my gate and then start working. I do get some odd looks at times, but the height of the bag is perfect for me (I am 6ft 3in) when I am sitting down to start editing.

Nothing like getting on a 5:30am flight, landing in San Francisco (SFO) at noon, setting up , shooting, tearing down, catching a 5:30pm flight to Las Vegas (LAS), getting to my connection gate by 8:PM, editing and transmitting all the images, catching at 11:PM redeye flight and being back in my bed by 9:AM the next day. This bag makes the task much easier day in and day out.

-Click On The Photo Below To Enlarge The Image-


Standard Editorial Kit Bag Set Up


Sports & News Bag Set Up


Editing Deadline Photos At Gate 38D In LAS

24-January-2007 : You Can Help A New Airline Fly!

Web: www.fishfoto.com -- E-Mail: fish@fishfoto.com

24-January-2007 : You Can Help A New Airline Fly!

People complain about airline service and quality everyday. Yes, even me (OK, especially me depending on the day). Well Sir Richard Branson, the founder of Virgin Atlantic, has been trying to get Virgin America off the ground for sometime and is being blocked by trivial U.S. laws and lobbyists from from major U.S. "legacy" carriers (Delta, United, Continental, Northwest).

Virgin produces an outstanding product all over the world, with Virgin Atlantic for the long hauls out of London and smaller "regional" airlines operating in Europe, Australia and Nigeria (yes, even Nigeria, they have really cool green paint on the engines). I think the product Branson wants to unveil in the U.S. would be an asset to all flyers in the U.S. He has the space at San Francisco Int'l Airport (SFO) he has the Airbus A 319 and A320 aircraft (I have seen them parked and waiting in Montreal (YUL)) , he just needs the U.S. Gov't to say OK.................so what can you do? You can go here and sign a petition to let Virgin America fly!
http://www.letvafly.com

I have been a fan of Virgin Atlantic since I was 16.I have flown Virgin between the U.S. and London in every class of service and find them all to be fantastic. I have had the pleasure of flying in a Virgin Atlantic 747 with less than 40 passengers and sitting and chatting with Branson for 3 hours on a private flight from London Heathrow (LHR) to Basrah, Iraq (BSR). This guy knows how to run an empire and run an airline.......and he has even listened to frequent flyers by installing standard 110v power outlets in every seat, in both classes of service!

I say LET VIRGIN AMERICA FLY! ( http://www.letvafly.com )


-Click On The Photo Below To Enlarge The Image-

A Photo of Richard Branson From My Trip With Him At Basrah Int'l Airport in Iraq

23-January-2007 : Harnessing The In-Seat Power

Web: www.fishfoto.com -- E-Mail: fish@fishfoto.com

23-January-2007 : Harnessing The In-Seat Power

So you think that you may want to try using in flight power? Good choice. It is not guaranteed you're plane will have it, and the airlines have been known at times to not turn it on in-flight (despite passengers asking nicely that the switch be flipped on the flight-attendents panel).

There are a few options for using in-seat power, but the most common option is EmPower. Obviously if your plane has standard electrical outlets (which exists almost exclusively on non-US carriers at the moment) you don't need a device to convert your power. If your plane uses a cigarette outlet (only American Airlines uses this option throughout it's fleet) you can also use your EmPower device, as almost all EmPower power supplies have a cigarette tip included it in the design of the .

Having tried many different inverters ininverter flight I currently have three and really only choose to use one in-flight. My choice to stick primarily with one unit is based on not only size and flexibility of the unit, but it's reliability, size and ruggedness.

The three devices I have are the following: Wagen Tech 120 watt car/airline inverter(white on left) APC 75 watt car/airline inverter (grey in center) and the iGo Juice 70 (silver on right).

By looking at the photo you can probably tell which two travel the most and really tell which one is my unit of choice.

All three devices are between $90 and $130, although prices may vary. All three devices do their job, but I'll weed out why I currently choose not to use one device on airplanes, and only use it in my car.

The Wagan Tech 120 watt is a nice unit. For size and ergonomics it cannot be beat. I bought this inverter to replace my older, and heavily beaten, APC 75 watt inverter. When the box arrived I popped open the packages, plugged it into the cigarette outlet in my car and tested it out a little bit. Satisfied that the unit would fit my packing needs and handle what I wanted it to charge I promptly packed it up for a four journey that would involved nine flights through four countries, two continents and a number of long haul flights. Of these flight six of the planes should have had EmPower installed in the seats for in-flight power (Korean Airlines 772, Korean Airlines 747-E on two flights, Continental/Microneasian Airlines 764, Delta 764, Delta 738) ......of these planes the Wagan Tech inverter fit exactly ZERO of the EmPower outlets, despite the company selling it as an EmPower device (keep in mind that EmPower is a standard system, there are no "different versions" of EmPower). I contacted Wagan Tech when I got home as I spent around 40 hours in flight in four days with no way to use my laptop , the answer the company's customer service gave me was "you must have been using it wrong." I was ticked off, but it works in my car, so I am keeping it for my car.


On to the two devices I use......for Laptop and Mobile Phone charging I love the iGo 70. The iGo unit is made up of multiple pieces. The main power "box" the power cord with interchangable tips that conform to all sorts of different computers, the "power cord" (there are two) and that's it. If you want you can plug in an auxiliary cord that will simultaneously charge your mobile phone. The beauty of the iGo is that you can use it to power your laptop at home in an AC outlet (and the iGo comes with a global plug set so it can be used around the world!) , it also comes with a DC power cord that will work in your car as well as in an airplane EmPower outlet. If you do not plan on charging anything else, besides your laptop and phone (and iPod, which you charge by plugging into your laptop) then the iGo is fantastic. I love mine. I always carry two spare power tips for the laptop and phone incase I lose to break a tip....but at $10 a tip it's not a big deal. Overall the iGo is a fantastic device and should be looked into, because they make many versions for different uses, by anyone who owns a laptop and uses it at any point off of their desk.

You can check out the iGo Juice 70 at : http://www.igo.com/product.asp?sku=2366908
You can check out the new iGo Everywhere 130 at : http://www.igo.com/product.asp?sku=2701967
(the 130 does not come with a Mac G4 tip and iGo does not make a tip for the MacBook/MacBook Pro yet)

Now the work horse of my traveling power.....the APC 75 Watt DC/AC inverter with EmPower. This model was updated to a 90 watt unit and again, recently to a compact 150 watt unit! My APC inverter is fantastic, it is a an absolute work horse, it takes a beating and it just keeps on working. This unit is great because it is compact, it has a standard North American three-prong outlet, emits low heat and transfers from my plane seat to my rental car front seat , usually with a small three outlet adapter, to power my laptop and batter chargers. The unit is simple and easy to use. Green light means power, red light means low power, no light means it ain't plugged into a source with any power.
You can check out the new version of this unit at:
http://www.apc.com/resource/include/techspec_index.cfm?base_sku=PNOTEAC150%2DECA

For MacBook/MacBook Pro users, who do not want to carry an inverter (which fully suggest because of the plane & car power options) Apple does sell the MagSafe Airline Adapter to power your laptop from an EmPower outlet. Just keep in mind that this adapter will only power your laptop it will NOT charge your laptop. If this is what you want you, look here:
http://store.apple.com/1-800-MY-APPLE/WebObjects/AppleStore.woa/wo/StoreReentry.wo?productLearnMore=MA598Z%2FA

There are other options from companies like Kingston and Targus, as well as a few others, but none of them lasted or impressed me for a variety of reasons. Top of the list is primarily size and weight.

-Click On The Photo Below To Enlarge The Image-

My Three EmPower Compatible Inverters



My Used and Asbused APC Inverter With Exposed EmPower Tip

21-January-2007 : So you want power?

Web: www.fishfoto.com -- E-Mail: fish@fishfoto.com

21-January-2007 : So you want power?

As photographers there is something subtle we all seem to be looking for, especially when we travel. No, it's not good light or the perfect moment, it's power.

Yes, power. Not the "I'm in control" power like the bouncer at the velvet rope of a cool club, but electrical power. We go home, we plug in our batteries, laptop and mobile phone. We go to a job we seem to walk into a room and immediately start looking at the space where the wall meets the floor for an outlet, we check into a hotel and the first thing we tend to do is unzip out bags and start plugging stuff in.

Why not look for this same convenience while flying? Airplanes in seat are at the top of my list when planning my flights. I like to sit down, plug in and either charge my laptop, work on my laptop or put my seat back and watch a movie on a long flight across the continent.

For international travelers there is more and more hope as new aircraft are rolled out and older aircraft (some only a few years old) are overhauled with new seats. For the international traveler many airlines are installing Universal Plugs that can take a US/Japan , UK and Euro plug without any adapter. These are ideal, but not the standard in the sky.

The more common type of power on planes is called "EmPower" and various companies make EmPower Inverters or power tips (such as iGo) that will allow you lean down, look under your seat for a "green light" and plug in. EmPower is currently used by more airlines than any other type of in-seat power, both in the US and internationally.

I personally prefer an inverter to a dedicated EmPower tip for charging my stuff because I can plug in a small 3-way outlet to the inverter and charge batteries, my cell phone and my laptop on a flight. All three of these items don't draw anywhere near enough power to max out a 75 watt or 90 watt AC/DC inverter , even from seat power. Once I am off the plane,I can take my inverter to the rental car and plug it in, all in one unit.

My preference for AC/DC inverters, with EmPower are the APC 75watt travel units, which have recently been replaced with a 90watt travel unit. The device is small, light, durable and very reliable,mine have been around the world and dropped dozens of times.

It is rare to find cigarette lighter outlets on planes, however American Airlines (AA) offers this kind of power outlet of almost all of it's MainLine aircraft. The EmPower power leads and inverters can all be used in a cigarette adapter. While I am not one who likes American Airlines, I do like this power option.

In seat power still exists on many planes or airlines only in First Class or Business Class, but many airlines now offer power in Economy Class. You can find out which planes offer in seat power on Seat Guru : http://www.seatguru.com

As I had mentioned above, finding flights with power is a priority for me on certain routes. When booking flights with my preferred airlines I search for certain flights on certain aircraft.

Delta: When flying Delta (DL)all the seats on every Boeing 737-800 (738) has EmPower, every seat on the Boeing 767-400 (764)has EmPower and every seat on the Boeing 777-200 (772)

US Airways: All the US Airways (US) Airbus aircraft, A319, A320, A321, A330 have EmPower in every seat. Even in coach flying a plane that lets you have power for 4+ hours makes the flight much more relaxing.

One thing that can be confusing is the recent merger between US Airways and America West (HP) , the US aircraft (tail number ending in US) have EmPower on all Airbus aircraft but the HP aircraft (tail number ending in AW) do not have EmPower. US Airways calls "US" aircraft the east coast fleet and the "AW" aircraft the west coast fleet. You should be able to find out which "fleet" your aircraft is coming from by call US Airways. The airlines know which aircraft you'll be on because the planes have different seat configurations, and they must know the seat configuration before they sell any seats.

United Airlines: For the flyers who travel between JFK and LAX or JFK and SFO United Airlines (UA) offers "United PS" which is an all premium service flight. These are the only "three class" planes flying regular domestic routes, and economy class is actually Economy Plus (E+) which is more comfortable on the 5 hour flights. All the seats on UA-PS have standard universal electrical outlets under the seat. This is great because no EmPower is required. It is obviously a limited route, but if you can fly it for a direct flight or use these flights to connect somewhere else,it is well worth it. You can find more information on UA-PS at : http://www.unitedps.com/main.html

-Click On The Photo Below To Enlarge The Image-

19-January-2007 : What are the chances I'll get delayed?

Web: www.fishfoto.com -- E-Mail: fish@fishfoto.com

19-January-2007 : What are the chances I'll get delayed?

Whether you are flying for business or for pleasure you still want an easy and painless flying experience. The first thing that we can all do as travelers to make our trip smoother is fly on a flight that departs on time, because it means we will either arrive on time or make our connecting flights.

Believe it or not there are some flights that consistently depart late or are canceled on a regular basis. Most people don't know this, some folks believe it is random, but there are a number of factors that can play into a flight being delayed often, such as an airport's regular weather pattern or the type of aircraft you'll be flying.

When I am booking flights I often reference Expedia's flight booking system ( http://www.expedia.com/flights ) because when you click flight details Expedia often shows the on time rating of each flight. Of course not every flight has this information to be posted, but it is very handy.

There are two excellent resources for looking up the on time reliability of airports and flights.

The first web site, a US Government site, does not have complete data and can be confusing to reference , but it can be handy at times
http://www.transtats.bts.gov/OT_Delay/OT_DelayCause1.asp

The second site, Flight Stats, is fairly accurate, easier to use and I find the date to be more complete than the US Gov't site
http://www.flightstats.com

Happy Flying!

16-January-2007 : Countries With No Airports? What Am I To Do?

Web: www.fishfoto.com -- E-Mail: fish@fishfoto.com

16-January-2007 : Countries With No Airports? What Am I To Do?

Today I was asked a question by a fellow photographer I had the answer to, but never really thought about. What do you do when you are flying to a country with no airport? In this case it was traveling between the United Kingdom and Monaco.

Monaco is a Principality with more per-capita money that almost any nation on the earth (with limited exceptions such as Brunei) . This is a nation that is only 1 square miles (2 square kilometers), a nation that has been made famous by a massive casino and a harbour that often contains the most expensive luxury yachts in the world.........but not even a private airport

Well, should you have a spare €2,000,000 to drop at the tables your best bet is to fly into Nice (NCE) in France, which is only about 15 miles from the Monte Carlo Casino. There are more seasonal flights to Nice in the spring/summer, but there is still regular service to NCE all year round from London Heathrow (LHR) Paris (CDG), Amsterdam (AMS) , Munich (MUC) and Rome (FCO). So what do you do when you want to travel here?

Make friends with a billionaire and take their private helicopter in.

Happy Flying!

12-January-2007 : Am I Really Being Delayed By Weather? Maybe....Maybe Not

Web: www.fishfoto.com -- E-Mail: fish@fishfoto.com

12-January-2007 : Am I Really Being Delayed By Weather? Maybe....Maybe Not

It happens all the time, you arrive at the airport 90 minutes in advance, or if you are my mother 240 minutes in advance, for your flight. You look up on the "big board" and your flight shows On Time. You check in, you take your time going through security and when you are waiting at the gate the announcement we all hate gets announced "Due to a weather condition Flight 1 to LAX has been delayed yadda yadda yadda yadda."

This has happened to me, any most travelers, more times than we'd like to hear. Something I have begun to do is look at two web sites. The first web site is the FAA Air Traffic Control (ATC) System Command Center's real-time status delay site and the National Oceanic & Atmospheric Administration's Aviation Weather Center web site. Very often an airline will claim a weather delay when there is some other issue, such as a mechanical problem with the flight which delayed it's arrival.

If you are delayed due to non-weather issues you may be due compensation by the airline. For me, my main concern is travel, so I always seek an immediate transfer to another airline.

While on my way to a wedding in October I was flying from San Diego to Sacramento via San Francisco. The airline kept telling me it was a weather problem, once I was able to go up to the gate and show the gate supervisor a live weather model for almost all of the west coast, including a detailed area of the two airports in question as well as the FAA ATC's site I was immediately transfered to another carrier and I was on my way within 30 minutes....and got to my wedding on time.

Bookmarking these web sites, so you can access them from the airport WiFi is a very handy idea for the rare cases when you just can't wait and need to know if the airline is being straight with you or is using weather as an excuse.

FAA ATC System Command Center
http://www.fly.faa.gov/flyfaa/usmap.jsp

NOAA Aviation Weather Center
http://www.aviationweather.gov

Happy Flying!

3-January-2007 : Mystic, Connecticut

Web: www.fishfoto.com -- E-Mail: fish@fishfoto.com

3-January-2007 : Mystic, Connecticut

Wow, how does the world function at 8:AM? For me 8:AM means either sleeping in my bed, changing planes somewhere, or settled into my seat chewing some gun, trying to sleep with an iPod and noise canceling headsets blocking out the world.

So anyway, this morning I had the great opportunity to be the first speaker at a gathering of wedding photographers from the Digital Wedding Forum. My topic, you guessed it, travel. I was not discussing how to get jobs that require traveling, but more the nuts-and-bolts of traveling. As I have discussed on here before, travel for me is not something that I generally do for relaxation, it is something I do to get my job done as quickly as possible and get home as fast as I can.

Passing this information was a lot of fun and I hope those who were awake for my presentation were able to pick up some useful information from me and apply it to their own business and travel.

Below is a photo of me speaking, shot by Walter Van Dusen , a wedding photographer who is based not far from me in Southeastern Connecticut ( http://www.waltervandusen.com )

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21-December-2006 : United States Transportation Safety Administration - Know The Rules!

Web: www.fishfoto.com -- E-Mail: fish@fishfoto.com

21-December-2006 : United States Transportation Safety Administration - Know The Rules!

How many times have you packed and wished you could bring your roll-aboard carry-on, your brief case and a bag (that meets the legal carry on size) full of camera on board? Admit it, you've wished this quite a few times if you have flown more than twice in the past few years. Well, there is a little know rule the TSA has and almost no airlines argue with.....it turns out YOU CAN BRING ALL THIS!

Yep, that's right, the TSA Guideline allow for one carry on, one personal item (brief case, book bag, laptop bag, etc) and one full size carry on with photographic equipment. While the TSA guidelines do offer an out by saying check with your airlines first, when presented with a print out of the TSA carry on allowance, and exemption for photographic equipment, I have never had a gate agent go against the printed rules. Below is a link to the TSA guidelines PRINT IT OUT AND CARRY IT WITH YOU AT ALL TIMES

http://www.tsa.gov/travelers/airtravel/assistant/editorial_1248.shtm


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15-December-2006 : Seat Guru

Web: www.fishfoto.com -- E-Mail: fish@fishfoto.com

15-December-2006

I seem to get a lot of e-mails from a lot of photographers regarding a lot of different subjects related to flying.

As I go through a variety of online resources, and tips, and other related material, I think i'll start with the most common web site I suggest...... Seat Guru , http://www.seatguru.com

Seat Guru is a great basic website for comparing airlines in-flight seats, seat configurations and finding out what seats are good and what seats are not so good on certain aircraft.

The first thing you need to know when you use Seat Guru is what aircraft you will be flying on, this basic information is usually pretty easy, when you book the flight on any online travel agent (Expedia, Orbitz, Travelocity, etc) the booking information will always tell you what plane you are flying on. At times the only information given may be "767" instead of 767-300 (763) or 767-400 (764) if this is the case you should call your airline to clarify what aircraft you are on.

In other cases the aircraft listed may show "777-200" (772) , if you are on a United Airlines (UA) flight this 772 maybe a 777-XP or 777-XC/XI configuration. Many airlines fly one aircraft in many configurations, such as the UA 772. In a more confusing case, Lufthansa (LH) flies the Airbus A340-300 (343) and the Boeing 747-400 (744) each in four different configurations!

If you have to figure out what configuration your aircraft is simply call the airline. The airline is assigning seats from the day the flight opens for sale (usually 330 days from the date of departure) and they must know which configuration they are selling seats for! Call, ask, then go to seat guru, pick your seats and call back with your request.

Seat Guru , http://www.seatguru.com

8-December-2006 Hong Kong, China : Incheon, South Korea : Nagoya, Japan : Honolulu, Hawaii : Los Angeles, California

Web: www.fishfoto.com -- E-Mail: fish@fishfoto.com

8-December-2006 Hong Kong, China : Incheon, South Korea : Nagoya, Japan : Honolulu, Hawaii : Los Angeles, California


Today was the day that would never end.

There is not much to discuss travel wise other than I am traveling on a somewhat insane schedule. This schedule is not one I would suggest for most people. You really need a high tolerance for monotony.

My day began with a shower at the HKG Air France lounge at midnight, then off to a a 12:40am flight from Hong Kong (HKG) to Incheon, South Korea (ICN). Upon arriving at ICN at 5:AM I decided to clear immigration, go outside to get some fresh air and wander around shooting some photos, then off to a quick 12:25pm flight to Nagoya, Japan (NGO) .

The airport in Nagoya is somewhat odd, but it has a great bathhouse for travelers to relax in one of the best observation decks of any airport I have been to.

From Nagoya I was onto an 8:15pm Continental Airlines flight to Honolulu, Hawaii (HNL) which does to the dateline/time-zone shift landed 4 minutes before it took off (I love when that happens). The seats on the Continental 767-400 (764) were so comfortable that I was asleep in minutes and well rested on arrival and ready to tackle the day.

A quick trip out of the airport to meet with a wedding coordinator and back to HNL for a 2:15pm flight from HNL to Los Angeles (LAX) on Delta Airlines.

Now at LAX I am on my last flight on the 8th of December to Columbus, OH (CMH) with a quick 30 min layover before my last flight home to Hartford,CT (BDL).

I would normally post a whole lot of photos, but instead I have created a QuickTime movie of Dec 8 from Midnight to Midnight :
http://www.stevenfrischling.com/weddings/DEC08/Dec08_03.mov

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