Here is a sneak peek into my bag for outdoor photography.
I would skip my DSLR and the Lenses from the list, simply because these two things are so very obvious to be there in the bag when you go for a dedicated photography trip.
THE TRIPOD
CAMERA MANUALS
It’s good to refer to your camera manuals every now and then, and the best time to do this, is while you are on your way to your photography destination.
It helps two ways, it prevents you from getting in that rut of a certain style of photography (Of course! The more you explore your camera, the more you experiment!), and secondly, in case your camera mal-functions or gets damaged all of a sudden, you know exactly what is to be done.
A SMALL LAPTOP
You never know when you stumble upon that treasure of frames, and run out of memory in your camera. A Netbook/Mini laptop doubles up as back-up storage while providing for an instant review of the images on location as well!
USB CABLE OF YOUR CAMERA
Obvious when you carry that laptop!
A COMPACT CAMERA
There are certain situations when you don’t want to put your costly DSLR at risk, or simply it is too bulky to handle for the given situation, you can always take out your compact camera and make sure you don’t miss a good frame entirely.
A NON-PHOTOGRAPHY BOOK OR TWO
This applies more when your trip is made of days and not hours… It is always a good idea to read something not related to photography, not only it refreshes you; it may provide some unique inspirations too!
YOUR BUSINESS CARD
There are circumstances when you are photographing at certain places, and you are breaking some laws (of-course not the serious ones :) knowingly or unknowingly…at these times, you can always hand over your business card and make your situation more convincing.
A SMALL NOTEPAD AND PEN
I have a habit of jotting down things- about the location, the lighting conditions, the mistakes I may have made during capturing some shots and so on…Sometimes, I draw tentative sketches of some noteworthy compositions too…
SOME PLASTIC BAGS
In case of sudden downpour, nothing can be more handy and portable for saving the camera. Also, in windy situations, you can change the lens by putting the camera inside the plastic bag!
A CLEAN HAND TOWEL
Be it water or dust, it is always better to keep the enemies of your gear at bay!
THE BATTERY CHARGER
Last but certainly not the least…particularly when you want to shoot for long hours or stay overnight at some place!
Images & Article © 2012 Gyaneshwari Dave
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