- Joined
- May 17, 2006
- Messages
- 4,290
When a call comes in at about 2:30pm saying lets go get some shots. That usually means we both know what were after, the golden hour. This is the time right around 30 minutes before and after sunrise and sunset. In fact, some hard core landscape and nature magazines will only accept photos taken at this time. I like it, especially for landscape photos. When the sun is lower in the sky it makes the shadows longer, adding instant drama. For people it is amazing at making them look
orange. Even so, portraits of people for various types of photos like, weddings, and couples happen at this time.
Gear
Usually consisting of a camera body and 2-3 lenses, plus a point and shoot (P&S) as a back up and for different angles that are harder to pull of with a big DSLR.
Camera
For a photo outing abroad I take less gear for the obvious reasons.
Backpack
Tamrac Aero Speed Pack 85 with a side entrance making it easy to grab the camera without having to take the pack off.
Emergency Items
The area for this day was about 4,000 feet in elevation and was right at the base of the Wrightwood Mountains. Kind of a chaparral desert that quickly turns into a full on pine forest. Snakes frequent the area and I have often come across them on a narrow trail. A machete comes in handy for cutting a quick pole about 8 feet in length to coax the snake off the trail so we can pass and leave it safe for the rest of the people, except this day the trail was empty. A machete also makes a quick field expedient monopod for a camera, walking stick, pokes under rock outcrops to check for snakes where we will be standing, and can do a whole slew of survival tasks. At about 10 oz for the Tramontina 12 machete and 14 oz with thin, light kydex sheath, I cant see any reason why I wouldnt take it. It fits in the back laptop pocket with my fleece, beanie, bandana, and rain poncho.
The little tin kit is from TOPS, and along with my photog carabineer kit I got most things covered. The long bag is a vomit bag from an airplane that holds water and all kinds of things. The photog carabineer kit is small, super light and simple, yet it covers general direction, 2 ways of signaling (TOPS dog tag mirror, whistle), 2 ways of making a fire (lighter, small ferrocium rod with cotton balls stuffed in spy capsule), and water purification tablets in spy capsule. The extras are the small cheap light, and duct tape around the lighter with rubber bands. I added a small JK keychain knife that all fixes to a bright colored carabineer.
Scenes from the hike
Mormon Rocks, CA
The start
Mormon Rocks in the distance
Gear
Usually consisting of a camera body and 2-3 lenses, plus a point and shoot (P&S) as a back up and for different angles that are harder to pull of with a big DSLR.
Camera
For a photo outing abroad I take less gear for the obvious reasons.
Backpack
Tamrac Aero Speed Pack 85 with a side entrance making it easy to grab the camera without having to take the pack off.
Emergency Items
The area for this day was about 4,000 feet in elevation and was right at the base of the Wrightwood Mountains. Kind of a chaparral desert that quickly turns into a full on pine forest. Snakes frequent the area and I have often come across them on a narrow trail. A machete comes in handy for cutting a quick pole about 8 feet in length to coax the snake off the trail so we can pass and leave it safe for the rest of the people, except this day the trail was empty. A machete also makes a quick field expedient monopod for a camera, walking stick, pokes under rock outcrops to check for snakes where we will be standing, and can do a whole slew of survival tasks. At about 10 oz for the Tramontina 12 machete and 14 oz with thin, light kydex sheath, I cant see any reason why I wouldnt take it. It fits in the back laptop pocket with my fleece, beanie, bandana, and rain poncho.
The little tin kit is from TOPS, and along with my photog carabineer kit I got most things covered. The long bag is a vomit bag from an airplane that holds water and all kinds of things. The photog carabineer kit is small, super light and simple, yet it covers general direction, 2 ways of signaling (TOPS dog tag mirror, whistle), 2 ways of making a fire (lighter, small ferrocium rod with cotton balls stuffed in spy capsule), and water purification tablets in spy capsule. The extras are the small cheap light, and duct tape around the lighter with rubber bands. I added a small JK keychain knife that all fixes to a bright colored carabineer.
Scenes from the hike
Mormon Rocks, CA
The start
Mormon Rocks in the distance
