Camera Bags

Camera Bags

by William Lulow

I don’t think I have written too much about how to carry your equipment, what kinds of camera bags to bring, how many, and what size, but since I recently returned from another photographic journey, I thought I would mention what equipment I brought with me and how I transported it all.

First, for my second trip to the Hawaiian Islands I wanedt to make sure I was prepared for any kind of photographic opportunity that might arise. I often do a number of people pictures when I am away from the studio, so I need a light stand or two and at least one light I can place off camera. I also had my small, packable tripod which has now become a regular part of my travel kit because I just don’t need heavy tripods anymore. Digital cameras are so much lighter than medium format or view cameras.

Second, the light stands and studio flash unit are really too large to fit into my camera bag so they travel separately. When traveling far from home I have a “kit” I like to bring with me. It consists of the following:

1. Two camera bodies (usually take only one for longer trips – only use the second if I can’t change lenses)
2. Four lenses (20mm, 60mm, 85mm, 135mm)
3. One camera-mountable flash unit plus the monolight
4. Batteries (for the portable flash units) plus chargers
5. Filters
6. Laptop computer
7. Extra Wacom tablet for retouching and editing on the road

The one external studio light and the small tripod are packed in my suitcase with any lithium-ion batteries carried in the carry-on bag.

I was able to find a great bag produced by Lowepro, which holds everything I need except for my lighting. The clothes do a nice job of protecting the monolight and any other lighting accessories:

This bag holds it all! It’s got my 4 lenses, extra batteries for the flashes and all the filters I usually use. It will also hold my laptop and a cord for tethered shots. I don’t take it everywhere I go, but it is designed to get my equipment safely to my destination. I then use a fanny pack and belt pouches for lenses when I’m just walking around. The idea of a kit is that I can just grab this bag and the tripod and go, knowing I will have everything I need. Here’s another view:

I do take this as a carry-on however.

I always have looked at the equipment I take on any shoot as a kind of “kit.” It is comprised of items I always have with me as well as some specifically designed for travel and location work. As with every type of job I do, I actually look at my vacation travel as a kind of “job” as well, so I want to be sure I have all the gear I need to make the kinds of images I want.

Usually I take a couple of pouches like the ones below that I can put on my belt for a couple of extra lenses. When I am just touring, I stick a couple of filters in my pocket so that I have both hands free and of course, no bag on my shoulder.

Sometimes I wear a photographer’s vest that has plenty of pockets for filters and other small items I may need. I probably would never carry the whole backpack when I’m just walking around a city or even country side. Here are a couple of the pouches:

These small pouches are for extra lenses or other accessories and they fit right on your belt. So you really don’t have to carry the entire backpack and photo kit with you as you tour around. You also will not need any shoulder bag than can be stolen easily, plus you can have both hands free.  If I know that I want to make a specific image, I will then carry equipment that I need especially for that photo. Otherwise, I will never carry everything all the time. I normally don’t carry the tripod when I am walking, but it is always in the car if we use a car and it has its own case that I can throw over my shoulder if I need to hike to a picture spot.

When I am traveling locally by car, I usually bring all my lighting, light stands, umbrellas and everything else I need in just three bags:

In this shot, the bag with the blue zipper has been sold, because I didn’t need those items and now the equipment is down to three bags plus my background stand and the hand truck to wheel everything into where I set up the studio. (This is more for a location job locally than for touring.) I usually don’t take the entire case of lights with me for this extended vacation so I don’t need the hand truck or background materials.

Also, I might mention than when traveling by air, lithium-ion batteries should not be packed in any bag you intend to check at the airport. I always pack them in the bag I will carry on the plane itself.

The take away for this article is that you don’t need to carry every bit of equipment everywhere you go to make pictures. When you are just walking around a new place, keep it simple. I use my basic 20mm f/2.8 lens with a filter pack and the lens pouches. This usually covers me for any kind of photograph I want to make while “touring around.” If you see an image you wish to make, you might have to go back later to make it if you don’t have every item you need.