Carrying & Transporting Equipment

Carrying & Transporting Equipment

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 am currently on a long trip, I thought I would mention what equipment I have with me and how I have transported it.

First, on this trip which will last for a couple of weeks or more, I wanted to make sure I was prepared for any kind of photographic opportunity that might arise. This trip has taken me to California and then to Hawaii, where I might have to make a few portraits for an assignment to shoot a book jacket, as well as my normal, landscape photographs that I like to do whenever or wherever I go, in this case, to a place I have never been before.

Second, I have a kind of minimal kit I like to bring with me. It consists of the following:

1. Two camera bodies
2. Four lenses (20mm, 60mm, 85mm, 135mm)
3. Two flash units. (One for the camera and an extra one on a light stand)
4. Batteries
5. Reflectors
6. Lithium ion battery for portable flash
7. Filters
8. Laptop computer
9. A small light stand that opens up to six-feet
10. A small travel tripod

I was able to find a bag that is just a little bit bigger than the correct size to fit under my airline seat, but I think I can get away with it. For this trip, I don’t think I needed both camera bodies, so I just packed one. The light stand and the tripod fit in my regular luggage. Since I knew I would be gone for a couple of weeks, I wanted to make sure I was prepared.

Here is what the bag looked like packed:

This bag holds it all! I won’t take it everywhere I go, but it is designed to get my equipment safely to my destination. I also use a fanny pack that holds one or two lenses with the camera over my shoulder when I’m just walking around. Here’s another view:

So, in this one bag I was able to transport every piece of equipment I would need for my extended trip.

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. This is the fanny pack I use:

It’s just big enough for a couple of lenses and filters with the camera at the ready, on my shoulder. I use this when I am just walking around touring a new city or place.

The other thing I do is to carry pouches on my belt for extra lenses and wear a photographer’s vest 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. 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.

So, the big pack is only for getting all my equipment to a particular location. When I am just touring, I will use pouches, pockets on my photo vest or a fanny pack. When I have a specific image I am thinking about making, I will then bring a tripod, extra filters, a portable flash or two, or anything else I might need.

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. 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.