What’s in my bag? Gear I take with me when I’m out shooting for a few hours.

If you’re beginning your photography journey, or you already have some solid experience- you may find it useful to know the equipment that’s more commonly used in different situations. The gear I use when traveling often differs than when shooting around town, or for shooting for an event, as an example. In an attempt to give some insights on the tools-of-the-trade that work best for me, I’ve decided to create a blog series on this topic where I’ll share my tips on what gear to take on a weekend getaway, to a fashion shoot, or like today – the basic gear I carry when I go shoot for an afternoon. Get ready to dive into my bag and get useful recommendations regarding brands, and some of my favorite accessories.

Let me start by saying that my favorite backpack for photography is the WANDRD PRVKE 21. I’ve taken this bag to countless countries and cities, and I feel confident in saying that it’s the best travel backpack you can buy ( I now own three of them ). The thing that stands out the most is honestly its versatility in comparison to its size. It’s small enough to fit under the seat on an airplane, and yet I always manage to fit everything I need inside. Pictured here is also one of my favorite newest additions, which is the Cotton Carrier Strap Shot, which allows me to mount one of my cameras to a safe quick-release on my chest.

Let’s talk about the cameras. These days I primarily shoot with two Canon 5d Mk IVs. One with the larger Canon expanded grip+batteries, and the other is a stock body with the C-log upgrade (For video). If I’m taking two lenses out into the field, most of the time it’s the Sigma 70-200mm f/2.8 DG OS HSM, and the Sigma 24-70mm f/2.8 DG OS HSM Art. If I’m going on an even lighter shooting day, then I’d bring the smaller Canon body, and the Sigma 24-105mm f/2.8 DG OS HSM Art Lens. 

If one piece of equipment has made my life easier lately, my hat would definitely go off to the SpiderPro Dual DSLR Camera System v2. I cannot tell you how much I do not miss standard camera straps. I will never use one again, and my life is so much better without them. The SpiderPro lets me keep my hands free when I need them, without worrying about my camera swinging all over the place. When you’re on a shoot – whether for an event, wedding, or travel – this is something that I highly recommend. Also shown here is the GorillaPod 5K by JOBY. I don’t always use a tripod when I shoot, but considering how useful, versatile and light it is – it doesn’t really make sense to go without it.

Now lets talk about the finer details, which are always having extra batteries, extra memory cards, a microfiber cloth, an air blaster, and lens filters – including both polarizers and ND filters. These are things you may never need to take out or use during a shoot, but the times that you went without them and are missing them are the days that may be ruined. I also almost always take a small diffused RGB Led panel with me in case I’m feeling extra creative. It weighs almost nothing, but really packs a punch. Being said, always, always think about your value to weight ratio, especially when shooting for a long period of time- but if you can take the weight, then these things are really worth it.

The last thing I’m going to talk about today is maybe my favorite purchase that I have made in the last two years, which has been honestly may be one of my favorite purchases of all time. My Onewheel XR is seriously such an amazing addition to my life, and I absolutely take it with me when I’m out shooting or doing video work. The thing is built like a tank, and really helps me cover a lot of ground in a shorter amount of time. So far I’ve ridden nearly 800 miles on it, and have (knock on wood) never broken any equipment ( Or bones 😉 ) 

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<3 Scott