My Top Five ;)

My personal top five MUST HAVES when I leave my house to shoot.

Now, anyone who has been reading my posts should understand that, for me, leaving to go shoot means that I am most likely heading to the mountains, or at least on a hike. SO these are my must-haves for these hiking-shoots.



5. Lens hood- Nothing worse to me than taking an absolutely amazing shot, only to see sun spots all over it.  One of the first things I learned at AI was that it is best to take the shot as accurately as possible, ensuring the shot will need minimal, if any, post work. My lens hood is a necessity. When you are out hiking, or doing a nature shoot, odds are, you are going to be out during the mean time between the golden hours. I really don't like when I see an amazing shot and when I put my eye to the viewfinder, and there are those dreaded spots. (They are a pain for me to remove in post....)

4. Polarizing filter- Another must have for those bright days.  A polarizing filter removes the glare from water, and  can reduce reflections and improve contrast.  I use a circular polarizer, enabling me to turn the filter to get the desired effect. (tip: when you turn it, turn it the same way you would turn it to tighten the filter onto the lens.  This way, you don't accidentally loosen the filter. They are glass/crystal, and will break)

3. Extra lenses-  This one is a given.  Now, I don't have that many lenses...two to be exact (hoping after Christmas to add to my collection) but I always have to have them both. ;)  Now, changing them during a hike probably sounds like a huge ordeal, but it isn't, thanks to my #1 item.  We will get to that soon enough. But first, I have to talk about something I have been wanting to share, and it pertains to lenses.

            -While shopping for my 55-250mm lens, I came across what was called a "Grey Market" lens.  This grey market lens was $179.95, and the brand was Canon.  I was intrigued, so I checked the reviews, and that is where I first saw the term "grey market".  I looked it up, and low and behold, there was a definition for the term on B&H's website.  Basically, the only difference is where the lens was made.
                   ' "Grey market" is not illegal, not factory seconds, not demo merchandise, not cheaper or inferior products. In fact in almost every instance a "grey market" product is absolutely identical to its US-warranted counterpart." (B&H)
               I gave it a shot.  The price difference was staggering, so I had to.  I am a student on a budget, after all.  I received a quality product, and as of yet, have been very satisfied with this lens. So if you are on a budget as well, and don't mind buying something not made here in the good ole USA, check them out. Grey card lenses are the way I will go until I can afford Made In USA.

2. Tripod- Again, another given.  However, I can't recall how many times I didn't bring a tripod, and regretted it later.  If you want to take those long exposure creek shots, or river shots, a tripod is a must.  Not only is a tripod a necessity for shooting some photos, it is also a great walking stick. :)  I have used mine to help me balance on rocks walking across creeks, walking along the side of a mountain.  So in a way, it may also be a great safety item...tripods are great. :)

1. My gear bag.  This is my number one.  My Lowepro Flipside 400 backpack.  This is the most amazing pack I have ever owned, and I had thought about doing a whole post on it...still might in the future.  Now, what makes this pack unique is that you can only access your gear from the REAR of the pack, the part that sits on your back.  There is a front-access pocket, but not to access your gear.  I use the front pocket for my lens cleaning cloth, solutions, and just random things I might think I need, including my iPad. The back has enough room for just about anything you could possibly need.  In one review I read (because I always read them before I buy anything) One guy had two 5D's with four lenses, including a telephoto.  The best part about this pack though, is where it gets its namesake "flipside".  This is what I was talking about in the "lens" part of this post. If I want to change lenses, or access my actual gear, I take the shoulder straps off my shoulders (there is a waist strap), turn the pack so it is in front of me, supported by the waist strap and the build of the bag, and open my pack and change my lens. USING BOTH HANDS. The design is genius, if I do say so myself.  I can even continue walking, albeit at a slower pace, and change my lens, lens cover, put my lens hood away, anything. And it is rugged. The first time I used this pack, my dearest and I were scrambling across the side of a mountain shooting abandoned mines from the gold rush era, and I remember thinking to myself that if I fell off that mountain, I was certain my gear would fare better than I would. HA! And I meant it. I am certain the equipment would have remained in-tack, where I would have certainly (at least) broke something. You can check them out here: http://store.lowepro.com/backpacks/flipside-400-aw

So there you have it, my top five essentials for an outdoors nature shoot.  Is there anything that you would add?  Something you think I forgot?  I encourage you to comment below, and let me know what YOU think.  I challenge you to engage, and perhaps we will get a conversation going. :)

B&H Grey Market Item Definition:http://www.bhphotovideo.com/find/HelpCenter/USGrey.jsp

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