What do I carry in my photo bag? I am often asked this question. I was asked it again a few times at the Henry’s Photography and Digital Imaging Show this past weekend, where by the way I spoke to, and with, thousands of people, and loved every minute.
(By the way, if you visited the show and have questions, do feel free to email them to me and I shall answer them on the blog – and sign up for email).
So my bag looks like this:
Camera bag and contents
What does it not contain? A camera. This is on my shoulder, for fast convenient access. Always, even when I am travelling. I do not put the camera in a bag.
What this Domke bag does contain is:
- Two spare lenses, at least one of them a fast prime like the 35mm f/1.4 or the 50mm f/1.4
- Lens hoods, one for each lens
- A 580EX II flash
- A 430EX II flash
- Flash Modifiers: A Honl grid and a set of Honl bounce cards and a Honl gel set in a roll container, as well as a Gary Fong lightsphere
- A Hoodman Hood Loupe
- A container full of memory cards
- A small grey card
- Wallet
- Note pad
- Spare batteries for cameras and flashes
- Business cards
- A small brush
- Pens
- Pills (headache, throat)
- Plastic bags
- Shower caps, elastic bands, etc
You can never be too prepared. Be like NASA (“do I really need each gram of this weight?”), but once you decide you need it: bring it!
If you’re trying to adapt a bag that’s not specifically a “camera bag”, do you know of a source, or a work around for the padded dividers? I have a shoulder bag I’d like to use, but it’s a big open space, not divided at all on the inside.
My interest is in the bag not looking like a camera bag, but that is negated to a large degree when I take your recommendation to keep my camera out of the bag and ready to go.