In search for the percect bag

I love camera bags and it seems there’s way too many unused ones stuffed in my garage. Over the course of 40 years of photography, I’ve acquired countless bags and cases to hold, protect and transport my photographic gear that I could now equip a platoon of photographers.

During the 1980’s I spent a small fortune in Halliburton cases to protect my equipment during shipping that throughout years of abuse from worldwide travels, were so scratched, scuffed, dented for being thrown and tossed around by luggage carriers. One-by-one the latches finally broke off and I had to jury rig a clasp to use a lock and key system to keep the lids closed and equipment safe.

In 1991 I switched to the Pelican line, of waterproof cases. Which were durable, but heavy. Having to lift them out of my car and then pull one of those cases to and from the media parking area to either Safeco or Qwest fields, stuffed full of camera equipment was enough to give one a hernia. Now, instead of holding camera gear, they are used to protect and haul around my Speedatron studio lighting system.

As I purchased more gear, my needs to buy a bigger and better bag continued. I must have brought enough Domke shoulder bags; tripod and light stand bags and vests of various styles and colors to make Jim Domke a very happy man.

When my back and shoulders started to ache because of the heavy bags carried, I switched the Lowe Pro’s line of backpacks and belt packs, which distributed the weight eventually across my back and around my waist.

My quest was on to find the “perfect system” that had heavy duty zippers and was both rainproof and rugged continued, until two years, ago when I found these qualities in the ThinkTank line of products that are designed by photographers for photographers. As I sports photographer needing an assortment of lenses at a ready use, I purchased the Speed Demon and attached the Modular Set with a shoulder harness. 

For a while I used an Airport Acceleration backpack to transport my gear to and from the car and then stuffed what was to be used along the sidelines into my Speed Demon set up.

When the ThinkTank Shapeshifter backpack was introduced, I found I could carry my laptop, two cameras, two extra batteries, three lenses and a speed light. This product is just what I had to have. Now I mainly use the backpack to carry a  laptop, power cord, various cables, spare battery, cords, external keyboard, mouse, card readers, portable hard drives and Verizon wireless card, everything I need in one handy bag for sending images while on location.

Still, there were times when I needed an extra lens or flash that didn’t fit in the backpack. That forced me to invest in the Airport Security V2.0 roller bag. Now, this is the car’s meow, a real Cadillac of bags and is amazing. It’s configured as my sports shooting gear kit and holds three camera bodies, a 14mm, 16-35mm, 28-70, 70-200 and 300mm lenses, 1.4, 2x converters as well as an extender, 10 extra camera batteries, plus two pocket rocket CF cardholders, one full of two gig and the other contains four gig CF cards. 

When you’re stuck in a photography well covering a Mariners game, and having to transmit images between innings, its good to have an extra body or lens. There have been times of of equipment failure from fans spilling beer down on you, gear being hit by fouls ball or a camera or lens getting knocked over by another photographer scrambling in or out of the photo well to move to another shooting location.

The V2.0 holds everything I might, or might not need and the gear is all there within easy reach at any time.

The Airport Acceleration backpack I now used to haul around a portable lighting studio consisting of five speed lights, three battery packs, extra double AA batteries, CTO and CTA filters, gaffers tape, bungee ball cords and a light meter. I even have a MK II Ds and two batteries stored inside.

Still, there where times that I need to downsize and just carry what was required to complete an assignment instead of hauling bags full bodies, lenses and flashes. That’s why I purchased the Urban Disguise 40, which holds one camera, two lenses, a flash, its battery pack and a pocket rocket containing 10 CF cards or three flash units, their battery packs, a light meter and filters.

Now, after decades of being a pack mule, hauling around everything, I think I’ve finally found a tried and true system. Much to my wife’s’ happiness, with the ThinkTank products, I don’t think I’ll ever need another bag and can start cleaning out the garage.

Going with the Flow

I should be finishing up painting white primer on our back deck railings, something my wife has been asking me to do for about five or more years. I forget just how many, it could be more, but two years ago I repainted the trim work white from dingy pale yellow and it’s something we need to do to match the house trim work. “It’s all about curb appeal”, she said.  However, there’s not much painting to do except for the cutting in work.It’s taken me three days to caulk and prime, so I decided to take some time off to write a blog on taking advantage of the ever changing photographic situations.

As photographers, we sometimes research prime locations ahead of time in which pre-conceived photos could be taken. While taking pictures in Eatonville on Friday of Mount Rainier National Parks’ Superintendent Dave Uberuaga, who’s departing this month to accept a position as top guy heading up the Grand Canyon National Park, I found out that Eatonville was holding their annual fireworks on Sunday and the 4^th.

Since I already had plans to attend our neighborhoods’ 16th annual block party. Previous years, while working for the Seattle Post-Intelligencer, I often missed the block party due to being assigned to capture fireworks at Seattle Gasworks Park, which overlooks Lake Union. Since Eatonville held fireworks on both nights, I opted for Sunday so I attend our party.

So in the slack time between assignments, I talked to residents on where was the print location in which to shoot fireworks bursting with Mount Rainier in the background. I was directed to an empty lot for sale on a hill overlook the foothills leading up to the mountain. It was the perfect location, what a commanding view it provided.

Sometimes, events are out of our control and the sign of a good photographer to improvise.

Arriving in Eatonville two hours before the fireworks in order to claim a prime hillside spot I setup a tripod mounted camera and 70-200mm lens. Since, it was a beautiful evening and with nothing else to do I decided to pass the time taking pictures of the mountain going through its’ various changes during sunset.

But as you can see in the photo there are no fireworks. Apparently I got the bum scoop on location and if I were a mile down to the left I would have been able to record fireworks in the photo. However, it was worth still worth going as I captured the mountain lit in “Alpenglow” a pinkish, rosy color that bathes the mountain in supernatural light.

Sometimes we just got to go with the flow and hopefully be rewarded by our extra efforts in capturing a stunning photograph.

I can't believe she did that

Being a photojournalist, my job is to capture life's moments. Those might be the good, the bad, the ugly and sometimes, the bizarre. While assigned to document Port Orchard's annual Fathom O' Fun's Frog jumping contest, one of the best shots of the day I took was the Queen planting a kiss on the winning frog. As she gently, but firmly held it in her hands, puckered up and planted one on tip of the frog's nose, I pressed the shutter button, that captured in one instant, a photo that she'll be remembered by for the rest of her life.

While looking at the images afterwards, I thought, “I can’t believe she did that, what a bizarre photograph.”

Sometimes, you just have to stop

While on my way home from shooting the West District 2 Big League (16-19 year olds) Championship baseball game in Silverdale I happened to crest a hill and lo and behold I saw the crescent moonset over the Olympic Mountains. Didn't take too much effort for me to think twice about stopping in a nearby parking lot. Pulling out the tripod, attach a shutter release to one of my MK II's with a 300mm f2.8 lens attached. I set the camera on manual, f-stop at f4.0, and used a variety of shutter speeds, ranging from 30th of second to one second exposures and capture this beautiful moment. Granted, it was a long week covering 20 baseball games in six days and I was wanting to get home. Even through I was hot, tired and hungry, I'm glad that I stopped, and took the time to capture this unique photo. I believe the end result was worthwhile. So enjoy the photo.

Having a gift of the gab doesn't hurt at all

I love taking personality portraits that go beyond just photographing a face that shows some interesting aspect of the subject’s character or personality.

My wife, Amy, has mentioned throughout the years that I can be embarrassing when out in public taking pictures. “How can you walk up to a perfect stranger, talk to them like you’ve known them for years and then get a picture?”

I don’t know, maybe I’m one of those photographers who have a special knack for setting my subjects at ease with a gift of the gab. But, mostly, it takes, experience, being very perceptive and extremely stubborn. When I want to make a picture of an interesting person, I don’t care how long it might take. Once, while trying to take a portrait of a carnival worker, he asked why I wanted to take a picture of him? “You have an interesting face”, I replied. Still, he refused, so I hung around talking, asking him about the life of a carnival worker, some of the towns he’s visited and how long he’s been a ride operator. Soon, kids started lining up to ride, as he started taking tickets, he asked, “You’re not gonna leave here until you take my picture are you? I smiled, and said, “I’ve got all day” and like I said, “you have an interesting face.”

“What the hell, take my picture!”, he snapped back, stuck the cigar in his mouth and glared at me.

My favorite technique is moving in with my 70-200mm lens for a close-up to ensure a strong center of interest and simple composition. One of the things I try to do is capture the subject’s character and emotional appeal.

In order to produce a good personality portrait, especially when dealing with those subjects who don’t want their pictures taken, a photographer must be part psychologist and part interviewer. To me, this shows the subject that you are interested in them, not as just a subject, but a human. Sooner or later, if they are busy, they’ll give in and allow a photo to be made. Besides, having that gift of the gab, doesn’t hurt at all either. Being a photojournalist, it’s our job to return with a
grabber shot…the one that tells the story or captures the character of someone.

"Just go out and shoot pretty pictures!"

While working at the Florida Times-Union, a former picture editor, Charles Kogod, offered me a bit of advice one slow news day. “Jim, just go out and shoot some pretty pictures!” Being a news photographer, I didn’t think that pretty pictorial or scenic could also go into the paper as a weather feature. Kogod knew what he was doing nurturing and developing photographers as The Director of Illustrations for National Geographic Books for many years. Now, he photographs, teaches and edits. http://www.charleskogod.com/

Sitting on the back deck, reading a book, I noticed a huge, white billowing cloud formation rising up from the easterly direction. Gabbing my cameras, our dog, Toshio, started to jump and dance around me as he’s always up for a good walk, We jumped in to the car and headed off to Manchester Dock to take pictures of the magnificent cloud over Seattle.

To this very day, almost 30 years later, I still take Charles’ advice to heart and go out to shoot pretty pictures. One this day, my instincts paid off and I was rewarded with an unusual weather feature.

“You should have been there 45 minutes ago”

While attending Syracuse University a professor opened my eyes to one of the most important aspects when covering news events.

Being in a classroom full of photographers the discussion most of the talk was of cameras, lenses, and angles, but it came down to one word, “curiosity.”

You should look beyond the actual event and look for a photo that’s more compelling with emotion.

Upon reading an article about an upcoming public funeral services for the first solder from our area to be killed in Iraq, I called the church, spoke to the event coordinator asking what ground rules were set up for press coverage during the mass.

She mention that a Rosary would be held about a hour before the mass and it might make for a more interesting photos because the casket would be draped with the United State Flag instead of a white cloth.

I like to get to events early so that I can scout out the area and find places that afford a nice clean background or where better pictures would be made from other than an area reserved for photographers.

Also, I wanted to be unobtrusive and show compassion for the mourning family, friends and particularly for the wife he left behind. By staying back far enough away, using a long lens, I was able to capture a photo that still had emotional impact and told the story.

Having arrived for the Rosary, before the other local papers
and the TV crews, I was able to capture a picture of

Michele Bunda as she touched the flag-draped coffin of her late husband Staff Sgt. Christopher Bunda during the Rosary before Mass at the Holy Trinity Roman Catholic Church in Bremerton.

After the Rosary, the flag was ceremoniously removed and folded by the Army’s honor guard and was replaced with plain white cloth. As I was standing there previewing the images in my camera, the local newspaper photographer, who had just showed up, approached and while showing him the scene that was just captured 10 minutes earlier. He said, “That’s the picture”,, looking at the photos on my camera, the one scene pictured of the widow touching the flag draped casket and asked when was this taken?

I told him all about my curiosity, the phone call and of being told to come earlier than the Mass.

Sure, equipment, knowledge, experience, sensitivity, thought, persistence and instinct all played part key parts in helping me to capture an image no other photographer did. But I like to think that “curiosity” of never having covered a Mass, led me to place a photo call that yielded one important piece of information about the Rosary, otherwise, I wouldn’t have been about to get a picture no body else recorded.