Last week I ventured to the South Side of Pittsburgh and got some interesting wet and moody “after hours” street photos. I even had some fun with a portable LED light for a nice glow effect on The Library bar.
In this post, we explore what lenses, batteries, tripods, and other equipment are critical for optimizing your kit. Your experience may vary from mine, this is my personal choice.
My Current Loadout
My current gear and most recently used, besides the
Lumix GH4 and Sigma lens. *Used for photo*
- Amazon Basics DSLR Backpack
- Dolica Proline Tripod
- Yongnuo 560 IV Flash
- Monoprice LED Light
- Moleskin Notebook
- Blu Smartphon
- (Not Shown, Lumix GH4/ Used for photo)
Lenses
- Sigma 17-70 f/2.8-f/4
- Asahi Takumar 135mm f/2.5
- Promaster 28-200mm f/3.5-f5.6
- Sigma 19mm f/2.8 *Used for photos*
Cameras
- Pentax k-x w/ Pentax 50mm f/1.8
- Pentax Q w/Standard Kit 5-15mm
- Used for photos *Current Camera* Panasonic Lumix GH4 w/ Sigma 19mm f/2.8
Now, I don’t use all this gear when I go out. But you can see how much room it takes up, and you can imagine how much it would weigh.
Note: I’ve packed this bag to the brim plenty of times, most recently when I went on a birding hike with Keya. It was a heckin’ workout!
I take pride in spending very little, actively using the gear, and keeping it if I like it.
Quick Price Breakdown
The Q was $100. That K-x is from 2009, I mean everything is vintage or third party. And I’m not embarrassed at all. People have this wild idea on “Gear Acquisition Syndrome,” or G.A.S in the Photographer realm.
I got lenses and cameras on forums for cheap, won occasional auctions on eBay, and watched for deals on Craigslist and local sources. Why self-fund such expensive gear, and then spend a large chunk of your time recouping the cost, or trying to utilize it enough to justify the purchases?
Use what we have.
The Essentials
For this scenario in an urban street setting, I needed three things
The Camera
My favorite lens
Memory card
Sometimes I take nothing but the Pentax Q. It’s unobtrusive, high quality, but lacks decent battery life, often depleting within a couple hours of continuous use.
No one cares what you bring, or what brand you have. The point is that no one should be focusing on you long enough to observe these things, because you’re ultimately there for yourself and to…
Take the Photograph
So in order to achieve what I had envisioned on East Carson downtown, I knew I needed an umbrella, gloves, and a tripod. These were mandatory due to the weather.
Capturing the mood, emphasizing the vibe with an eerie street light.
East Carson St. Pittsburgh
This is the Gallery including some of my favorite shots from the evening.
There was snow, rain, and WIND. The wind sure has been brisk this year.
The way light bounces off water is captivating. Minimize the effort by planning ahead for what you need to accomplish a certain look or theme.
After it was said and done, I just needed a few things. I planned ahead for creating light with the LED light to use with the wet streets, I got creative and used it for the steam by The Library instead.
It’s fun to bring extras, but find the means to actually use them during your project.
Avoid the “just in case,” your wallet and lower back will thank you!