Sponsors

I am excited to be sponsored by several of the leading companies in the photographic imaging industry. I am very selective with regards to sponsorship and only accept it from companies whose products I trust, rely on, and help me realize my vision.

Since 1967 Lowepro has been the leader in protective carry solutions for photographic and electronic equipment. I’m a huge fan of their bags and use them myself including the SlingShot 200 AW, Flipside 300, Vertex 200 AW and Dryzone 200.

Keep this in mind…there is no such thing as the ‘perfect bag’. Rather there are bags that are perfect for a specific jobs, shooting styles and situations.

Tripods… buy it once, buy it right, save yourself a bunch of money in the long run. I’ve owned several tripods over the years beginning with a cheap mega-store brand model that I bought before I really got into photography. I think it lasted about three months. Cost $70.00. Next I moved into a descent name-brand set of aluminum legs that have actually stood the test of time, but they are heavy and they aren’t tall enough, and I’m only 5′7″. Cost $130.00. Next up was an imitation carbon-fiber model that is considerably lighter but still was not tall enough, especially if I was shooting on a slope, not to mention that it’s construction is questionable, and yes, I’ve had it fail several times now. Cost $250.00. Total cost so far…$450.00.

I could have saved myself $450.00 if I had just bought a Gitzo in the first place. Nowadays I use a Gitzo GT3540Ls Series 3 Carbon 6X tripod with the new G-Locks and Anti Leg Rotation (ALR) system. The new G-Locks let you lock the legs down in any order and the ALR system will keep the tubes from rotating.

Just like camera bags, we now have tripods that are designed for specific tasks. I hope to add a light-weight setup to my kit very soon for backpacking trips and for long, hot, summer hikes when I don’t want to carry every piece of gear that I own.

Living and working in the Southwest, I often find myself in a variety of environments from the dry desert to high mountains in the most extreme weather conditions including rain, freezing rain, sleet, snow, dust and blowing sand. As you can imaging, none of this is very good for camera gear. In the past I have tried to protect my gear by wrapping a jacket around it or shielding it with my body, but neither choice is the right solution and often leaves me exposed to the elements.

Nowadays we have a convenient solution in the Storm Jacket. This is a camera cover that I will actually use. It’s light-weight, compact and portable.  I throw it into my bag and forget about it until it’s time to use it.

I do have one suggestion when using the Storm Jacket; try not to exhale onto the back of the camera and into the Storm Jacket which will trap the humidity. A lot of photographers hold their breath while shooting and as soon as they are done, they exhale all over the back of the camera. In the right atmospheric conditions (e.g. cool temperatures) this will lead to condensation forming on the camera and a wet camera is what we are trying to avoid.

Please visit my sponsors: Lowepro, Gitzo tripods, Storm Jacket – Camera Covers