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So what's in my bag, you ask - well, you didn't but if you're here, that means you want to know! I carry two bodies with me at all times. My 'go to' camera is my Nikon D2x - it's my work horse! This thing is a tank and has taken everything I've thrown at it with nary a complaint. Now you hear a lot of back and forth about Nikon vs. Cannon . . . while each brand has their own merits, any self-respecting shooter will tell you that it's not the camera that gets the shot - it's the eye looking through the viewfinder! My D2x is a 12.2 megapixel camera loaded with an 8gig compact flash card. On top of that, you'll usually find my SB800, which is a flash unit that just plain rocks! I vary between two lens . . . I don't need or want any more! I hardly ever take the Sigma 10-20 off this body, save for when I want to do portraits or close-up stuff. For that, I slap on the Nikon 70-200mm f/2.8 with Vibration Reduction . . . talk about a sweet lens! My other body is an older D100 that has been converted to shoot IR. I read an article about Infrared Photography in Popular Photography a few months back and was hooked. I snagged a D100 on eBay and had it converted and have been having a blast with it ever since. The shots you get with an IR camera are just plain awesome - turning greenery to an ethereal white . . . capturing some of the most dramatic skies you'll ever shoot . . . and taking some of the most amazing Black and White photography you ever thought possible. If you have an old DSLR or even a point-and-shoot camera that is just sitting on your shelf, breath new life into it and get it converted to shoot IR! Some of the other goodies in my bag include the ever present Hoodman Loop. I picked this up at Photoshop World in Orlando and it has a constant presence around my neck when shooting outside. Pictured on the right, this handy, dandy little gizmo allows you to see your LCD screen in the blazing light of the midday sun. It comes with a very convince stretchy lanyard - at first, I wondered why they didn't use a less elastic material like a nylon cord, but soon found out when everyone who didn't have a loop of their own starting yanking on mine. The lanyard stretches to allow your mooching buddies to share the genius that is the Hoodman Loop! Another tool I never leave the house with out is my Wolverine Data Storage. I shoot with two 8gig compact flash cards. Should I fill one of these up, I whip out my Wolverine, plug in the card, click one button and it starts backing up the disk immediately. Comparable to the more expensive Epson P5000, this little 100gig model has yet to fail me and can be hooked up to any computer or TV for quick viewing of your day's shoot! My trusty tri-pod is a heavy Dynatran AT-663s moster with a Telos™ Series Ball Head (ATH-A03). I am dying to retire this bad boy and get something a little lighter. Right now, carrying this thing is a bit like walking around with a Kia in your bag! Going to try one of those carbon fiber jobs. More on that soon! All this goes into the LowPro Rover AW II camera bag that straps across your chest and waist to distribute the waist. It's an awesome camera bag and has survived all sorts of weather and elements. I'll be updating this as I buy more and more goodies - heck, that's part of the fun with this hobby! And if you have any suggestions for me, please feel free to drop me an email!
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