In your bag 730, Steven Pam
We have a really interesting mix of a bag for you today,. Steven shares with us his bag from Melbourne. Check out the layout on that, this is how you lay out a bag.
Hi Bellamy! I’m Steven Pam, from Melbourne, Australia. I have been following the JCH blog for quite a while, but never quite got around to submitting a bag shot (“Long time listener, first time caller”, as they say). So here it is! I hope you like it.
My “day job” ranges from shooting corporate head shot portraits, to factories, occasionally hanging out of an aeroplane, and more head shots. I also shoot some corporate videos.
My work bag contains a bunch of Canon gear, nothing too exciting.
For fun I enjoy making photographs of aircraft, scenes I come across as I am traveling around and beyond my city, as well of course my family and dog.
So, on to my bag. Of course, not of all this stuff is “EDC”, but these are some of my favourite toys and tools.
• ThinkTank Retrospective 5 bag, pinestone colour. The “aeroplane” luggage tag was a gift from my daughter. It’s not a bad “weekend” bag, but the colour is a bit casual for taking to corporate shoots. The size is reasonably discreet for casual walking, but I find it a little on the small side to fit a camera along with accessories and personal equipment like water bottle, etc.
• Canon EOS 7D + Sigma 35mm f/1.4 DG HSM. The 7D is getting a bit long in the tooth now (waiting for the Mk II), but it’s a real workhorse. I have put a couple of hundred thousand frames on mine, and it is still soldiering on. I still use it for quite a bit of work, along with the 5D Mk III. I got the 35mm lens a couple of months ago for a job where I suspected I would have crappy backgrounds, and the razor-thin depth of focus was just the ticket. Of course, focusing is critical. I often use it with live view and/or tethered to make sure I have nailed it.
• Olympus 35RD. I bought this camera in a second-hand camera store for $45 about 20 years ago when I was driving taxis and wanted a cheap point-n-shoot to keep in the glovebox – something I wouldn’t mind losing if I was unlucky. It turns out I bought well, because unlike the more common Trip model, this camera has a gorgeous 40mm f/1.7 lens, and can make really nice pictures. It can also shoot without a battery (albeit with no metering, or course), as the action is fully mechanical. The only downside is that I do find the rangefinder window a little on the small and dim side, so focusing can be tricky at times. I’m not sure if this is normal, as I have never shot with a Leica. My Dad had a Canonet when I was a kid, and I seem to remember the rangefinder was pretty good in that. These days I don’t shoot quite as much film as I’d like to, but I do enjoy it when I get the chance.
• Sony RX100 Mk II. This is my current “street camera” that I usually wear on my belt. Previously I was shooting with a Canon S90, and I do like the additional low light ability and shallower DOF I can get from the larger sensor in the RX100. Ultimately, though, I have found it to be a bit of a mixed bag, and I have written a bit more about that here.
• Water bottle. Gotta stay hydrated!
• Cheap 2xAA LED torch. Plastic so it’s nice and light, plus it won’t break my teeth if I need to hold it in my mouth :-)
• Rubber blower thingy
• American Optical Original Pilot sunglasses
• Wild Country Xenon Lite 24kN carabiner for clipping shopping bags, lifting small cars, etc
• Equip Rec 1 First Aid kit
• Business cards
• Keys
• Manfrotto “Modo” 785B travel tripod. Folds down to 43.5cm and weighs under 1kg. Not sturdy enough for a DSLR with L-series glass, but great for compacts.
• Cotton cloth
• Plastic bag (mainly in case of rain)
• Film: Fuji C200 (fresh), Kodak T400CN (exp 10/2004), Fuji Velvia (exp 9/2002)
• Casio MQ24-1B watch. It’s small so it doesn’t get caught on stuff, it’s black, it’s discreet, it has a sweep hand, it’s accurate. Best of all, if it gets lost, stolen, or broken, it was $25 on eBay including shipping!
• Cable ties for tying stuff or apprehending terrorists
• Wallet
• Orange plastic emergency whistle, in case of building collapse, etc
• Apple iPhone
• WhiBal G7 white balance card
• Spirax A5 notebook, coins for parking meters or coffee, Kilometrico pen, Sheraton hotels pen, chewing gum
• Tissues & antihistamine (for hay fever)
• Not shown: Leatherman Pulse multi-tool (I had to remove it from my bag for a flight, and for now I can’t remember where I put it!). Great for fixing, cutting, or adjusting stuff on the go, opening packages, etc.
So, that’s the bag… I hope you like it! You can find some of my work here:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/stevenpam/
Cheers
Steven
Thanks for sharing your bag with us Steven. I love the mix of gear, very cool.
Check out the links and make sure you come and comment.
Keep them coming folks, we need more submissions, so get your bag on Japancamerahunter.com. Send me a hi resolution image of the bag (please make sure it is horizontal) and its contents, with some details about yourself and what you shoot. Oh and don’t forget your contact details (twitter, flickr, tumbler et al). Send the bag shots here. Please understand that there is a long wait now as there is a backlog of submissions. Not all make the cut, so make sure yours is funny/interesting/quirky. And please make sure the shot is of good quality, as the ones that are not do not go up.
Cheers
Japancamerahunter
