01 - Equipment Check

It is extremely important that one always has with them all of the equipment and accessories needed for each photographic session. Even though I have a wide range of photographic interests, e.g. landscapes, architecture, flowers, nature closes-ups, etc., I seem to take the majority of my pictures while hiking and visiting places of interest on day-trips and road-trips. As a result, some of the items that I include in my checklist pertain to hiking safely while alone in relatively non-populated areas. Here is the checklist that I go through before heading out into the field for a typical photographic session.


Step 1. - CAMERA CHECK:

• Insure that the camera body, plus all lenses and available filters have been properly cleaned. (always use a professional lens cleaning kit)
• Insure that the primary lens (14-42mm Lens) is fitted with a UV (ultraviolet) and a CPL (circular polarizer) filter
• Insure that the SD Card is inserted
• Insure that the SD Card has available space (Reformat if necessary)
• Insure that the battery is inserted and has been fully charged
• Insure that the tripod plate is attached to the base of the camera

Step 2. - CAMERA BAG CHECK:

• (Left-side pouch) Contains Lens Hood and a extra neck strap
• (Middle pouch) Contains Remote Shutter Release, Lens Cloth, &  Pencil
• (Right-side pouch) Contains a properly cleaned 45-200mm Lens & Hood
  with a UV (ultraviolet) & CPL (circular polarizer) filter attached

Step 3. - PHOTO VEST CHECK: The vest I wear when photographing in the field has 18 separate pouches or compartments, allowing me to take along a wide variety of items that might be needed, without the need to always carry the camera bag. 


Left-side Pouches:

• (Bottom-L-Outside) Lens Multipliers C+1, C+2, C+4, C+10
• (Bottom-L-Inside) Lens Filters (FLD)
• (Bottom-L-Wide) Green Background Cloth for nature close-ups
• (Middle-L-Wide) EMPTY
• (Upper-L-Outside) Mini Wallet (ADD money, ID and cards)
• (Upper-L-Middle) Toilet Paper (Replenish) - Cell Phone (ADD)
• (Upper-L-Back Waterproof) Lighter, Flashlight & Lens Pen
• (Upper-L-Back Tab> Small folding Knife & Scissors
• (Bottom-L-Inside> EMPTY

Right-side Pouches:

• (Bottom-R-Outside) Magnifying Glass, Lens Wipe, Spare Rear Lens Cap
• (Bottom-R-Inside) Neck Camera Strap
• (Bottom-R-Wide) Black Background Cloth for nature close-ups
• (Middle-R-Wide) Winchester Multiple Tool Set
• (Upper-R-Outside) Fully charged spare Camera Battery (CHECK)& a fully charged spare cell phone battery
• (Upper-R-Back) Power Bar, Mixed Nuts (ADD), Spray Bottle (FILL)
• (Upper-R-Back Tab) 3-day supply of pills (FILL), Keys, Whistle
• (Bottom-R-Inside) EMPTY

Back Pouch:

• My Camera Book

Step 4. - OPTIONAL EQUIPMENT CHECK:

• Tripod(s)
• Camera Belt/Holder w/spare lens pouch
• Clip-on water bottle