Can you see the photo stand?
I’ve seen it happen all the time, and once upon a time long, long ago I was even guilty of it; as in the above photo. It’s why I tell my online class with the BPSOP and in my “Stretching Your Frame of Mind” to check your frame for any of your equipment right before you click the shutter.
Sometimes we get so wrapped up in composing our photos that we forget to take out a camera bag, a photo stand, reflector, or even the tripod that might be lurking somewhere in plain sight. It may be hard to believe, but for those of you that have never been guilty of this I can assure you that it’s not as hard to do as one might think.
Going hand in hand with this is the fact that if you’re not paying attention to said equipment, it can disappear in less time it takes to blink an eye. I’ve seen so many of my students walk away from their camera bags to look at something from a different point of view, start shooting and forget to go back to it. Strange as it may sound, I’ve had students discover their camera bag some distance away when looking at the LED display of photos they just took with a telephoto lens.
YIKES!!!
Want a good piece of advice? When you’re shooting on a tripod keep your bag on the ground right in the middle of the tripod. That way it keeps it out of your photo and keeps it from becoming the proud possession of someone who has just stolen it. Try a photo backpack or a vest. If you’re walking around handholding your camera, keep your gear between your legs; unless it’s in a bag you have over your shoulder.
I tell my fellow photographers to buy the best equipment they can since it’s a lifetime investment. If you buy the best you can in the beginning, you’ll only have to cry once. This same philosophy holds true with having to replace a piece of equipment that vanished while you weren’t watching…that is by not having to cry when you have to buy it again.
visit my website at www.joebaraban.com, and check out my workshop schedule at the top of this blog. Come shoot with me sometime.
JoeB
