I've been in a quandary for a long time about the best way to get my gear to my locations.
I recently came up with this configuration- A Think Tank Airport Security for my camera gear with an Airport Check-In for my laptop, cables, glasses, wallet & all the other stuff. I can carry these items on the plane except in the small commuter planes, where I have to gate check the camera case (reluctantly, with a big FRAGILE tag on the handles).
I put my tripod, clothes & anything else in a rolling hard shell golf club case. This sometimes exceeds the 50 lb. limit & have to pay oversize fees, usually $50. But this lets me get through the airport rolling only two (heavy) items. It's a struggle but doable.
Obviously what's missing here is lighting gear. I've just worked primarily with ambient light for interiors, but I'm never satisfied with the results & have to spend an enormous amount of time creating HDR's & post-processing to compensate for not being able to carry lighting gear.
I just opened a UPS account & ran a test airbill to calculate cost on shipping a 47 lb. tripod/lightstand case & a 30 lb. lighting case from where I live to say, Houston, TX., via 3-day ground service (not guaranteed, or even insured..)
It was $300, one-way. It would cost more than my airfare to ship my gear & I would be without it for at least 3 days on each end of my trip, which is a problem. I bill all expenses to my clients, but to suddenly add at least $600 to my invoices will create an "issue" with my main client, who would have a hard time understanding all this.
SO.....How do other folks deal with this situation?
Please share with everyone here, and/or contact me directly-
don at shreveimaging dot com

Thanks,
Don Shreve
Fayetteville, AR

On smaller shoots, I have been getting by with a 24" lightware case that holds 3 stands,an umbrella, a small sofbox, a med size tripod,clamps, etc. I can also fit some clothes & bath items,etc.
In a LowePro backpack, I have a D2X,D200,several lenses,and
3 SB-800's. With this "strobist" kit I'm fine for small environmental portrait shoots and the like. Otherwise it's a light case full of monolights, a light stand/tripod case, and my carry on camera bag, oh yes, and the 2 wheel cart ..... 3 checked items !

Rent gear at location, if possible?

Art-
I thought the checked limit was 2 items. You check your 2-wheeler by itself? Where do you put your clothes & personal items?
I shoot architecture, & I'll be hauling 2 or 3 hot lights, cords, diffusers. Maybe a couple of umbrellas, a soft box, 2-3 light stands & a big Bogen tripod which will extend to about 10 feet. I've looked at getting a Gitzo which will extend to about 70" & fold to about 25", but that doesn't really help the length problem when it comes to stands, unless I want to get some flimsy little short ones which will tip over & catch the room in fire...
So...If I could check 3 items, including a 2-wheeler & take the camera & laptop case as carry-ons, I suppose I could stack the camera & laptop case and the light case on the 2-wheeler, and haul the tripod, stands, umbrellas & clothes in the golf club case. that may work.
I've checked into renting gear, but most of the places I go have no rental facilities.
Thanks, guys.

Lowepro CompuTrekker AW, which is slightly under-sized for most airline limits. There is a slot for a laptop, with a little more room for other items. Sometimes add a Slip-lock case on the outside for extra items; one example is a pack of Speedlights. Tripod goes with my checked luggage, though I pull it apart to minimize potential damage, and (hopefully) deter theft from baggage handlers (Houston Hobby and IAH have bad history of this).

So my lighting solution has switched to small and powerful Speedlights. I started with these after reading and article in PDN about a guy who shot airplanes using Speedlights. Currently I carry three to five for most locations, though they are mostly just fill lighting.

Worst case for me would be my checked bag with tripod not arriving at my location. I figure that I can just buy another tripod (worst case), in the event my luggage goes missing. The rest of the gear is too important, so that always gets carried onto the plane with me. Other items in my checked bag include reflectors, since they fold up and take a beating fairly well.

I greatly simplify my gear for travel. While I mostly shoot 4x5, I streamline that kit to two lenses for travel. Back-up gear is one or two other cameras (not 4x5), which fits in the backpack.

quote:

So my lighting solution has switched to small and powerful Speedlights. I started with these after reading and article in PDN about a guy who shot airplanes using Speedlights. Currently I carry three to five for most locations, though they are mostly just fill lighting.

Ya, that's what I've been doing as well for Nikon shoots, but I wish they had more power so I could point them through diffusers or bounces them off umbrellas, especially with the CTO gel. Fill lighting is pretty much the only thing they're useful for.

Haven't been asked to fly anywhere with a 4x5 yet though. My rule of thumb is that if it's less than 500 miles I drive, in which case I can bring everything. Fortunately, 99% of my work is at most a 2 hour drive, usually much less and frequently in my own neighborhood!

Hello Kevin,

The older SB25 and SB26 are super powerful for the size. You can velcro (or tape) a couple together to get more power. I think the guy in that PDN article was using up to ten (10) Speedlights, though he was photographing airplanes. Nikon also sells a little colour pack of Speedlight gels, and some nice little prop feet for placement. I meter everything off my Sekonic anyway, so I don't need the newer iTTL on the latest Speedlights.

The only couple odd comments I got about traveling with a 4x5 have been from TSA people. One asked me whether it was an underwater housing, until he opened the bag and saw that it was mostly wood. Another commented about the weight of my bag. I never actually weighed my carry-on bag. I'm 1.93m tall, and fairly good shape, so it never seemed too heavy . . . Anyone run into trouble with too heavy a carry-on bag?

Gordon,

Was it Joe McNally? No one has more Speedlights than that guy!

Scotti

Hello Scotti,

It might have been . . . I can't seem to find that article. It was a few years ago. Anyway, not a bad idea at all. I am not that impressed by the SB800, nor with iTTL . . . not that it matters much because I set everything manually anyway.

How to squeeze more on plane:
1. what you wear does not count as carry-on
2. wear vest & fill ALL pockets
(fill just before entering security line)
(must place vest on scanning belt)
(flew out of XNA 2 days ago with two 9" laptops in one vest pocket)
3. wear coat & fill ALL pockets
(fill just before entering security line)
(must place coat on scanning belt)
4. never tried it, but consider layered vests
5. make like Pillsbury Doughboy, I once wore ~4 Hanes pants-shirts to free up luggage space
(don't try in warm weather)

I have a Lowepro CompuTrekker Plus AW.
http://products.lowepro.com/product/CompuTrekker-Plus-AW,1925,16.htm

Last time, they wouldn't let me pass thru because my bag was too heavy. the Limit was somethigne like 10 pound's or kilo?....can't remember. but it was very low (AirTransat Mtl to Paris)

So I had to distribute the weight with the team for the carry on... My bag was more than half empty. If I would have been alone..I would have cried seeing this bag going in the belly of the plane.

Don't you have a limit weight with carry on's ?

Hey, Jeff-
You flew out of XNA? give me a call if you're in the area again, we'll do lunch.
Also, thanks for the advice.

quote:

Originally posted by Patrick.S.:
I have a Lowepro CompuTrekker Plus AW.
. . . . . . .

So I had to distribute the weight with the team for the carry on... My bag was more than half empty. If I would have been alone..I would have cried seeing this bag going in the belly of the plane.

Don't you have a limit weight with carry on's ?

I think it is 40 or 50 lbs, but not really sure. I figure if they let some really gigantic fat guy on the plane, then I should be able to get close to that . . . within reason.


Just in case, I usually wear an enduro jacket that has many large pockets. If I had to lower my backpack weight, I could put some items into the pockets. Absolute worse case, I would keep at least one camera and lens on me, so in an absolute worst case I could still shoot the gig where I finally arrive.

I suppose I could try out some pants with many pockets too. It doesn't seem as crazy as a few year ago, when it seemed you nearly had to be in a Spandex suit to get to the plane.

Now I heard this morning on the radio that a couple airlines are going to charge for each checked bag. Plus a few others are now charging for non-alcoholic beverages.

I guess it depend's on the airline your flying with.

I just check the web site of Airtransat and their limit is 10 kilos!

The vest is a good idea...But we know that once we pass the gate everything is going back in the bag!

I remember one of the explanation they gave me was " what if the bag fall's on the head of baby beacause of turbulance..."
Jeeeeeee..... Well if it's a baby 10 kilos is already too much maybe you should bring it down more....

10 kilos . . . my 4x5 camera with one lens weighs 3 kilos. Lowepro CompuTrekker AW is 2 kilos. I am betting between film holders, film, and one more lens, I am at 10 kilos. That would mean no laptop, no back-up camera, and probably no other support items. Definitely no margin for error . . . . . maybe I need some of those funny many pocket pants for travel.