What do you look like carrying your Bird Photography gear?

[Henry Domke]

I'm not sure if anyone else would be interested in this, but I'd be interested to see how people carry their gear.

What are you wearing?
How do you hold on to it?
What accessories do you bring along?


I've attached a picture of how I carry my gear for photographing birds along the beach. I'm holding onto the hood; what Jim Neiger calls the Lens Handle.
Other than the camera body and lens I don't have much with me. I am wearing a wrist strap which helps reduce the wrist pain I feel if I've been out for a few hours.

iPhone 5s Back Camera 4.12mm f/2.2 1/5000sec ISO 40 handheld

[William Dickson]

I have my lens screwed to a black rapid strap, so there is hardly any strain on the camera, and it is cumfy to carry.

[Henry Domke]

I have my lens screwed to a black rapid strap, so there is hardly any strain on the camera, and it is cumfy to carry.
I'd love to see a picture of that if you happen to have one.

[Miguel Palaviccini]

At the beach I always have my home-made ground pod. For long walks, I carry the lens by the handle in one hand and the pod in the other. Otherwise, I'm on my belly. :)

[Doug Schurman]

I also use a Black Rapid strap with quick release clamp to carry my 600 f4 and camera around. Here's a pic.

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[John Rowell]

Hi Henry, your picture looks like it was at The Waterside Inn on Sanibel. We have stayed there every year for almost a decade and have always had a great time there. I have always shot my 600 from a tripod and have it mounted on a Gitzo with Wimberly head. A lightly padded strap that I got from Moose Peterson, velcroed near the top of 2 of the legs serves as a shoulder pad and I just step under the tripod and pick the whole rig up on my shoulder. Saves a whole lot of set up time.

[Diane Miller]

For shorter walks I carry my 600 mounted to a Gitzo / Wimberley head as John mentions. I'm small and have bony shoulders and I'm still experimenting with padding. The best option I've found is a knee pad. It's not exactly elegant but it extends the size of my shoulder (not a consideration for the guys here) and provides great padding.

For long walks I need to carry the 600 in a LowePro long lens bag, but you have to reverse the lens hood for it to fit. (There is plenty of depth for a 2x to be mounted, though.)

Wish I could handhold it, but with my five-foot frame it's not an option. For the 300 f/2.8, which I can handhold with some care, I have used the strap over the shoulder technique, or hooked the lens foot through a loop on a LowePro hip belt.

The best option, though, is my husband, who serves as a pack animal, but he has to be fed often....

I'd love to hear more about how people deal with the shoulder pad issue.

[Norm Dulak]

Hi Henry.

What I look like depends upon the circumstances. But when in Antarctica, I appear as shown here. I travel light there, with a D7000 and a 28-300mm lens. That gives me the ability to photograph landscapes, ice formations, and those beguiling penguins, close-up and personal.

Norm

[Grady Weed]

The best option, though, is my husband, who serves as a pack animal, but he has to be fed often....

I almost rolled on the floor dying of laughter! Thanks for the laugh Diane...I needed that after today. We will be getting 12-18 inches of snow here in Southern Maine.

[Jim Neiger]

I'm not sure if anyone else would be interested in this, but I'd be interested to see how people carry their gear.

What are you wearing?
How do you hold on to it?
What accessories do you bring along?


I've attached a picture of how I carry my gear for photographing birds along the beach. I'm holding onto the hood; what Jim Neiger calls the Lens Handle.
Other than the camera body and lens I don't have much with me. I am wearing a wrist strap which helps reduce the wrist pain I feel if I've been out for a few hours.

iPhone 5s Back Camera 4.12mm f/2.2 1/5000sec ISO 40 handheld

Henry,

You are holding on to the camera stand. The handle is actualy the lens foot. :bg3:

[Diane Miller]

I almost rolled on the floor dying of laughter! Thanks for the laugh Diane...I needed that after today. We will be getting 12-18 inches of snow here in Southern Maine.

Grady, glad to bring some levity to a cold day! I should have added that I'm considering traveling with a bag of kibbles and a six-pack. Mealtimes suffer when photography calls.

Best of luck with the weather. It's 60 degrees here. Warmer tomorrow. But we are so far behind in rain and mountain snowpack that it's a very worrisome situation. Fire season gets worse every summer.

[Marina Scarr]

Hi Henry:

If your shirt and shorts still look that neat and pressed after your beach photography, I don't think you're getting getting down and dirty enough!

Diane: You are too funny! Poor Ted!

[Sandy Witvoet]

I almost rolled on the floor dying of laughter! Thanks for the laugh Diane...I needed that after today. We will be getting 12-18 inches of snow here in Southern Maine.

I'm a bit late to the party here, but, Diane.... thanks for the HUGE grin! :S3:


As to the question.... I don't haul much... just a 300 +tc... on the camera I sling the strap over my left shoulder and hold the lens a bit with the tripod bracket (so it doesn't whack me in the behind). Since I only use my knees as a tripod...not much extra weight there.....as long as they hold up!