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.

[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.

[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!


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!