Many folks ask me what do I do for camera and gear insurance when I am on the road. In theory I have it covered by a very credible company. Though this theory has never been put to the test. (It has on the other hand cost me a lot in premiums.)

I joined the National Press Photographers Association or NPPA for just this reason – insurance. NPPA works with Hays Affinity to provide insurance for it’s members photographic equipment. It is not cheap, but it does cover your gear when you travel, that is if, and this is a big IF, you tell them in advance about every trip you take. That has been a mill stone around my neck that seems impossible to live up to. At least for this ADD photographer. There is no easy number to call and say, “Hey Mr Hays agent, I leave tomorrow for Outer Nowhereistan and will be back on the following Thursday. Is my gear covered?”  Instead, you have to log into their website and download the “Overseas Travel Addendum” fill it out and fax it or send it to an agent and hope for the best. Not very user friendly and not that easy to plan and get done prior to a trip. Plus, as with any insurance company you always need a current list of your gear on file with them and they will need to adjust your premiums to reflect that new gear.

Don’t do what I did.

Here is a lesson learned the hard way. I have not had anything lost or stolen for years. Oh, sure, I miss place my keys at home or I leave my wallet in my pants and then can’t find it the next day. I would venture to say that most folks can relate to this. But, the inevitable happens. Earlier this last year I bought with good hard earned money a Fujifilm X100, the much celebrated and much sought after retro digital range finder. A great camera. This past trip to the USA I used it to shoot some family photos of some friends while visiting them in the US. Somewhere between the photo shoot and packing to leave, the Camera has disappeared. Yes, that is right, my sweet, sexy little X100 has vanished. They only thing left is the charger and a cool lens hood. But, I am covered for theft, right? Nope. I would have been had I added the little guy to my insured list of gear. Unfortunately, it is the only item of gear not on the list. The only one! I am sick. But it is a lesson learned and will not happen again. Would it have been covered? Not sure, as I did not inform them of my travel plans.

The moral to the story is get your gear covered and keep your list updated. When was the last time you updated your gear list? GO DO IT NOW!

Update: I have found my camera. I had put it in the glove box of my sister-in-laws car. Apparently, so it wouldn’t get stolen or so I wouldn’t loose it when we went into a restaurant for dinner. It was a forgetful and embarrassing thing to have happen. Yet, I have decided to post this story anyway. The lessons still remain and the questions still need to be asked:

1. Are you insured?
2. Is your gear list up to date?
3. What is your insurer’s policies on travel?

Get busy, you have a lot of work to do!

Vlog #6 from Matt Brandon on Vimeo.

Something new. Ok, it isn’t really new, I have done five other video blog post in the past. But I’ve never recorded any of them with the 5D MKII. So this is new. In this video I take a look at the Drobo storage device and how it failed. In this video I describe my work flow and the software I used to recover my data how to prevent this nightmare from happening in the future.

After you view the vlog you might be interested in the links below. I would love to hear from you whether you like this format or not. In some way it was easier for me than writing. So you might be seeing more… lets see.

Links to the product in the vlog:

Drobo 4 Bay

Data Rescue 3

Alsoft's Disk Warrior 4

Mediasonic 4 Bay USB 2.0

I love PhotoShelter and I think you will too. These folks have a love affair with photographers. Really, they love us and when we do well, they do well. Sort of a symbiotic thing. They provide photographers with valuable services for working photographers like a photo website or and online galleries that can be branded with your current website (see mine here). They provide you with handy image archives that give you and your client access to these images while on the road (I’ve used that more than once or twice!). They are always producing the best resources for us to be better at our craft and our business. They produce ebooks by the dozens, interviews both in print (see my interview here) and in video. They make handbooks to help you in business and marketing your work. Most of these resources, like today’s, are absolutely free… as in take it and run, no cost… FREE!

PhotoShelter just launched a new Photo Business Bootcamp. The Bootcamp is a 5-week free email series for photographers and has 40+ curated interviews and tutorials from the most respected photography and industry experts in the business (ie: Ami Vitale, Brian Smith, & David Burnett). The Bootcamp includes courses on how to find inspiration, grow your photography business, improve your website, master online marketing, and sell your photos.

Registration is free and photographers can sign up directly HERE.  Why are you still here?

A water buffalo sacraficed during Eid al-Adha in Kashmir, India 2006.

While many of my friends and associates are off to India to attend the Pushkar Camel Festival this week I decided to go the opposite direction. I am headed to Jogjakarta, Indonesia to photograph Eid al-Adha or as we used to call it in India, Baqra Eid (Goat Eid). It is also known as the greater or Big Eid. It is a festival of sacrifice for Muslims. On the first day of this festival many Muslims will sacrifice a lamb, goat or even a water buffalo or camel to commemorate Ibrahim’s (Abraham) sacrifice of his son, Ishmael, as an act of obedience to God, before God intervened to provide him with a ram to sacrifice instead. Now, before some of you Christian readers correct my Biblical history and remind me that it was not in fact Ishmael that Abraham was about to sacrifice but Isaac, let me set you straight, not for Muslims. But this is not the time for a theology lesson. Lets move on.

Knowing why an event is celebrated is as important as how it is celebrated. It informs your shooting and allows you to be aware what is going on around you. Yet even knowing the why is not enough. Research prior to the event is a must. As with many worldwide festivals like Christmas, Eid al-Adha is celebrated differently from country to country.

Since last week I have been doing some homework. Here is a little look into my thoughts and workflow, so-to-speak, as I prep for this shoot.

I am doing this as a personal assignment and not for a client. I am traveling with a friend who hopes to develop some photo workshops in the region and as such this is a bit of a “recce” or reconnaissance survey trip for him.  In a cursory look at some photos of Eid at Jogjakarta I see that much of this event is centered around a parade. Not real exciting. Parades are hard to shoot. I need to find out; can I get in close? Will the crowd and the officials allow me to step right into the parade as such? So what do I need to find out before hand? Simply put: as much as possible.

My first stop is the net. I Google the event. I find out as much about the event as I can.  I read up on it and find out where it starts, when it starts, is it a mulit-day event? How long does it go each day? What will the weather be like? Raining ? Hot? In short – I read everything I can get my hands on.

After that I head to Google images and search for images of the event and the area around it. Word of warning. Just because an image comes up in your search doesn’t always mean it is of your event. It is very important to read the story associated with the images you find.  When I am looking at the images, I am looking both at what has been shot and what hasn’t. As I look at the images I ask myself, what lenses would work best? What bag or method of carrying my gear would be best?  How are people dressed? Long sleeves or short sleeves? Shorts or long pants? This is important as I don’t want to be disrespectful to the culture I am shooting in. What is the conditions around where I am shooting. Is it muddy, paved, in the city? Is the event crowded or are people spread out?

As I prepare I will also download the correct off-line GPS maps for my iPhone for the cities and region I am traveling in. I use a handy app that I have reviewed here before called City Maps 2Go. Great value and packed with local information. I highly recommend it. You don’t need a cell signal to use it.
Sometimes I have a local fixer. A fixer is someone who often makes a living at helping photographers and film team in their location. They know the language, culture and how to get things done. They are never free and can be a bump in your budget. But, where it might cost you in the short run, a good fixer will save you a lot in the long run. The problem is finding them. The best way I have found is just by networking with other photographers. For this trip I am fortunate to have an expat from the US who lived in Indonesia for years. He knows the language fluently, and even more important he knows the culture, the dos and don’t s, the dress codes, the times to push and the times to submit. This kind of knowledge can be invaluable!

This is the basic steps I run though to get me ready for a field assignment in a new location.  It take time. My inclination is to rush through it or just go and be surprised. Bad idea. Always better to be prepared. But preparation is a sacrifice.

f/1.8, 1/2500 sec, at 85mm, 250 ISO, on a Canon EOS-1Ds Mark III

This will be a short post. It’s really just a reminder to take advantage of the moment. This morning I went to Georgetown (Penang, Malaysia) scouting out some locations for an upcoming photo walk. As I was walking through Little India, I stopped and went inside a Hindu temple. These temples have always been inviting and friendly and I thought I might take some photos. I was quickly told by the very stern and very grumpy temple curator, I could not take photos in his temple.  Having never been turned away from photographing inside of a temple, I double checked that he was indeed the curator. This seemed to make him all the more upset. The poor guy definitely got up on the wrong side of whatever he sleeps on. Feeling somewhat dejected and frustrated I left. As I walked outside I thought about the very large painting of a lotus on the ground in front of the temple, a mandala of sorts. I had an idea. I wanted to leave, but I made myself stand there and wait for a moment. I could walkaway, upset by the grumpy curator or I could wait for a sari clad woman to walk over the mandala and get my photographic satisfaction.  My patience was rewarded and frankly I felt better not letting my emotions rule me.

f/2.8, 1/160 sec, at 16mm, 100 ISO, on a Canon EOS 5D Mark II

I walked on. Only a few feet further I saw a Muslim gentleman standing in his butcher shop doorway. He had a very stern and somewhat intimidating look on his face.  With the curators voice still echoing in my head I assumed this man’s expression meant, “Keep walking. There’s nothing for you to see here.” So, I kept walking. But, there was another louder voice in my head that said, “Just go talk to him. Don’t let fear rule you.”  So, I went back and greeted this man. Immediately his face lit up and he smiled. Before long we were old friends and he began telling me the history of Indian Muslims in Malaysia. How, according to him, many Malay call them, “Mamas” or “Mamak” but they see themselves as simply Malaysian. I asked him if I could take a few photos and he quickly agreed. Granted, these are not great images. I don’t post them here because they’re my best work, they certainly are not. I am posting them as a reminder to all of us, myself included, to slow down, take advantage of the moment and don’t let fear direct your photo shoot.

f/1.2, 1/400 sec, at 85mm, 200 ISO, on a Canon EOS-1Ds Mark III

Shot with the Odin TTL Wireless Flash Trigger. Flash was off-camera left.

Let me set the record straight right here, I am not a strobist. Ninety five percent of the time I shoot with available light, the other five percent I shoot with my flash set to rear curtain sync (It’s fun. You should try it!) I really don’t like the ugly flat light that on-camera flashes give a subject. Off-camera lighting is wonderful, but until recently with a Canon you only got E-TTL metering by using the short irritating OC-E3 cable. Then in the last year or so a few companies like Pocket Wizard started selling outfits that would set you back a minimum of $500 for off-camera E-TTL wireless flash! Then, recently I was sent a little gadget that made me feel like a real lighting pro. My good friends at Phottix sent me their latest creation the Odin TTL Wireless Flash Trigger. In seconds I went from feeling intimidated with off-camera lighting to a giddy little kid with a new toy. A new toy that boosted my self esteem right out of the box. Can you tell I am impressed? I wanted to communicate to you the value this little guy is and the best way I could think of was to shoot a photo or two with it and to let Steve Peer, the CEO of Phottix tell you about the Odin himself. So listen to this short podcast I made with Steve yesterday and while listening you can peruse the cold hard specs below. Enjoy! >>Click here for Matt Brandons’s interview with Phottix’s CEO, Steve Peer.<<

Shot with the Odin TTL Wireless Flash Trigger. Flash was off-camera right.

What can the Phottix Odin TTL Trigger for Canon do?

• Wireless 2.4GHz. TTL and Manual Flash Triggering
• Remote power control of groups in TTL with +/- EV adjustments (3 stops in 1/3 stop increments  – 18 different levels.)
• Mix TTL and Manual flash – fire some groups in TTL, others as manual
• Remote power control in A:B ratio modes with +/- EV adjustments
• High speed sync – shutter speeds up to 1/8000 sec.
• Second curtain sync functions
• Remote manual mode flash power control
• Remote flash head zoom adjustments – auto or manual
• Compatible with Phottix Strato 4-in-1 and Phottix Strato II Multi 5-in-1 Wireless Triggers
• Upgradeable via built-in USB ports.

Jump over and pick up an Odin, or see you local Phottix retailer.

I am what some people call an intuitive photographer. By that I mean, I take photographs often by what feels right. Many times people that are intuitive at any craft or talent make bad instructors. When asked why they do something they simply reply, “I don’t know, it just feels right.” As an instructor, I find this a challenging aspect of my teaching – to take those things that are intuitive for me and make them methodical. By methodical I mean, make it into a method or a system that others can use. I face the challenge to understand why I do something so that I can put it into words for others. Many times it is in talking with other people or reading articles about why people do things, is when the light comes on and I realize this is why I do something.

A light came on for me this past week. Over the last couple weeks I’ve had several people ask me what lenses I keep on my camera? The answer to this is pretty straightforward, on one camera body I keep my 16–35mm f/2.8, and on my other camera I keep either my 50mm f/1.2 or my 85mm f/1.2. When thinking about this, I realized that I am a creature of extremes. When I use my 16–35mm I almost always use it around the 16mm focal length. When I use my 50mm or my 85mm lens I’m almost always shooting at an f-stop of 1.2. But why?

It dawned on me recently while speaking with David DuChemin about dynamic balance and the rule/principal/suggestion of thirds that this really has almost everything to do with my use of extremes. Let me try to explain. I used the 16mm because I like a wide vista that allows me to frame my subject to one side of the image, yet still giving me plenty of room to play out the rest of the story in the frame. Not only does this add to the storytelling element, it is a compositional technique that gives a balance between your subject and often negative space. It allows the viewer to move there eye around the frame taking in information and returning to the main subject. Of course, this is based on the ever popular “Rule of Thirds”. This rule or principle states basically that by framing a subject on one of the four “power points” within the frame, the photographer creates a sense of tension or dynamic balance. It keeps your subject from being static and thus boring. Of course, you can do this with any lens, but a super wide-angle lens allows you to do this with ease and can include so much more information.

But why do I seem to fall back to  f/1.2? Certainly, I love the look. But why does this appeal to me? While talking with Jarod Foster on Skype the other day it dawned on me, it’s not that much different than why I use a 16mm lens. It has to do with composition -  only it’s more composition of depth. Most of us know a photograph should have a foreground, a mid-ground and a background. Often a photograph can be cluttered with detail that is extraneous to the image – or we can say, to the story. This information can actually distract a viewer’s eye away from the subject. By using an extremely shallow depth of field, your subject becomes isolated by the soft blurred background that often becomes negative space and can draw the viewer’s eye to your subject. Humans naturally view the world with varying depth of fields. Even now as I look at my computer monitor, behind it, through my window I see a roll of condominiums that stretch along the beach. Yet when I focus my eyes on what I’m writing, in my peripheral vision those condominiums are blurred and this allows my brain to maintain focus on what I am writing. I’m pretty sure that this sense of depth that we see in the real world is transferred into a photograph when we use the shallow depth of field. I think intuitively, I was shooting a narrow depth of field to create a sense of that depth. In the past, I have only described using a shallow depth of field as a tool to isolate my subject. But now, as I think about it, it’s more than just isolating the subject,  it’s creating a sense of depth within the image.

I know this sounds extremely elementary for many of you. In fact, at this point you may have even felt you have wasted another 10 minutes by reading this post.  But before you run off let me ask you a few simple questions. Are you able to articulate why you shoot the way you do?  Can you tell me why you use the lenses you use? Why do you choose the f-stop you do? Are the choices you make intentional?  If you can’t answer these simple questions, then maybe it’s time for you to sit down and think through the choices you make when you go to photograph a subject.  Once you get to the point that you can articulate these choices, you will have much more depth to your images.

Light is used to create a mood. There is no bad light. Just the wrong light.

Light is a funny thing. To be more precise, the photographers perception of light is a funny thing. I’ve noticed recently, many photographers look on light in terms that are very black and white (pun not intended). By that, I mean they describe light in terms of “good” or “bad” light.  OK… I’ll admit that I’ve also found myself describing light in these terms. But, that’s doing light a disservice. Because light is neither good, nor bad it just is. A photographer’s job or maybe better still, a photographers responsibility is to learn what light is appropriate for a given subject. What light is needed to fulfill the vision he or she has for the photograph they are making.

Melissa Gabel Morse

I am learning that many inexperienced photographers don’t understand this concept. They look on light as something to expose the sensor and given them the “correct” exposure. They don’t understand that even though light might not be good or bad, all light is not created equal. Natural light changes at any given moment. It can be direct or diffused, it can be a large source or a very small source. Each one of these differences create a completely different look and thus a completely different feel in an image. Recently, I was standing in some jungle foliage where the canopy of leaves was so thick that there was no direct light from the sun reaching the ground at all. Yet, 100 feet further on there was a break in the canopy and the sun shone directly onto the ruins we were standing by. I was taking a photograph of someone in the light from the canopy when a student suggested we move over to the “better light”. I look to the student with a certain amount of disbelief. The light we were standing in was amazing. The leaves were bouncing the light all around so that a soft, diffused, even light fell upon the subjects. For a portrait it was hard to ask for anything better. It not only gave us soft shadows, it made the beautiful lush green of the jungle moss rich and jade like (See the images of Melissa above). Somewhere along the way, somebody had taught this student that he needed to get his subject into the sun for the best light. Rubbish.

Just as some photographers don’t recognize that light has qualities that we need to look for, others buy into blanket statements about light’s qualities.

Photographers are always going on about the “golden hour” (an hour or so after sunrise and before sunset) and how it is the “best time” to photograph. Certainly, for landscape or cityscape photography this is an amazing time of day and can produce some beautiful images. What makes these hours so special is the wonderful golden color of the light shining through the atmosphere and the beautiful long shadows that can give detail and texture to a subject. Sometimes, these same people who praised the golden hour will often tell  a photographer they might as well just stay indoors when the sun is high in the sky. The noon-day light is too direct and harsh and will cause shadows that can be unflattering on a person and can flatten out any landscape. These statements are true in part. But we don’t want to work in generalizations.

Apsara Dancer

It’s about finding the right light for what you want and need for the image you are making. If I’m shooting a landscape, I generally want my light to accentuate the texture of the land, the rolling hills, the tall concrete buildings or whatever my subject may be. The “golden hour” is perfect for this. But that same light that accentuates the texture of the land can also accentuate the textures of someone’s face, bringing out all the blemishes and making harsh shadows that are quite unbecoming. However, if I take that same light at that same time of day and I bounce it off of a reflector disk (or in this case a stone wall) to accentuate the Apsara Dancer, the light is redirected and becomes diffused and soft.
Something else happens: the light that was coming from a relatively small source, the Sun, is now bouncing off a huge wall. The wall is now our ‘source’ even though the Sun is the origin of the light. A rule of light is the larger the light source the softer the shadows (see figure 1). A common misconception is that by spreading the light over a wider area the shadows will soften the shadows – not, true. Look at the Sun: it’s spread over half the earth and the shadows are quite harsh. If we could move the Sun closer to the Earth without burning it up, the shadows would be softer – counter intuitive, I know.

Let’s take a look at that noon-day light. It’s true mid-day light is harsh if not filtered by the clouds and can be quite unflattering but by simply placing your subject in a shadow just outside of the noon sun, the light can become softer and gentler on your subject. Often this light is bouncing off another building, turning the building into a large reflector or in the case of the jungle situation, the light is bouncing off leaves and diffusing the light. The jungle canopy is now acting as a huge soft box and the light falls upon the face of the subject, revealing soft shadows that can flatter the most wrinkled face.

Photography is not just about knowing your camera; it’s not about having just the right lens;  it’s not all about f-stops and shutter speeds – important as all these things are! It’s also about knowing where to find the right light and understanding it.  Once you understand this, lighting not only becomes easier, it also becomes fun.

I’ve had a lot of people comment on the use of Packing Pro, the iPhone app I’m giving away this week. Many people couldn’t believe that I would be capable of getting all the items on the list in my bags and under the allotted weight limit. While I can guarantee you everything got in the bags. I can’t guarantee to you it is under weight. In fact, my carry-on is probably twice the weight it’s supposed to be. However, my checked bag is only 2 kg over! That’s fine for the first part of my trip, as I gave myself 35 kg on Air Asia to Chengdu. Where it might become a problem, is the flight from Chengdu to Lhasa or my Thai Airlines flight home from Kathmandu. Both these only allow 20 kg checked bags. But that’s why I have my trusty press ID from the National Press Photographers Association. It has bailed me out on at least a half a dozen occasions when my hand carry was overweight. Well worth the $30 it cost.

So let’s look at the bags and what is in them. I debated about doing an exploded view and showing you every single item. Quite frankly, it was too complicated and I just didn’t have enough time. So you have to trust me that everything that’s on the list is indeed in the bags. I promise!

As always, just click on the image for larger view. Here are the three bags I’m taking. (a) my Think Tank Airport International roller bag will be keeping all of my costly camera gear and will be my carry-on. (b) Is my Think Tank MM Wired Up, this is also a small carry -on and contains my passport, a book to read, my MacBook Pro 13″, some headphones, a few snack bars and some Gatorade powder along with a few other odds and ends. Then (c)  is my Delsey Duffel and that is home to the rest of my gear. Of course (d) is my Acubra Style Master fedora.

Here’s what it looks like on the inside the Delsey.

(a)  packing cube with my pants

(b)  packing cube with my shirts

(c)  toiletry items

(d)  down jacket

(e)  raincoat/shell

(f)  Think Tank water bottle carrier

(g)  Think Tank storage bag full of things like my Pogo printer, extra AAA batteries, and other odds and ends (see below)

(h)  Think Tank Bazooka tripod case with my Digipod A2830 (see footnote to the last post for more on this.)

Here is another look at the Delsey with some items pulled away.

(a)  packing cube with my pants

(b)  packing cube with my shirts

(c)  raincoat

(d) Think Tank Lens Skin that contains my filters

(e)  packing cube with more clothes

(f)  packing cube with heavy winter weight socks

(g)  Think Tank storage container that  with two other smaller containers of storage (see below)

(h)  nylon liner for sleeping bag

(i)  Think Tank storage bag (see below)

(j)  Eddie Bauer toiletry case.

Here’s a closer look at the larger Think Tank storage case.

(a)  5D MKII batteries and chargers

(d)  CF card reader and extra cables

(c)  Peterson pipe case. It contains four pipes, two bags of tobacco, a lighter, a tobacco tamp and some pipe cleaners.

This is a view inside one of the smaller Think Tank storage bags.

(a)  Pogo printer

(b)  Phottix intervalometer

(c)  8x Sanyo Eneloop rechargeable AAA batteries (by the way these are amazing batteries)

(d) USB adapters and cables as well as my computers AC adapter.

Finally a look inside the Think Tank International.

(a )  2 x converter

(b)  50 mm 1.2

(c)  electro-voice hand held microphone

(d) below 70–200 mm 2.8,  rocket blower and  16–35 mm 2.8

(f) 24–72.8, 85 mm 1.2

(h) two 5D MKII bodies

(i) two OWC 250 GB FW 800 drives

(j) 580 EXII, Think Tank’s Pee Wee Pixel Pocket Pocket containing 48 GB  CF cards ( sensor cleaner and my Sony PCM D50

I hope this gives you a good idea of how I packed and what I am taking. The big red Delsey weighs in at 22 kg. The Think Tank International, well… I’m not even going to go there. Suffice it to say it’s really heavy.

Tomorrow I’ll be announcing the winner of the giveaways of the iPhone application Packing Pro. I will also be posting my Packing Pro list that you can import if you own the application.

It is been a long time since I have published a packing list. For that matter, it’s been a long time since I’ve even talked to you about what I take on a trip. So as I begin packing for my Tibet to Kathmandu Overland Workshop, I thought it would be good to share with you the gear I’m taking and this might give you some insight into how I pack. Along the way, I’ll share with you a couple of handy things that I have found. One of those things is the iPhone app called “Packing Pro”. You can find the full review of it HERE.

Below is the list that I made in Packing Pro and then exported via email. This is a great way to share your packing list. Especially, if like me, you lead tours or workshops and often are asked what to pack. Be advised that some, many of the objects I pack are unique to me. i.e. pipe tobacco

This list is always in transition. Even whilst working on this post I added and deleted a few items. If you see any glaring errors feel free to point them out. I think this is a pretty comprehensive list. Even though it looks huge, most of the items are very small and light weight. But I am still holding my breath on the weight. Packing Pro gives the option to add a weight to each item and then it will tally the weight for you. A very cool option, but one I haven’t taken the time to use. I just have not found the time to sit and weigh each (major) item.

Giveaway

OK, here is the fun part! I will be giving away four copies of the app Packing Pro for the iPhone. All you have to do is tell us in the comments below what is the most indispensable item you take along with you when you travel. I will then choose four comments at random and e-mail you the license ( so be sure to include your e-mail address). I will announce the winner next Friday, the day before I take off on my trip.

So here is my packing list:

Tibet

To Do (pre-trip)

(　) (general prep) buy air ticket  x 1 –> E-ticket
(　) (general prep) get visa  x 1
(　) (general prep) arrange accommodations  x 1
(　) (general prep) research for trip  x 1
(　) (general prep) Check on type of plug adapters  x 1
(　) (equipment prep) get plug adapter(s)  x 1 –> If needed
(　) (equipment prep) download GPS Maps  x 1
(　) (equipment prep) prep digital camera  x 1
(　) (equipment prep) recharge camera batteries  x 12
(　) (physical prep) get hair cut  x 1
(　) (physical prep) prep medical prescriptions  x 1

Essentials

(　) (luggage) Think Tank MM Wired Up x 1
(　) (luggage) Think Tank Airport Int’l x 1
(　) (luggage) large Delsey Duffel x 1
(　) (documents) passport  x 1 –> W/ Think Tank Passport Cover
(　) (documents) frequent flyer card  x 1
(　) (documents) tickets (plane)  x 1
(　) (documents) photocopies  x 1
(　) (documents) contact info  x 1
(　) (money) cash  x 1 –> $300
(　) (money) credit card  x 2
(　) (money) ATM card  x 2
(　) (luggage) wallet  x 1
(　) (documents) drivers license  x 1
(　) (documents) passport photos  x 2
(　) (documents) press ID x 1
(　) (documents) business card  x 1
(　) (luggage) packing cubes x 1
(　) (luggage) glasses case  x 1

Clothes

(　) (pants) long pants (jeans)  x 2
(　) (shirts) long sleeve shirt (light)  x 4
(　) (shirts) short sleeve shirt  x 4
(　) (shirts) T-shirt  x 3
(　) (socks) hiking socks  x 5
(　) (underwear) Scottevest boxers x 4
(　) (underwear) thermal top  x 3
(　) (underwear) thermal bottoms  x 2
(　) (beachwear) flip flops  x 1

Accessories

(　) (coats) rain shell  x 1
(　) (coats) Fleece  x 1
(　) (jackets) Scottevest vest x 1
(　) (gloves) winter gloves  x 1
(　) (shoes) flip flops  x 1
(　) (shoes) Keens sandal   x 1
(　) (shoes) Keens hiking boots x 1
(　) (misc.) eye mask  x 1
(　) (misc.) ear plugs  x 4
(　) (misc.) extra glasses  x 1
(　) (misc.) reading glasses  x 1
(　) (misc.) glasses case  x 1
(　) (misc.) glasses  x 2
(　) (misc.) packable umbrella/reflector  x 1
(　) (hats) winter hat  x 1
(　) (hats) fedora x 1
(　) (hats) Buff x 1
(　) (hats) baseball cap  x 1
(　) (misc.) luggage scale  x 1

Toiletries

(　) (for hair) shampoo  x 1
(　) (for body) razor  x 1
(　) (for body) soap  x 1
(　) (for body) soap box/bag  x 1
(　) (for body) deodorant  x 1
(　) (for body) talcum powder  x 1
(　) (for mouth) toothpaste  x 1
(　) (for mouth) toothbrush  x 1
(　) (for mouth) dental floss  x 1
(　) (for mouth) chap stick  x 1
(　) (for mouth) mouthwash  x 1

Medical/Health

(　) (creams) anti-bacterial  x 1
(　) (creams) sunburn  x 1
(　) (bandages) Band-Aids  x 1
(　) (bandages) Q-tips  x 1
(　) (prevention) sunscreen  x 1
(　) (prevention) bug spray  x 1
(　) (pills) ibuprofen x 20
(　) (pills) metadate  x 5
(　) (pills) ciprofloxin   x 5
(　) (pills) baby aspirin   x 14
(　) (pills) melatontin  x 14
(　) (pills) simvastatin  x 14

Gadgets

(　) (utility) iPhone  x 1
(　) (utility) iPhone USB cable  x 1
(　) (utility) flashlight  x 1
(　) (utility) reading light  x 1
(　) (utility) electrical adapter  x 4
(　) (utility) plug converter  x 1
(　) (utility) recharger  x 1
(　) (recreation) headphones  x 1
(　) (photo equipment) 5d MK2  x 2
(　) (photo equipment) lens 50 1.2  x 1
(　) (photo equipment) lens 16-35 2.8  x 1
(　) (photo equipment) lens 85 1.2  x 1
(　) (photo equipment) lens 70-200 2.8  x 1
(　) (photo equipment) camera battery  x 4
(　) (photo equipment) sensor swabs  x 1
(　) (photo equipment) mini tripod  x 1
(　) (photo equipment) CF Cards  x 5
(　) (photo equipment) CF card reader  x 1
(　) (utility) power strip  x 1
(　) (photo equipment) Gorrila Pod  x 1
(　) (utility) OWC 250gb backup drives  x 2
(　) (photo equipment) cable for backup drives  x 2
(　) (photo equipment) 580 ex flash  x 1
(　) (photo equipment) Tripod  x 1 –> Digipod A2830 ¹
(　) (photo equipment) 1Ds MKIII  x 1
(　) (utility) headlamp  x 1
(　) (utility) eneloop AAA batteries  x 8
(　) (audio equipment) hand mic  x 1
(　) (audio equipment) lav mic  x 1
(　) (audio equipment) Sony PCM D50 recorder  x 1
(　) (audio equipment) mic cable  x 1

Misc.

(　) (laundry) dirty clothes bag  x 1
(　) (books) pen  x 3
(　) (books) book  x 1
(　) (misc.) padlock  x 3
(　) (misc.) plastic bags  x 5
(　) (misc.) Ziplock bags  x 10
(　) (misc.) sewing kit  x 1
(　) (misc.) cable lock  x 1
(　) (misc.) lighter  x 1
(　) (misc.) pipe  x 4
(　) (misc.) pipe tobacco  x 3
(　) (misc.) pipe cleaners  x 1
(　) (misc.) pipe tamp  x 1

Ths list exported via Packing Pro for the iPhone.
iTunes: Packing Pro