The importance of having backups

Cygnus StudiosCygnus Studios Registered Users Posts: 2,294 Major grins
edited May 1, 2016 in Mind Your Own Business
As a working photographer, things will break when you need them most.

Normally things will last for years. You can even abuse them and still they work flawlessly.

Then you're out on a job with the client and art director breathing down your neck and boom, it breaks or stops working. When money is on the line, you cannot afford for something to keep you from doing the job.

So here is my short personal gear checklist when I go onto a location shoot: Everything has at least one backup, usually two.

4 camera bodies. Yes, most swear by having 2 bodies and you can probably get away with it for years. However, clients don't care for excuses and I will never give them one.

8 camera batteries (2 for each camera).

16 memory cards. These are the things that fail the most often, but there is another reason why I carry so many. Two memory cards are used in camera, then we make copies on site, both with memory cards and with portable hard drives. Remember that clients do not care for excuses. A failed card, a lost card, a corrupted card, a destroyed card, a stolen card are all excuses.

2 one terabyte portable hard drives.

2 of each prime lens, 2 of each zoom lens. Again things happen. Moving parts break.

2 full sets of strobes, 5 flashes. In the event my strobes die, my flashes are my backups.

2 extra battery packs for the strobes. Again things happen.

40 AA batteries.

2 extra speed rings for my strobes and 4 for the flashes in case I need them.

2 extra soft boxes. This is on top of the four that I bring for the shoot.

4 umbrellas just in case I lose all my soft boxes.

2 tripods.

4 extra C stands, and 4 standard light stands just in case.

4 extra sand bags.

2 battery chargers for the camera batteries.

4 extra pocket wizards. (I always use 4 when shooting)

2 extra remote shutter releases.

1 backup for my barn doors, snoot, grid. etc.

2 of each style filter.

That is just the main stuff in my gear bags, then I add in the props and backups for the props. Cleaning supplies, wipes, lens cloths, rocket blowers, screw drivers and so on.

Yes this is complete overkill. I will not argue that point. However failing because of equipment failure is something that is 100% completely controlled by the photographer. Never forget that it is your job to deliver, no matter what.



They say a picture is worth a thousand words: This happened on the set last month with the client standing right next to me.

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Steve

Website

Comments

  • SamSam Registered Users Posts: 7,419 Major grins
    edited April 27, 2016
    About time you got rid of that out of production cheap lens. :D

    Sam
  • Cygnus StudiosCygnus Studios Registered Users Posts: 2,294 Major grins
    edited April 27, 2016
    Sam wrote: »
    About time you got rid of that out of production cheap lens. :D

    Sam


    I was more heart broken when I broke this cheap Sigma than I was when I broke my main Nikkor 14-24mm. I so loved that cheap lens. I own primes that aren't as sharp as it was. I learned a long time ago not to judge a lens by price alone.

    That lens shot over a thousand catalog/ad shots the decade it spent in my bag. It is missed. I ended up replacing it with two Nikkor 24-85mm F 2.8 - 4 and while they are nice lenses, they just aren't quite as good through the full range.
    Steve

    Website
  • SamSam Registered Users Posts: 7,419 Major grins
    edited April 28, 2016
    I was more heart broken when I broke this cheap Sigma than I was when I broke my main Nikkor 14-24mm. I so loved that cheap lens. I own primes that aren't as sharp as it was. I learned a long time ago not to judge a lens by price alone.

    That lens shot over a thousand catalog/ad shots the decade it spent in my bag. It is missed. I ended up replacing it with two Nikkor 24-85mm F 2.8 - 4 and while they are nice lenses, they just aren't quite as good through the full range.

    After looking at your work I could only assume the lens was far better than the price tag, and my comment was mostly in jest. :D

    Sam
  • Cygnus StudiosCygnus Studios Registered Users Posts: 2,294 Major grins
    edited April 29, 2016
    Sam wrote: »
    After looking at your work I could only assume the lens was far better than the price tag, and my comment was mostly in jest. :D

    Sam

    I got that, but sometimes when I reply to a post the voices in my head doesn't always translate well to the written word.

    When I write a reply, I try to think of all the other people that may stumble across the post at some point. So while it started as a direct reply to you, it was nowhere near that once it was completely written. By the time I was writing my reply, my brain jumped from you to when people first get started in the business and the gear envy can dictate a lot of actions. I would hate for someone to jump across a post and think that some gear is better simply because it is more expensive.

    When I get some free time (yeah that's a good joke) I'll have to update the portfolio with some of our much better images. Our website is truly the last thought in our business and certainly doesn't get the love it deserves.

    We should treat our portfolio like we still need to go out and get the work. The sad fact is that when you get busy, you forget about what made you busy, and if you're not careful it bites you in the butt.
    Steve

    Website
  • WirenWiren Registered Users Posts: 741 Major grins
    edited May 1, 2016
    Wow... that list is planning for the apocalypse.... rolleyes1.gif But I get what your saying...

    I just started shooting my season of Softball action shots today... and my 8 year old 50-200/2.8-3.5 lens decided to stop functioning properly! I think the internal focus mechanics have finally decided to die. And lens looks like it's trying to come apart....

    So, Amazon is speedily shipping me a new replacement.... $1100 later. Let's hope I make enough this year to cover that expense.... but at least i'll have a 40-150/2.8 PRO for my replacement. I plan to send in the old lens for repair to have that back up! thumb.gif
    Lee Wiren
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