Over the years I have learned a lot of things in the photography game. From taking photos to finding the best camera deals, and everything in between. One thing I have learned to do is to rent gear before I buy it. It is so nice to be able to test out expensive equipment and make sure I really like it before I spend a year’s salary on it.
My two favorite places to rent gear from are Borrow Lenses and Lens Rentals, they are both extremely good at what they do. I have ordered gear from both and it arrives on time, well packaged and in great shape, in some cases brand new.
They carry the latest and greatest gear, even drones, that’s right drones. Crazy to think you can rent just about anything camera related and you do not even have to leave your chair. If you have never rented gear, you should give it a go, it is fast, affordable, and hey, you get to play with the latest and greatest toys out there. Who says you have to be a pro to play with the best technology out there.
Conclusion:
If you are in need of equipment for one time job, or you want to take the latest and greatest out for a spin, now you can. With a click of a mouse and just a few bucks, you can have it delivered to your front door in the blink of an eye.
A lot of people always ask me where I purchase my camera gear. I have 3 places I purchase all my gear from. Most of my cameras and lenses come from B&H and Adorama the reason being is that they do not sell gray market gear. The rest of my stuff including some lenses I get from Amazon. What is the gray market? The Gray market is when a dealer imports and sells unauthorized gear that was intended for another country’s camera market. The cheaper gear is legitimate, not counterfeit, but it’s unauthorized and it is not covered by the manufacturer’s warranty.
As a Nikon Pro, I have to make sure all my gear is from a reliable source. I trust all these places to deliver the right gear on time, and most importantly for a competitive price. If you are new to the photography game and need a place to get your gear from, you can not go wrong with these three stores. If you ever run into any issues, their customer service is on point.
If you want to rent camera gear before you purchase it, you can do so. I use Borrow Lenses, they are excellent when it comes to having everything in stock and the delivery is on time every time. They also have a massive selection where you can purchase used camera gear.
Drop me a line if you have any questions. You can check out all of My Gear by clicking this link.
When I teach my workshops I always get asked what is on top of my tripod. I decided to make this video so you can see how easy it is to make your tripods match. This makes photography so much easier. Especially when you are running out of time :)
Here is what I used this particular Tripod is good for vlogging and travel. This is a great Quick Release Plate, I have it on all my tripods for ninja like camera changes. Of course no camera is complete without this awesome L shape camera mount. This allows fast changes between portrait and landscape framing on your camera.
I love my Pelican Case, but I wanted to make sure it worked as intended so I put it to the test. Lots of people told me not to do it but I had to test it out.
Taking photos is the funnest thing ever. It gives me the excuse to go out and do something fun. I shot this girls a couple days ago and let me tell you we had a blast. What started off as an idea ended up begin the funnest part of the day. I did manage to break my camera but it is on its way to get fixed. The murals you see are from Amanda Valdez and Diana Contreras, I’m not sure about the other ones.
Check out this video I made and if you like it subscribe. I will be posting videos daily. Scroll down to see how I edited the photos.
I’m out my door to Brazil and I was going through my emails and someone asked me how I pack when I travel for a couple weeks. Here it goes.
If there is anything I have learned in all my travels is to pack light. I know, I know, you have all these lenses, filters, tripods, cameras, and extra gear you want to bring along, but why??? I mean are you really going to use it? I learned this the hard way, but I learned.
Think about the stuff you use most often around your neighborhood, I mean do you carry all that and some when going for a photo walk with your friends? Probably not, in fact, I doubt you use any of the extra shit you have laying around your house you purchased out of impulse. Leave everything behind except what you are going to use for sure. Like a camera and a lens, that’s really all you need.
Back in the day, I used to carry this massive case full of gear only to realize that I never used any of it, a complete waste of time and effort.
Now, this is what I bring with me on short term trips. (unless I get hired by someone and need all kinds of gear there is no need to carry all this extra weight).
The most important to me is my most used setup. My Nikon D800e and my 14-24mm lens. One extra body and one extra lens. (just incase something happens, but this usually stays back in the hotel in a safe place)
A couple batteries, a tripod, a mini tripod (this one never leaves my bag), memory cards, a card reader, battery charger, a remote for long exposures, a 10 stop ND filter, and that’s really it. My laptop for keeping in touch with you guys and a HD to back up and save all my photos.
Traveling light is important for 2 reasons, one you don’t have to carry a bunch of stuff, and 2 you don’t have to worry about a damaging or loosing any of your gear. I promise you if you bring what you truly use, you won’t ever think about any of the other gear you have laying around.
I hope this short read was helpful, I am now in Rio and it’s amazing here. One day down lots more to go. Click on the pic to see all of my gear. The photo below shows you the gear I actually brought to Brazil.
