Wow, I have been reading in awe about all the stuff you guys bring along. Just to give you an idea of what the other side of the coin is like, I am going to list the equipment I bring on most of my trips:
* 1 Cannon A2 * A Tameron 28-200 (I love this lens!) * A 28-70 * A small pocket size tripod, sometimes a larger one. * Scanner (domestic trips only) * Small gagets like a level and extra batteries. All stuffed into one small Sundog bag (except the scanner) In fact, I limit total gear including clothes to around 30 lbs. I substitute rental cars for ladders. Never return a rental car without footprints on it! The ultimate dream vehicle would be a four-wheel-drive van/camper equiped with a cherry-picker but it would be tough to fit one in a backpack! And a few comments on cutting vegetation: What for! Your taking a picture of a train in its enviroment, this includes the vegetation. Work around it! Cut branches look a lot worse that a little bit of green. I have sat a too many photolines watching people remove attractive props and/or stuff so small it wouldn't make a differece anyway. If you want a well detailed photo of your subject, wait until it is sitting somewhere a take your wedgie. If you out on the line, its time to use your ability as an artist and take an interesting shot of a train in its surroundings. On bad weather shots: Hey, sure you can get good stuff in bad weather BUT the odds are against you. I am not saying don't try because I have seen some stunning results, but your going to get a lot more useless stuff too. In my experience, I find that in bad weather, better results are had if you try to get closer to your subject, physically or with a long lens. Steve Brown http://s.brown.home.mindspring.com -> SPORRS: Serious Photographers of Railroad Related Subjects -> Web Site: http://www.anet-stl.com/acphotog/sporrs -> Message © SPORRS® 1998 - All Rights Reserved
