We often read in photo magazines and articles about what we should take when we go shooting. I have all, or most, of those accessories, ND filters, tripods, cases, spare batteries the whole kitchen sink. I don’t usually take them all with me or I’m too weighted down. I select what I think I will need and just take that.
You are probably wondering where this is leading. Well they never tell you to take your camera as it’s probably a given. I drag mine around almost everywhere. In the summer I carry my spare in the car all the time but when the weather changes and it gets cold at night I bring it inside so the battery won’t die and condensation won’t be a problem.
The other day my son was off school for a Pro-D day and we decided to flip intro Penticton to do some shopping. I totally forgot to take my camera in the rush to get organized in the morning. Big, Big Mistake. That day in Keremeos it was overcast and a bit dismal looking but once part way to Penticton where the highway follows along Keremeos Creek and widens into a valley the light was spectacular. AND no camera in sight. As we drove further toward Yellow Lake the cloud shrouded the mountains and huge streaks of sunlight lit up the landscape. AND no camera in sight. For an instant I thought of my phone, but no I’m not going there. On the Oliver-Penticton road just past Kaleden were you have a good view of the lake I managed to miss possibly what could have been the best picture of the year for me. The east side of the lake was engulfed in broken cloud cover and through that broken cloud were streaming bolts of sunlight that culminated in lighting up the lake. AND no camera in sight.
The moral of the story is never leave your camera sitting on the desk because that one incredible picture may appear on that exact day, like it did for me. So to me the number one accessory you should always cart around is your camera. Without it, all the rest of your stuff is expensive fluff.
