ADVENTURE PHOTOGRAPHY EQUIPMENT INSURANCE IS A MUST - PART 1

MY CAMERA FLOODED

Over the weekend I took a canyoneering trip through Upper Left Fork of the North Creek and then through the Subway in Zion National Park and I had a dry bag fail on me (I no longer recommend the Overboard Bag if you're going to immerse it). The result was that I flooded my camera and lens (yes, my new camera and the got-to-lens I mentioned yesterday). When I opened the bag and removed the battery from my camera and water poured out, I can honestly say that I felt a strange sense of relief knowing that my equipment was insured.

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The Subway. Shot with my point-and-shoot in a waterproof housing.

GET INSURANCE

A couple of months ago I started thinking that I should insure my equipment. The question that kept coming to mind was, "Where do I go for photographer's insurance?" In the past, I have purchased business insurance, health insurance, life insurance, home insurance, through various insurance agencies. But who does photography insurance?

By chance, I was watching a video from Corey Rich and he mentioned the insurance company he uses for his equipment and so I contacted them. The company is Tom C. Pickard & Co., and they have been great to work with. The underwriting process and policy purchasing were easy. But now, I get to go through the claims process and find out how easy a claim is. I'll definitely be posting a follow-up in another blog post. So, here's hoping!

Moral of the story, you will have equipment fail, break, explode, fry, or flood...so get insurance!

PHOTOGRAPHING OUTDOOR PRODUCTS WITH TIM KEMPLE - A REVIEW

TIM KEMPLE

Tim Kemple is a fellow Salt Lake City dweller and an amazing photographer and director. He’s worked with some of the most amazing brands in the outdoor adventure arena and I’ve watched his career over the past couple of years. He founded Camp4Collective and works alongside the who’s who of adventure media producers.

I purchased a class from Tim surrounding product photography and wasn’t disappointed. Although the videos were a little scattered at times and could use a little extra polishing, each provided some great insight into how Tim works. I enjoyed his process of directing an athlete and utilizing a location. Again, lots of good information throughout, but the most important item I’m taking with me is “intensity.” When directing the athlete he tells her to run with intensity because it will show through in the image. This can be hard for athletes/models when they’re repeating an action time and again. I was surprised at the difference that one bit of direction produced in the photographs. Body language and posture read as far more authentic and far less scripted.

I’m taking it with me!

INSIDE AN EDITOR'S MIND WITH BRAD SMITH OF SPORTS ILLUSTRATED - A REVIEW

ADVENTURE PHOTOGRAPHY WORKSHOP

This Fall I will be attending an adventure photography workshop from Summit Workshops. I mentioned this in a previous post, and since then Summit has launched a new site with a handful of quick classes available for purchase. I’ve bought two of the classes so far and wanted to review my take on the content and share a couple of thoughts here.

Inside an Editor's Mind with Brad Smith.

BRAD SMITH OF SPORTS ILLUSTRATED

Always looking to better understand the business of photography, I purchased a class from Brad Smith entitled “Inside an Editor’s Mind.” The class is only a handful of video clips and it provides some useful information about editors. It’s pretty specific to the world of sports, which is understandable being that Brad is the Director of Photography at Sports Illustrated. Unfortunately, I was hoping to gain a broader perspective on photo editors, as well as valuable insight on how to become a better resource to them. Maybe I just have an expectation that there must be something I’m missing or some mystery surrounding working with editors. Either way, it’s a good class for the $29.99.

Next time, product photography with Tim Kemple.

FRO KNOWS PHOTO GUIDE TO DSLR VIDEO - A REVIEW

THE FRO

Love him or hate him, he's consistent. Jared Polin (aka Fro Knows Photo) puts out photography reviews and information like he's trying to get into the Library of Congress. I'll admit, I haven't followed him much in the past, as I felt like he was explaining things from an introductory level. However, that all changed when I purchased his DSLR Video Guide.

THE GUIDE

The FroKNowsPhoto Guide to DSLR Video

Jared and fellow filmmaker Todd Wolfe make for a dynamic duo of teachers. The guide is light-hearted and informational and this made for an easy watch. The tips and teaching are easily consumed and all of the essentials are there. I have yet to put the skills into full practice, but I have a personal project or two in the works.

I consider myself an accomplished photographer. I have a good handle on the technical and artistic aspects of making photographs. However, once those pictures started becoming moving pictures, I was lost. I looked around (Creative Live, Workshops, etc.) for some basic information and instruction and I felt like the Fro Knows Photo Guide to DSLR Video had all of the basics in one place. It's a little spendy at $97, but not so spendy when you realize you get 6 hours of content at a fraction of the cost of other courses.

Some of the content wasn't needed, like shooting a music video, so I skipped over it. But most everything else I watched and took notes throughout. In the end, I have to say well done Jared and Todd! I can honestly say I will be referencing this information time and again as I expand my storytelling into new mediums.