Where is Ben?

Exploring San Francisco

I've been in San Francisco for the last few days. I'll be presenting one of my Photoshop for Photographers seminars tomorrow and will be giving a one hour talk on Advanced Masking on December 8th. I've been hanging out with friends and taking a few shots around town. During the day, I've had a perfect view of the Golden Gate Bridge from my daytime parking spot.

Here's what I've been up to for the last week or so:

• Spent a day sealing up the bus to prevent leaks (mainly around external lights)
• Got a new Lens Baby 3G and have really been enjoying shooting with it. I tend to use my "normal" lenses during the golden hour and switch to the Lens Baby for midday or night shooting.
• Went flying with a friend on Thanksgiving morning.
• Spent Thanksgiving with another friend in Novato, CA (Thanks Marv for welcoming me into your family gathering)
• Checked out the studios at Inside Mac Radio and went shooting on Treasure Island (see image above) with Scott Sheppard.
• Stopped at the Apple Store in San Francisco and picked up the new tiny iPod Shuffle.
• ...and much, much more.

Belt-Based Camera "Bag"

I briefly mentioned the belt-based camera bag system I use at my Portland Seminar. If you are thinking of ordering any of their gear, consider visiting http://thinktankphoto.com/workshop/ and entering the following code: WS-055  That will get you a free item if you spend $50 (that includes some of the pouches I list below). I absolutely love this system and find it works a zillion percent better than a backpack (you can pack the individual lens pouches into a backpack or other bag when transporting things and then transfer them to the belt when you go out to shoot. I've been using the system for a while and have found nothing that comes close to it. I would rather change camera brands before I'd switch to another bag system... they just did it right.

I use the Lens Changer 50s to hold three of my lenses (the 17-14mm, 24-105mm, and 100mm Macro). I prefer to use the same-sized pouch for these lenses instead of using some of the smaller ones because I can then put any lens into it instead of having to be careful to get the proper lens in the proper pouch. It's also easier to get a lens with the lens hood into the larger pouch.

I also use the Whip It Out (my absolute favorite product) for my 100-400mm. It allows me to switch to this large lens so faster than it does to use any of my smaller lenses, so the large lens gets a lot more use than when it was stored in a backpack.

If you shoot the 100-400mm (or similar lens) using the tripod collar, then I'd also get the Lens Changer 75. The lens fits into this bag with the tripod collar attached as well as the lens hood so it's always ready to be used.The Whip It Out fits inside the Lens Changer 75 when transporting the equipment.

I also use a All The Other Stuff bag to old my cable release, extra batteries and other stuff.

All of these bags attach to a Pro Speed Belt, which completes the system. They make all sorts of other bags, so be sure to browse their site to find what will best work for your situation.

Hanging Out in Portland, OR

I was planning on exploring Washington a bit, but the rain has really turned me off to traveling. I've also noticed a few small leaks in the bus that I will seal up tomorrow. That's a lot harder than it sounds when caulking takes 24 hours to dry and there have maybe been six hours at a time when I haven't been in heavy rain. A friend has found me a warehouse I can park in for a day, which should give me the right setup to get everything sealed up.

I might venture to Seattle this weekend, but otherwise I'm enjoying friends and microbrews here in Portland.

Crossing Into Oregon

I've crossed the border and am now in Oregon. I'll be spending the next three days driving up the coast towards Portland. There was no sunrise or sunset today... just think overcast and rain. A few areas had drifting fog,  which was a little more entertaining. It looks like rain will be the norm on this trip.