Camera Bag

Whats in my camera bag?

Purchasing quality photography equipment is not as expensive as it was 5-10 years ago! For the price of a surfboard, you can buy a professional grade camera and lens! It is amazing! If you want good results, I highly recommend upgrading your equipment as you feel more comfortable. Do you have a camera bag? How about a sturdy tripod to take slow-shutter photos? The circular polarizer is a must in Okinawa; as it will turn sky vibrant blue and the water crystal clear! These are necessities that all photographers should invest into. Here are a few items I own and fully trust as great gear you can use. If you have any questions about the following items please let me know.

Cameras

 

EOS 5D MKII 21.1MP Digital SLR Camera: This full frame camera is amazing! Perfect pictures and video come from this 21 megapixel professional camera. This camera is for those individuals who want to upgrade from the 60D or Rebel series cameras. The weight and durability of this camera is great.
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Canon EOS 50D 15.1 MP Digital SLR Camera: This camera taught me everything about becoming a professional photographer. The 50D and my Sigma 10-20mm wide angle lens combo is an amazing set-up. 90% of my landscape photos are taken with this camera. My favorite part is the option to change my settings using the rear display.
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Lenses

Canon EF 24-105mm f/4 L IS Lens: This is my everyday go-to lens that takes excellent photos. The 24mm is wide enough for an awesome landscape shot while the 105mm provides enough zoom to capture the close-ups. The “L” in my description identifies Canon’s professional grade series of lenses. The IS means the lens has an Image Stabilizer built-in.
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Sigma 10-20mm f/4-5.6 Lens: My images are extremely wide and it is because of this lens. Every landscape photographer needs a wide-angle lens and this is a great one. This lens is a perfect fit for my Canon 50D or Rebel and I highly recommend that combo. Many of my pictures are taken with this lens and then cropped on the top/bottom to create a nice panorama image.
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B+W 77mm Circular Polarizer: Take a look at my daytime photos and ask yourself how the water is so clear and sky so blue… this is why. My circular polarizer is a must item for daytime water shots. Your sky and water will turn to a beautiful rich color blue and the clouds will just pop out of the image. Be sure to double check your lens size to ensure a proper fit.
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Tripod

Manfrotto 055XPROB Pro Tripod: A steady tripod is very important for landscape photographers. This one is great! The stability and durability is hard to find in other tripods. It is light enough to hike up a mountain but heavy enough to provide perfect photos during a windy day. The easy to use latches on each leg are easy to use and very convenient.
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Manfrotto 322RC2 Joystick Head: Every time I go shooting someone asks about my tripod head. Well here it is! This joystick device is a great option for the Manfrotto 190X tripod listed above. All you do is squeeze the grip and rotate the joystick to whatever angle you desire. Super easy and very durable.
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Post Production

Wacom Intuos4 Wireless Pen Tablet: This tablet is the greatest purchase I have made in a long time. If you enjoy editing your photos like I do, this textbook size tablet is a must have. This wireless Wacom tablet replaces your mouse and is much easier to use. The customizable buttons allow you to set your favorite shortcuts, scrolling, zooming, all at your fingertips.
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Software

Photomatix Pro 4: Pretty much every single photo on this site is processed with Photomatix Pro. I recommend this $99 piece of gold to anyone! Seriously, if you want beautiful colors and stunning images then this software is perfect. Whether you have one, three, or five bracketed photos, this software will merge them into a single HDR image. You can download the software instantly!
Use coupon code “KAIUMI” and receive a 15% discount.
WINDOWS USERS CLICK HERE or MAC USERS CLICK HERE

Adobe Lightroom 4: This software will allow you to upload RAW images (highly recommended photos taken from your camera) and edit the colors, saturation, contrast, sharpening, and convert to JPG for upload into Facebook, e-mail, etc… Lightroom will also help you categorize your collection of photos. If further edits are necessary then I can “right-click” the photo and export it straight to Photoshop, Photomatix, email, desktop, etc…
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Adobe Photoshop CS6: Photoshop is a great investment if you are serious about post processing. You will edit raw image files and other photos with state-of-the-art photo editing. Create compelling HDR images, black-and-whites, and panoramas. Retouch images with astonishing ease and control. Design anything you can imagine—at amazing speed.
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