Taking a Photo Hike can offer a great deal of opportunity however, Photo Hiking like this takes on the same safety and comfort requirements as any kind of hike across country, you just have to also carry along your photo gear. Yet, as a photographer there are equipment requirements you must have in order to cover all the possible scenarios you might encounter. It would be impractical to carry all of your equipment as it would load you down so much you would actually lose time trying to keep up with it all. But, at the same time you want to carry enough gear to cover a wide range of possible scenarios. As a consequence it becomes a juggling act of what to bring and what to leave behind.
For me then, it becomes a matter of understanding the requirements of what I expect to encounter. If the mission is to capture a prairie sunrise, from experience I understand how I need three obvious things for sure. My camera, a wide angle lens, and a tripod. However, I also know I might encounter other opportunities while on site. For instance, one of my favorite locations to capture this kind of photograph requires I do some short hiking and thus requires I use some kind of equipment bag to carry my gear. Most times I will simply use my camera gear pack which holds way more than I need, but also adds a lot of extra weight. Sometimes I simply use a fanny pack because it is large enough for everything I need for that kind of shoot plus it retains the ability to carry a few extra luxury items. It also affords me the ability to toss in a cable release, graduated filters, and even a larger focal length lens...just in case...and a water bottle.
It may appear self evident, but by limiting the gear I tote along, I simplify the process and reduce the amount of the required physical effort. Then there are the times I plan on making a much more difficult and longer journey. Again, taking the prairie as an example, there is a rocky arroyo tucked away in a somewhat hidden location I will often hike into, but it is a mile or more from the access road. Hiking in there covers some rough terrain and because I will be in there for up to several hours, I need to cover all of the contingencies like the possibility of rain, hot weather, plus any of the unknown but potential photo opportunities. That also includes something to drink and an energy snack to get thru the day.
One such unexpected event occurred several years ago, one in which I was unprepared for what I encountered. I wanted to make that hike but it was hot and I did not want to lug around a heavy gear pack, so instead I packed my fanny pack with my camera and one lens, a 35mm to 105mm, and a water bottle. That was it. After the hike in, I sat under the shade of a cedar tree when I noticed two coyotes milling around about 200 yards across the arroyo. With them were two fluffed up and very new pups who looked like they were exploring their environment for the first time. I needed my long 500mm lens but because it was heavy I opted to leave it behind. The 105mm just did not have enough reach and proved inadequate for the job and as a consequence I missed a great opportunity to effectively capture a unique natural event.
During the year I will spend a good amount of time exploring the night sky and capturing the hidden beauty found there. It also requires at times a certain amount of mobility and thus a degree of planning. For this kind of shoot, not much is required as far as the basic equipment, a tripod, camera, and wide angle lens, plus a cable release. With just these simple tools you can capture some amazing night sky photographs.
However, I'm never long satisfied with the basics. I need to push the envelope and experiment and thus I built a barn door tracker device to track the night sky and thus allow for longer exposure times. This device is bulky and a bit cumbersome to operate. As a result I tend to use it mostly in my backyard, but I will on occasion tote it along to another location site. It does require I strap it down inside my vehicle to avoid it falling over, which it has done before. But, again with a little planning and understanding the requirements of the shoot, I have educated myself on how to simplify the process. The idea is to have a plan and outfit yourself for that plan. By limiting all the extras and focusing on just what I will need for that particular shoot, the shoot then becomes much more enjoyable and manageable. Also, by pushing the envelope you force yourself to learn more about what it is you are trying to do and how to accomplish the task. This alone helps you to know what to bring along and what to leave behind.
Shooting on location often requires the use of additional equipment like speed lights and stands along with a softbox or two and such. My equipment pack is quite large, too large really for routine use, but when you need to carry extra gear, it's very largeness is ideal. With it I can keep all of my camera gear in one convenient location and extract what I need when it is needed. The traditional camera bags tend to be somewhat cumbersome and too small to carry a lot of extra's, plus you might need more than one which makes keeping up with the stuff more difficult. It's all a matter of understanding what your purpose is along with the gear requirements to fulfill that purpose. By thinking through the process ahead of time you are more able to focus in on what you are trying to accomplish. As a result the effects are often encouraging.
Simplifying what you carry into the field is an important part of becoming an efficient photographer. Learning to adapt to changing environmental conditions is a process of experience. Sometimes we get it right and sometimes we do not, but with each attempt you learn more and more about how to rough it easy.
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