Organizing your kitbag (a little bit better)

Having a kitbag well organized is something that is going to help you be more efficient and have more fun when you‘re out in a photo assignment, whether this is a location model photo session, shooting of an event, or just a photo-walk. Everyone of course has a different idea of how a kitbag should be organized, and how he/she feels more comfortable with the arrangement of the equipment inside the bag. In this article I’m going to share with you some of my ideas about organizing a kitbag, not strictly equipment-related, but just a few tiny bits about little things that probably will make your photographic life easier, safer and hopefully more creative.

1. Bottle of water
No matter if it’s summer or winter, you should always carry a bottle of water with you. There’s nothing more annoying than been thirsty, when there are plenty of subjects around you to shoot. And of course, during the hot summer days, water will prevent your body from being dehydrated. Also, a bottle of water can be useful in other circumstances too, e.g. for cleaning your tripod’s legs from dirt or mud, before you place it back into its case.

2. First aid kit
You can buy a small first aid kit at a very low price and nowadays they’re so compact, that it’s not going to take up a lot of space in your kitbag. You never know when you’re going to need one – you might need it when you’re in the middle of a forest but also when you’re shooting downtown. You can even build one of your own, by including some basic stuff, like little bandages for cuts, an elastic bandage for twists, antiseptic gauzes and something for treating stings and bites. You might also want to include some sun-protection lotion - this is handy not only for sunbathing on the beach, but also when you’re shooting pictures outside all day long!

3. Notepad and a pen
Do you take notes when you’re photographing? If yes, then you’re probably already equipped with the appropriate tools. If no, then it’s a good habit to have and you can start it by buying a notepad and a pen. Your photo-notepad doesn’t have to be necessarily strictly technical. You can write down for example thoughts or feelings about the pictures you are taking, and this is usually better to be done on location rather than when you’re back at home.

4. Business cards
It’s not a bad idea to have a few business cards with you. Even if you’re not a professional photographer, this gives the feeling to other people that you’re actually serious about what you’re doing. You never know when someone is going to ask for your phone number for a photo assignment. Nothing fancy – just your name with a phone and perhaps a url address where someone can see your work online. Keep it simple as a design too; it’s usually better that way.

5. Portfolio leaflets
You can build a small “folding” portfolio, just 8-10 pages big by including a small bio (along with a picture of yours), some of your best pictures and of course your contact details. Having a few of these always in your kitbag, is an easy and fast way to show to other people what you are capable of doing. You can print these leaflets at home of course, but if you want a better quality it’s worth to spend some money in a professional typeset facility to do the job.

6. Stickers with charging date
You probably carry a few extra battery packs for your equipment in your kitbag, and you probably use rechargeable batteries because eventually these come cheaper (and sometimes even more efficient) than one-use batteries. Place a sticker with the charging date on every pack of batteries (you do have your rechargeable AA and AAA batteries grouped and placed into small cardboard boxes, right?). That way you’ll have a reference when it’s time to recharge them if you leave them unused or forgotten for a long time.

7. Stickers with name & telephone number
Place small stickers with your name and telephone number on every piece of your equipment. Yes, I know that if you lose something and someone finds it, they probably won’t call you to return it (although sometimes miracles do happen). But if you’re in an event along with other photographers and your stuff gets mixed with the equipment of other people, then you’ll know which one is yours and you’ll be able to prove it too. The same applies if you leave over something in a rented space, an event arena, or a club, and the managers of that place find it.

8. Plastic bags
Plastic bags can be useful in a variety of ways. They can protect your valuable equipment when a storm suddenly bursts out (assuming that your kitbag is not waterproof), or they can be used as a protective surface for your model to sit on, in an old abandoned and dusty room. When they’re folded they really don’t catch up any space, so keep a few of them on the bottom or in a pocket of your kitbag. (Keep in mind that if you have any piece of your equipment in a plastic bag and you enter a closed space, you’ll have to wait for some time before you take it out from the bag, to prevent the formation of any humidity inside the equipment.)

9. A small coin
Place somewhere in your kitbag a small coin and then forget about it. When you’ll come up with the need to place your camera onto that type of tripod-head that has a screw with a tiny-thin slot in the middle, that coin may save your day - or night! A 5 cent coin of the EU, a 5 pence of the UK or a dime of the US, will do the job perfectly.

10. Equipment list with S/N
Last, but definitely not least, make a full list of your equipment (camera bodies, lenses, flashguns, even camera batteries and memory cards). Include everything in detail, the manufacturer’s name, the exact model, any other special feature(s) and the Serial Number, wherever this is available. Store this list in your computer’s hard drive, then print it and keep it in the same place with other important documents (e.g. the place that you keep the contract of your house). That way, in the unfortunate case that part or the whole of your equipment is stolen, you’ll have a full report of your equipment that you’ll be able to provide to the police or wherever else is needed.