People who take public transportation, what's your carrying kit look like?

Ha, okay. Appreciate it.

Tell you what. If I'm that valuable, give me a call next time you're shooting in NYC and I'll give you a hand. You provide the transportation.

Or just give me a call next time you're in the city and I'll buy you a drink.
 
I just bought a hard shell golf case (http://www.skbcases.com/sports/sku.php?cat=16&pid=74) and I'm pretty surprised how much I can fit in it. I can easily get a couple tripods, slider, and 4 - 5 beefy light stands. It stands up nicely too so doesn't take much room. If you went DIY on it you could probably build some compartments to hold lights better in it so they don't get damaged when you tilt it up.
 
Interesting conversation. I stay in the other side of the world but can understand the situation. I agree that if you don't ask then there is a 100% chance that you won't be given.

Also remember your existing clientele with whom you work frequently may have a perception about you being worth 100 usd and not more. So start asking a higher fee, transportation etc to someone with whom you hadn't worked before. Chances of getting what you asked would be better in that situation. When you start refusing jobs because of less pay, don't panic if the first few guys say no to your higher fee. There would be someone who would agree and thats how you keep moving up.
 
grantw said:
I just bought a hard shell golf case (http://www.skbcases.com/sports/sku.php?cat=16&pid=74) and I'm pretty surprised how much I can fit in it. I can easily get a couple tripods, slider, and 4 - 5 beefy light stands. It stands up nicely too so doesn't take much room. If you went DIY on it you could probably build some compartments to hold lights better in it so they don't get damaged when you tilt it up.
Click to expand...

THat is an interesting thing :)
 
grantw said:
I just bought a hard shell golf case (http://www.skbcases.com/sports/sku.php?cat=16&pid=74) and I'm pretty surprised how much I can fit in it. I can easily get a couple tripods, slider, and 4 - 5 beefy light stands. It stands up nicely too so doesn't take much room. If you went DIY on it you could probably build some compartments to hold lights better in it so they don't get damaged when you tilt it up.
Click to expand...


I use one of those golf bags (different make) because so few people recognise them they are not sure what they are and what they contain. So they don't shout "valuable" Also they are difficult for a would be thief to run off with. Just don't wear cloths with panasonic/Sony et al or put stickers all over it suggesting expensive kit. Being paranoid all my camera bags have the external labels blacked out (marker pen) so they don't shout "expensive gear". Besides some brands are use predominantly for potentially expensive gear. Put on a sticker from a big firm of architects on the golf bag and if anyone asks: it is rolls of the A0 size building plans. Who is going to want to steal those? :-)

As for no car... When I worked in London, Munich, Paris a car was a dammed nuisance. I never bothered with one. Parking was VERY expensive *if* you can find any spaces close to where you were going. Also traffic could slow up and stop for many or no reasons. You could never leave kit in the car. Most insurances don't cover thrift from a car or charge an arms and a leg for it. The metro/underground/U-Bhan/subway was always fast and cheap. Often better than Taxis.

The answer is to find a good bag e.g. the golf bag and pack to that space. This may mean modifying the kit you take. Once you get sorted you find you can pack the case and get anywhere the subway goes with your kit in about 20 minutes longer than the subway journey. You could almost do breaking news at that speed :-)

Only caveat is to know the subway times... You don't want to get stranded on a derelict lot at night 10 minutes after the last train has gone. Some lines close down earlier than others.
 
Traveling with gear is always a pain even with a van! I did two weeks in Japan this winter with snowboard gear on top of camera gear all on public transit. It was manageable with a good backpack and wheels on my other bags. Trim down your gear to fit transportation and client needs. Light stands instead of C stands. Small LED lights instead of ARRI 650's. Travel tripod instead of a 20 pound studio tripod. You can (and I do all the time) fit an entire setup in a backpack that includes two cameras, lights, audio, and stands. Yes, it's heavy but if you look at what you really need you can trim down to a manageable setup and still have enough gear to get the job done well.
Of course, it's always better to have the client pay for transportation, but if they won't there are still ways to do it.
 
This is what I do. I would suggest buying some old/cheap/used airplane luggage. Get the black ones if you want to be "fancy." I filled them with foam dividers and load in the gear. Inexpensive, pretty durable, protective and totally nondescript. Put stands in a baseball bat bag. You just look like you're moving or an overpacked tourist or something. Put some clothes sticking out of the zippers for added effect. No one will bats an eye at someone with cheap luggage versus a pelican or some bag that screams "equipment."
 
I live in Queens and I own a car. I drive to gigs in the boroughs/Long Island/New Jersey but if it's in Manhattan I take the subway and try to avoid rush hour if at all possible.
 
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