War Correspondent Tools and EDC

[Trooper]

I've been thinking about photojournalists and war correspondents and what they typically carry with them. The term "everyday carry", or EDC is well known in survival circles, but it applies here as well. An internet search hasn't provided much insight, so I wanted to ask here.

What do you know photojournalists carry in their packs, and what would you add? This is what I found:

http://nationalpostnews.files.wordpress.com/2012/08/afghanartist1.pdf

 

[emraphoto]

a quick and dirty list of what is in my bag (and often on my person) when covering conflict.

plastic ziploc bags (loads of them), lighters, first aid kit, note with my blood type and meds i take in a few different languages, cash, 2 cameras and loads of batteries and cards, duct tape, bgan case and system, multiple current converters and such, local internet wifi stick (if available), phone, jacket, passport and copies, visa and copies, stage 4 vest, helmet, case of power bars, water, change of shirt/socks/underwear, laptop, card reader x 2, shemagh, sunglasses, moleskin books and pack of pens, audio recorder, external hard drive, picture of the kids, book for reading, malaria meds and a few odds and sodds.

i have big pro camera rigs but lately i have been shooting a lot of point and shoots and mirror-less cameras (as have many colleagues) so in the end, everything fits in 1 bag i can wear on my back. i don't carry a secondary bag as i have never embedded and leaving your bag anywhere with a rabble of untrained rebeis is a very serious mistake. NEVER leave the bag behind as things can be surprisingly fluid.

 

[Trooper]

Why so many ziploc bags? Do have any issues with customs or you get most of the things locally?

 

[sevo]

Why so many ziploc bags?

I needed them even for (local or semi-local) riot coverage. Primarily for water, dirt and dust proofing. Plus loads of spares, to stow away any piece of equipment that got damaged - repair is cheaper if you bring home all bits (valid for lost fingers and teeth as well).

Back in the days, carrying heavy gear (two or three motorized F3's with flash and lenses to match) was as good as a press pass, so we often carried more than we needed (or liked). That distinction has been washed away by bulky prestigious consumer DSLRs, the current trend is to travel as light as you can...

 

[emraphoto]

I needed them even for (local or semi-local) riot coverage. Primarily for water, dirt and dust proofing. Plus loads of spares, to stow away any piece of equipment that got damaged - repair is cheaper if you bring home all bits (valid for lost fingers and teeth as well).

Back in the days, carrying heavy gear (two or three motorized F3's with flash and lenses to match) was as good as a press pass, so we often carried more than we needed (or liked). That distinction has been washed away by bulky prestigious consumer DSLRs, the current trend is to travel as light as you can...

that is a pretty concise and accurate answer to the ziploc question. i work primarily throughout the Middle East, North and Sub-Saharan Africa which equals dirty, humid and tough conditions.

 

[emraphoto]

Why so many ziploc bags? Do have any issues with customs or you get most of the things locally?

i normally have little to no issues with customs and i am confident that ziplocs are standard fare for photojournalists abroad. they must be accustom to seeing them in our bags

 

[Trooper]

i normally have little to no issues with customs and i am confident that ziplocs are standard fare for photojournalists abroad. they must be accustom to seeing them in our bags

Thanks for the response. I was thinking more about CR123 batteries, flash drives, and SD/CF Cards when dealing with customs. Photographers carry a lot of expensive gear and computer equipment, so I wonder how often customs hassles you guys.

 

[bonatto]

Thanks for the response. I was thinking more about CR123 batteries, flash drives, and SD/CF Cards when dealing with customs. Photographers carry a lot of expensive gear and computer equipment, so I wonder how often customs hassles you guys.

this type of gear is almost always carried in a used state - thus not appealing to the "it's being brought for re-selling purposes" argument that some border officers may feel enticed to call upon. Keep it simple, organized, and professional, and this will help you navigate the arrivals maze. Not being a resident also helps on convincing that the gear is coming back with you.

These points will inevitably vary from country to country - and conflict zones will be a different ball game.

 

[Roger Hicks]

Thanks for the response. I was thinking more about CR123 batteries, flash drives, and SD/CF Cards when dealing with customs. Photographers carry a lot of expensive gear and computer equipment, so I wonder how often customs hassles you guys.

This applies to any travelling journalist. Why would customs worry about batteries as compared with expensive cameras? In my experience (though not of war zones) they don't even worry as much about cameras as they did 30 years ago. And why CR123s?

Storage media could be a problem if you're shooting stuff they don't want shot, but that's likely to be as big a problem on the spot as at customs. And you don't need to be in a war zone to be in a prohibited area. Lovely reply from a Tibetan village headman to a local cop asking if we had permission to be there: "Of course they do, you bloody fool. D'you think they'd be carrying all those expensive cameras if they hadn't?"

Like the others, I use lots of Ziplocs and for the same reasons.

Cheers,

R.

 

[emraphoto]

one thing missing from this conversation is the 'media phonebook'. this tool will trump all other gear in it's value. the book can also be started well prior to an individual departing for a particular region.

the 'media phonebook' is a compilation of every relevant outlet, editor or organization, the contact information and submission particulars. any prospective freelancer should be working on/updating this daily. do whatever you must to acquire direct email addresses and such but NEVER include 'i acquired your email from xxxx'. this one tool separates the pro from the punter.

forget the word 'assignment'. the process is easy... you get yourself to the story and in. when you are able, you send short, PERSONALIZED emails to prospective clients.

hello XXXXXX

my name is XXXXX and I am currently working in (insert country/region). i have taken the liberty of attaching a sample of images (PDF contact sheet). do not hesitate to contact me if i can be of service.

XXXXXX
website
contact info

this will be the most productive bit of gear you will ever have in your bag. work on it seriously and often. have a digital copy and a hard, printed copy. keep one in a ziploc bag

 

[Lauffray]

(valid for lost fingers and teeth as well).

Have you ever had to use this ?

 

[sevo]

Have you ever had to use this ?

Not on myself, but one of my bags given to an AP sound engineer rescued his front tooth for reimplantation.

That said, knocking out a tooth is (or used to be) a fairly common accident among news photographers and cinematographers, even in peaceful settings - moving about with a heavy device in front of the face seems to be a high risk activity at the best of times.

 

[xyz3450]

.... i have big pro camera rigs but lately i have been shooting a lot of point and shoots and mirror-less cameras (as have many colleagues) so in the end, everything fits in 1 bag i can wear on my back. i

Thanks for your comment emraphoto: What kind of P&S / mirror-less? Are some makes better than others and are they robust enough? The situations you seem to find yourself seem arduous...