Swimming At The Derby
Okay folks, here is my formula, my blueprint to dealing with rain. First, let’s start with me. I like wearing khakis instead of jeans because they’re lighter and quicker to dry when they get wet. I also like wearing polyester athletic-type shirts for the same reason. They dry quickly. Even with good rain gear, between sweat and rain, you have to expect to get wet. It’s inevitable, just expect it! Besides, it’s not about keeping you dry. It’s all about keeping your camera equipment dry.
Next, I believe in the investment of good rain gear. My pants and jacket are North Face and are over $200 combined. I also just purchased a new pair of Gortex Timberlands a few days before Derby. They held up great. My socks were completely dry when I got home Saturday night. As far as head wear goes, I just wear a typical ball cap, mainly because I keep my hair cut short and it doesn’t bother me to have wet hair. Besides, wet hair makes me look less gray.
For camera equipment, the best advice I can offer is stay small and stay simple. Rain day decisions are about as unique and personal to each photographer as a toothbrush. I lay in bed at night thinking about shit like this, especially during Derby Week. I like using a cheap backpack, like the ones my kids take to school, to carry all the stuff that I need to help stay dry. I pack it with a couple of hand towels, a can of air, plastic Wal-Mart bags and zip locks. I would never use one of my good Lowepro or Think Tank backpacks in the rain and mud. Also, a good idea is to pre-cut a drop-cloth-quality piece of plastic into three or four 4×4 squares, and roll them up individually with rubber bands. You can use these as staging areas on the ground for your cameras as well as a dry seat for you.
When it comes to my equipment, I try to use one body and a small zoom lens, like a 17-55. There is no reason to get several bodies out in the rain. That’s just that much more to stress over. Photography in the rain is definitely a time to be a minimalist. You can make “ghetto” rain covers out of Wal-Mart bags, or you can buy high priced ones. I like taking a thick bag, such as my Children’s Place bag, and using it to keep my camera and lens in. When I’m ready to shoot, I simply pull it out of the bag and shoot, and then put it back in the bag. With a good thick bag, I could endure a monsoon and my camera would be fine.
You can also go with a good backpackers poncho like I have on above, and run a fanny pack system from underneath because the sides are open. Having a hand towel to dry off your equipment is really important. I don’t mind to expose my camera to sprinkling rain, or even a hard rain, I just don’t want to expose it for very long without drying it back off. And lastly, when you get back home after a day in the rain, take your cameras apart and let them air out. I take off my vertical grip and even take out my memory card to let it all dry.
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