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craig_gillette

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  1. <p>Work with the client and the officiating clergy. Everybody has a camera these days and not everybody has manners. And if every family hired a pro, there would be space as well as equity issues. I don't think the client is likely to have a lot of flexibility in choosing an alternative location. From the outside looking in, first communion in the Roman Catholic church is often a group event, perhaps school grade or at least a certain age group related event and going to another parish for that specific event is likely to be awkward and perhaps not any more likely to have a different clerical response. <br> Aside from the individual and group shots on the steps, etc., it would seem to me the key moments are the actual communion and that would require shooting from the side or front - a location which is not usually open to non-participants. Certainly flash from there would be disruptive and repeated flash or movement would be really noticeable.</p> <p>Good luck, you may be trying to tread where others have trod before.</p>
  2. <p>Things are browning up pretty fast near me (Inland Empire-ish). Can you be a bit less general about what sort of environment you are looking for and how far you might be able to consider traveling? Some parks, etc., can vary with how sensitive they are to what might seem to be professional shoots (like with props, models, lighting,"crews," or the like) and others aren't troubled by it at all. That can depend on how popular a location might be, whether you are working around busy prom and wedding days and things like that. Rolling grassy hills? Oak trees? Rugged mountain? Desert?</p>
  3. <p>What kind of pictures? What kind of business? Plant/facilities? Personnel? Social/wedding? If archived and hard to find for you, then that suggests they aren't moneymakers. Maybe a reasonable time charge for the effort?</p>
  4. <p>Sony A7 series bodies with the 24-70/4?</p>
  5. <p>I have both a heavy and light tripod. If a car based trip, usually both will go. As others have noted, they stay behind in the room or car if possible especially on urban trips until late afternoon or evening unless some predictable need arises. I have carried the light one all day a few times when itinerary wasn't firm. These days it's a bit unusual to have venues allow them to be used inside (but carrying isn't necessarily an issue unless size/storage limits are imposed or just blanket disallowed). The smaller one fits fairly easily on my day pack or even shoulder bags, sometimes vertically, sometimes horizontally. My day pack is a "real" day pack so it has compression straps and an ice ax loop as well as load straps on the bottom. So there are several ways to snug the little tripod to it. I've just added a photo backpack to the stable and it has a tripod pocket and loop strap built in as well. You can also get attachment points and straps of various sorts at camping and backpacking outfitters and have these sewn onto a pack at a tailors or shoe repair shop if you can't sew (raises hand) or your machine isn't heavy enough for the materials.</p> <p>The large one is 28" long folded, not including head and 6.5 lbs, again, without head. So it's a long unbalanced beast when collapsed. It seldom gets very far away from the car. It can be carried, slung on the back, heavy end up but trying to get away with carrying it slung off the shoulder to the side doesn't work well, it's too unbalanced. I've never really tried fastening it to a larger pack. I have my eye on a couple of modern 4 lbs or so cf tripods which will fold up more compactly and with the fold-over legs, in a more balanced load as well. I don't have any particularly long or heavy lenses so I'm not wrestling those as well.</p>
  6. <p>Lowepro has a couple of Flipside backpacks which when belted can be swung around and opened, they are designed with the back panel opening, not the front. I have a smaller one, it works OK. Not sure the largest would carry everything you want nor if it might not be hard to keep horizontal when loaded up. Adding inserts to regular packs may help if you find one that fits right and has the space yu need.</p>
  7. <p>I have a similar lens assortment and the D7200. And failed to win the lottery. So, I would go for one of the long lenses first, likely the 200-500 Nikon or one of the 150-600 Sigmas. Getting the D500 first when I can't really afford a lens which really takes advantage of it's enhanced abilities in speed and focus would likely be very frustrating. </p>
  8. <p>Should you get to Monterey, you should probably check out Dennis the Menace Park. Unless they've gone completely modern and plastic, it was one of the first playground areas that went beyond the jungle gym and swings, etc., to climb-on/climb-in structures. Some of them would almost certainly not be acceptable these days. Rebar, expanded steel mesh, unprotected drops, a slick steel slide on a steep concrete dune, extra bars to allow climbing all over a steam locomotive.</p>
  9. <p>Many of the major destinations in the west/southwest are quite far apart. Distances may come as a surprise to visitors. So, for example, a "side trip" from the coast at Monterey to Yosemite is about 4 hours or so (I entered "Monterey to Yosemite" on Google and got several results, timed to park entrances so to the valley would likely add some time as well.) So a lot could depend on how tolerant of just plain driving the kids are in some stretches. Also, what their interests are. As noted, the low desert areas are almost certain to be too hot to be enjoyed. Even the higher elevation destinations can be hot. Both San Francisco and L.A. can be pretty entertaining for kids with some thought, there are multiple museums aimed at kids as well as amusement parks, etc. The drive from San Francisco to Los Angeles could easily occupy a couple of days. Monterey has a world class aquarium, and is pretty walkable, a waterfront area that is interesting. Rocky and sandy beach areas although the water is cold for simple water play. At the south end of 1 through Big Sur/San Simeon is Morro Bay and it's interesting with potential for kayaking, etc., on the bay, birding and nature as well as sea/landscape areas. L.A. has tons of things that could interest kids and adults, museums - natural and modern history from dinosaurs to space shuttles, Hollyweird, the Disney resorts.</p> <p>The Grand Circle around the Grand Canyon offers a lot, some areas will be hot. Vegas is a little less kid friendly than it was and daytime temps will be bad, but Zion, Bryce, the Page area (Antelope Canyon, Horsehoe Bend and Lake Powell can take up some time. South Rim and Flagstaff areas have numerous little landscape and historic/pre-historic sites, ruins, red rocks, train rides, etc.</p> <p>North from San Francisco on the coast then through redwoods, across to Mount Lassen, Mount Shasta, maybe to Crater Lake, less modern, more natural, probably somewhat less crowded than the southern/central part of Ca.</p> <p>One might need to ponder the possibility that the Tioga Pass may not be open depending on the extent and timeframe of the snowpack in the Sierra high country and potentially in other high elevation western parks although things are usually open by Memorial Day, this could be an unusual year.</p>
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