What's the most unusual item you have in your bag?

[paul_serafini1]

<p>Lots of questions in the past have dealt with what you bring to a wedding in terms of lenses, bodies, etc. But let's hear some of the more unusual, surprising, or hard to explain items you carry.</p>

[irusan]

<p>KY Jelly - Try explaining THAT to the bride if she spots it :-)</p>

<p>An old trick is to rub a thin layer of Vaseline on the outer edge of a lens to produce a soft portrait with a sharp center. But, since Vaseline is a petroleum-based product and a bee-yotch to clean up, it's going nowhere near my lenses or camera body. KY jelly, on the other hand, is a water-based product that cleans up easily and produces the same effect.</p>

[david_schilling___chicago_]

<p>Pen light, safety pins, straight pins, sewing-kit, small scissors, leatherman tool, tylenol, antacids, extra bow tie, black button studs........</p>

<p>I used to carry a clear filter that had some hair spray on the outside edges for the same blurry edges produced by the Vaseline trick.</p>

[aimee_pieters]

<p>I get that same type of vaseline effect by using clear nail polish. Once you do it, it's dry and no mess forever, especially in the heat.<br>

I always try to carry emergency supplies for my clients. As mentioned above, sewing kit, scissory, safety pins, basic meds, band-aids and of course white out. If someone gets something on a bridal gown or tux shirt, white-out will cover it up or at least enough to make my retouching much quicker....-Aimee</p>

[irusan]

<p>I thought you were looking for the weird stuff :-)</p>

<p>Like Aimee, I carry a lot of emergency back-up stuff, too. Oxy-Clean instant stain remover, lack shoe polish, needle and thread...</p>

<p>For the needle and thread, I contact the bride about 3-4 weeks before the wedding to find out where the bridesmaid dresses were ordered and what the colors are. Then I go and buy matching thread. If a bridesmaid accidentally puts a tear in her dress or a hem comes undone, you just bought a lot of referral weddings by having the matching thread right there with you (and, for guys, I always keep black and white thread, too)</p>

[c._f.]

<p>Rob - Funny you mentioned that. Used to do that, and YES - JOKE AROUND, back with Bronika.</p>

 

[christine_nguyen1]

<p>I have a make up kit in my car. ( foundations, mascara, cotton balls, concealer, lippies). It is very handy<br>

Being a female photographer, have its advantages!!! =)</p>

[aimee_pieters]

<p>If it's a hot day, I also bring a cooler with some bottled water and soda. It's great to be a hero when doing formals at the park. The $20 it costs goes a long way....-Aimee</p>

[picturesque]

<p>Except for the K-Y jelly, none of the rest of the stuff is unusual, hard to explain or surprising. I guess for me, it would be ear plug wax--the kind swimmers use. I use it to prop up rings when I shoot close-ups. It isn't all that surprising, either.</p>

[William Michael]

<p>I like the K-Y jelly idea.<br>

Paddle-pop sticks (new not used) and Cable-Ties (like Electricians use) are the two things I have been asked about most, when these items are spotted in my kit bag . . . <br>

that is up until now . . . as I have just added the tube of K-Y jelly - and (I believe and old army trick) some prophylactics also, (for lens protection during wet weather) - obviously.<br>

WW</p>

<p > </p>

 

[chimera_h]

<p>Love the earplug idea!</p>

[dave_wilson1]

<p>I have an old fog filter that was passed down over the years through a good photographer friend of mine. It was originally owned and used by the famous photographer Rocky Gunn and he made some famous pics with that exact filter. I keep it in my bag, use it occasionally and accept whatever magic it still holds. Some day I'll pass it to someone else. I used to use it on my smaller Hasselblad 80c lenses which is how he used it, now I use it on a Nikon 50mm with special adapter I made. Just to know he had it in his hand and made magic with it is awesome to me.</p>

[francie_baltazar]

<p>Bungy cords, duct tape, velcro, tide stick, 3 different flash lights, off wipes - I use the bungy to tie my off camera flash to poles and I use the duct tape to cover mom's mouth (just kidding) it's to take a flash unit to the ceiling if I need to.... flash lights are for different lighting- rings, flowers, cake etc. off wipes - I'm in Texas we always have bugs - I never get bit but if we're in a wooded area at sunset I give them to the B/G - nothing that crazy... I'm going to the store for some ear plug wax - sticky tac might work for rings too...</p>

[lindamccague]

<p>My 2nd brings placemats with us. They fold up and are easy to carry in a bag. We use them for brides to sit on. We joke about setting up a picnic.</p>

[tom_mann1]

<p>For a few years, to reduce moisture, I used to keep one or two adult incontinence diapers in my large Pelican O-ring sealed hard cases. The adult diapers contained loads of silica gel, worked fantastically well, and were a lot cheaper than commercial desiccant packs designed for photographic use, eg, http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/buy/Silica-Gel-Lube-Maintenance/ci/204/N/4294551191.</p>

<p>However, after receiving a couple of sympathetic comments from elderly gentlemen when I had to open those cases in public while on jobs, I decided to spring for the more costly, but more professional appearing desiccant packs.</p>

<p>If there had also been a tube of K-Y jelly in my case, I'm not sure what would have been going through the minds of casual bystanders.<br>

:-)</p>

<p>Tom M<br /> Washington, DC</p>

[farceur_coince]

<p>Sometimes I carry tape... some bars, etc. Never know when it's handy. Even chewed up gum. :P<br>

(Okay, the last one... maybe not, but tape definitely can be handy)</p>

[wedding-photography-denver]

<p>Wig tape, but not unusual considering what we do.</p>

[neilambrose]

<p>In that case, I think my bag might be the most unusual as I take absolutely none of any items mentioned above. :-) </p>

[heather_claypool]

<p>I always bring stickers (one set of boy-themed and one set of girl-themed) to bribe flower girls and ring bearers! "Smile pretty and you can have one of these"... :)</p>

[picturesque]

<p>Great idea, Heather. I forgot all about my plastic frog flashlight that I have attached to my bag for similar situations. It works wonderfully, too.</p>

[fotografz]

<p>Not unusual to us, but for clients and their guests the most unusual thing in my bag, one that ALWAYS solicits questions, is the Gary Fong Lightsphere. </p>

<p> </p>

[greg jansen]

<p>Not in my bag, but I carry a cake cutting set (knife and server) in my trunk. <br>

At least once a year the B&G forget that little detail. They</p>