Scotland : Senses & Perception, Round 2

My Kickstarter campaign is coming to a close on Monday morning. I’m about 1/3 funded, but if it’s not 100% at 11:00am Monday, unless there’s a furious and exciting rally this weekend, it won’t matter. I’ve set it up as an all-or-nothing campaign.

But, here’s round 2:

A day ago I launched a campaign on Indiegogo.com so it will be available once this campaign ends. I set it up using their flexible funding option which means I will receive whatever funds are submitted. It’s not all-or-nothing. I’ve reduced the funding goal and the number of reward levels to reflect the popularity of reward levels for this campaign. The items in each reward have not changed. If you’ve contributed to Kickstarter at a certain level, that level and reward (perk) is also on Indiegogo and you can choose it again.

When the kickstarter campaign ends on Monday, if you would like to continue to support this project, you can go to the Indiegogo campaign and renew your pledge at the level you would like and it will take effect. It’s also set up to be able to go over the $3000 goal. If that happens, the same upgrades apply – better paper, more pages, larger format book, depending on the amount over the goal. The deadline for that project is April 28. I’d like to point out that you will need to click on the perk level to “officially” contribute at that level and so I know which perks to create for you. There is a “Contribute Now” field at the top where you can contribute any amount, but that contribution is not associated with any perk items.

When you contribute to the campaign on Indiegogo, you can use a credit card through the gateway, Apple Pay (US card holders only) or PayPal (you can use the Guest checkout to avoid needing a PayPal account), or your PayPal balance. Your credit card or PayPal account will be charged immediately after you complete the checkout process, not at the end of the campaign.
I don’t want you to go there now if you’ve already pledged on Kickstarter, just in case there is a rally. I really don’t want you to be charged twice. So, wait until Monday after 12:00 to make any contributions at Indiegogo. Though I think you can cancel your pledge on Kickstarter prior to the end of the campaign if you want to make the leap earlier.

A second option is to directly contribute to the project through PayPal. This avoids the processing fee Indiegogo charges so your contribution is maximized. My PayPal account name is man@blueplanetphoto.com. If you choose that option, please indicate your contribution is for Scotland and what reward level when you check out. I also recommend waiting for this direct contribution until after noon on Monday. Just in case.

Whichever option you choose, I thank you for your continued support.

What’s in Your Camera Bag?

Our camera bag is our mobile office. Especially these days when camera bags have compartments for our laptop, smart pad, smart phone and other devices in addition to our camera gear. Our camera bag can also become our mobile storage facility, accumulating various bits of flotsam and jetsam we add thinking we’re going to use or forget to remove after a shoot. But, sometimes that detritus comes in handy when you least expect it. What odd or unusual thing have you had in your camera bag that unexpectedly came in handy during a shoot?

Here are three lists, starting with unexpectedly useful items, things you might not generally consider but might be useful in certain circumstances, and items you probably should include in your camera bag on a regular basis.

Unexpectedly Useful Items

1. Altoids
2. sewing kit
3. rubber bands
4. mini flashlight/headlamp
5. bandaids
6. hand sanitizer
7. Aspirin/Tylenol/Advil
8. allergy medication
9. makeup brush
10. safety pins
11. Velcro
12. zip ties
13. candy
14. clothes pins
15. baby wipes/wet wipes
16. shower cap
17. tweezers
18. permanent markers
19. squeaker from a dog toy (attention-getter for babies, kids, pets, and adults)
20. scissors (small, collapsible)

And a humorous suggestion

My camera, I hardly use anything else in there and I’m starting to wonder why I drag the damn bag around.

Might Be Useful

1. clear gift wrap tape
2. bug repellent
3. gaffer tape, blue painter’s tape, electrical tape
4. bubbles
5. gray card
6. crochet needle
7. alarm clock
8. hairspray
9. external light meter
10. lint roller
11. squeeze blower
12. GPS
13. sunblock
14. chewing gum
15. Vaseline
16. spring clamps
17. body tape
18. glitter
19. hand warmers

Should Consider as Regular Additions

1. hand towel (for wiping off moisture from lens and camera or sweat from your brow
2. Leatherman or other multi-tool (for various equipment maintenance, cutting/trimming stuff)
3. trash bags (impromptu rain cover, damp clothes/towel storage, quick and dirty flag/gobo, for trash)
4. lens cloth (microfiber) or Lenspen
5. screwdriver/allen wrench/flat wrench for tripod/quick release plate maintenance