HIKING GEAR : Osprey Kestrel 32 /  by Glenn Fajota

I have been using this bag along with others in the crew over the past few months and its great. Its a perfect pack for an assistant carrying the non essential camera gear on a hike. We can also strap on the Lowepro Toploader on the front for photography trips. Thanks to our sponsors Great Outdoor Provisions Co and Osprey.

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All from Great Outdoor Provisions Co. except #2 and #4

Osprey Kestrel 32
Vargo BOT
Luci LED light
Pelican 2740 Headlamp
Turf Mat, Daiso | Japan
Camp Wool sleeping socks, Urban Outfitters
Champion base layers, Target
The North Face fleece
Black Diamond Z 120cm trekking poles
Cocoon Pillow
Small cuben fibersack, Z Packs
Waterproof sack, Sea to Summit
ENO Single Nest Hammock
Waterproof sack, Sea to Summit
The North Face Furnace 20 degree down bag

GEAR : Aerial Photography Tips /  by Glenn Fajota

Im lucky to be one of the few commercial advertising photographers in the region that's trusted and hired for aerial photography, which allows me to up in the air a few times a year. I would love to take all my photo and video gear up there but for this particular trip, I was hired to shoot still images of 4 locations for the City of Hampton, Virginia. Since this shot list wasnt calling for close details, my camera settings were enough to yield sharp images in which the final products are going to be 8' foot prints. If I were shooting architecture or detailed shots, I would have plugged the gyro/stabilizer to the camera. But of course these images still have to super sharp, so after I take 10 or so shots, I preview the image on the LCD and zoom in as much as I can to make sure the images arent soft.

Flying an aircraft above residential and commercial areas, the pilot has to work with the FAA and fly at a certain height. They are also in constant contact with the nearest flight tower and for this shoot, it was the guys over at Langley Air Force Base, since they were the closest. We cant hear his conversations in the headset but when he needs to talk to us, he has a button to switch over. The headsets are needed up there because it gets so loud sitting just a few feet from the rotor so it muffs the noise and also allows the passengers (art director, photographer, client) to talk amongst each other. 

With any shoot, a reshoot is not an option. A professional should get the job done the first time especially with aerial photography. The average cost for an hour flight time is about $3000-5000 (helicopter and pilot) so if I didnt get the shot they wanted, Id have to pay for that time again to go up. Actually, I wouldnt be hired again and I would be blacklisted, haha. 

Here comes 2015! /  by Glenn Fajota

Hello!

The end of the year is near and if you have been following me on social media, you noticed that I was traveling everywhere from the mountains in California to the beaches in the Caribbean and the rivers of Europe on assignment. 2014 has been the busiest year in my entire career and it hasn't been a smooth road, well nothing is, because if it was easy, it wasn't worth working for. I'm only home a few days of the month and during that time and in between, I have to make time to edit all these shoots all still within deadline. It's very challenging trying to find a balance with my personal life, sleep and running a small business. Often, plane seats and hotel rooms were my offices or even in my tent in the backcountry. The recline feature on the plane and the hotel beds were very tempting but work had to be done first.

As we approach a new calendar year, I use this time to approach a revised, better business plan. Part of the plan is to reflect and correct everything that I missed and improve on it for the upcoming year. Topping this list, is for me to work just as hard BUT work even harder in keeping those relationships around me — Faith, Family, Friends. I've kept them under a blanket when I should have been giving them more of my time because those relationships were the ones who supported me and pushed me to where I am today and I finally realized that. It takes A LOT of patience being around me and working with me and very often, I have disguised their time as if they owed me their time. When in fact I owed them. I owe them. 

Over the next few weeks, you'll see some changes in the website, the Glenn Fajota brand, the social media outlets and most importantly, my time for you. Thank you to my current clients for being patient and understanding as I continue to deliver your photos and videos to you. And to you my future clients, let's go do some work!

Okay enough, I have to get back to these edits! With that said, I'll let you get back to your holiday shopping but one item you must get for your loved ones is the 2015 Calendar, Glenn Fajota Travel Edition, with places I have photographed from around the world. A portion of the proceeds will go to the World Wildlife Fund www.WWF.org

 

http://www.glennfajota.com/store/2015-calendar

 

Your photographer,

Glenn Fajota

HIKING GEAR : Lowepro Photo Sport 30L /  by Glenn Fajota

My main go to bag for the photography in the backwoods is the Lowepro Photo Sport 30L. Carefully packed, this 30L (30 liters) can go a long way with what you can fit in here, comfortably. I have used this pack in all four seasons across the world in the most perfect weather to the most severe inclement weather. The 30L is rated for a day pack but I have used this for 2 and 3 days in the backcountry. 

 

Here are a few reasons why I grab this pack when shooting in the backcountry

- Built in all weather cover (distinguished by “AW” in Lowepro’s naming convention)

- Removable padded camera insert

- 2L water bladder system with ported hole for drinking tube

- External loops for attaching several accessories

- Double bottom straps for a tent, tripod or tarp

- Lightweight!

HIKING GEAR : Sawyer Mini Water Filter /  by Glenn Fajota

When on assignment in the backcountry, my pack is full of all the essentials (shelter, sleep, food). My average pack weight for multi day hikes comes in about 25-30lbs, plus the 10lbs camera gear. With all that weight, that last thing I want to do is add more weight. But I'm still missing the most important thing. Water! 

I hike in with at least 1L of water which will last me half of the day. The goal is to replenish my water supply at the next water source, whether its a trickling stream or lake. To do so, I use the Sawyer Mini Water Filter and the way it works is you fill a compatible water bladder (comes with 1L) or water bottle and you fill it up with unfiltered water. You then screw on the filter (blue tube) and let it pour out. If your water source looks murky or has some debris, chances are your filter might get clogged. With the provided syringe, you can fill that up with clean water and backwash the filter to restore up to 99% of the filter’s flow rate. 

I love it and keep one in each of my three packs. It allows me to hike in without adding several pounds in my pack just for water, when I know I’ll be able to get at the next water source. But of course, with each trip, the route is carefully planned by knowing where I'm camping that night and where my water sources are during the trip.

- Cheap! $25

- Lightweight at just 2oz

- 99% effective at removing Bacteria, Protozoa, E. Coli, Giardia, Vibrio cholerea, Salmonella Typhi

- Lasts up to 100,000 gallons

- Can used with most water bottles, bladders or even with the provided straw

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