In case you've never seen what $15K in gear looks like standing in the middle of a river, now you have.
These images were taken during a recent senior session in Oswego, Kansas. The lovely Arin Billingsly was our willing subject during this mess and her mom Robin was nice enough to snap some shots of the FX Crew at work.
One of the things I preach to our team all the time is that we should never leave a good photo opportunity out in the field. If we've got a good idea for a shot, no matter how silly, we're going to go for it. This definitely isn't the first time I've been in the water with gear like this before. I've been chest deep in the Gulf of Mexico a couple of times with my arm extended in the air to avoid the crashing waves from completely submerging the camera, so shooting in the Neosho River is pretty tame in comparison.
The key for me is always using a Canon 1-Series body and L Series lenses. While not water PROOF they are definitely capable of getting more than a little wet without any trouble. It will definitely outlive any consumer level camera with all of it's gaskets and seals to protect it. We've always got backup gear on hand, but I figure why pay for the insurance if I never get to use it?? No incidents yet, but it's there if I ever need it.
Our chief concern during something like this is the safety and comfort of our subjects. Arin was excited and happy to do something like this. We'd never try to talk anyone into getting into the water unless they were comfortable with it. We kept her in the shallow parts and I was always there to offer her a hand and to assist her walking in and out of the river.
Working with a great team always helps, and I'm definitely spoiled in that area. I can pretty much mutter or grunt instructions and everyone knows exactly what I'm looking for. We shoot a lot as a group so everyone has a role and knows where to be and what to do.
On a technical note all of the actual images from the session were shot on my newly acquired but used Canon 1Ds Mark II. The majority of the images were shot using the Canon 70-200mm F2.8 IS. The wider shots were on the 24-105 F4 IS. Lighting was provided by an off-camera 580EX fired through a 24" Softbox using Pocket Wizards.
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