photo: David R. Gluns
David R. Gluns’s camera bag
Find out what essentials this pro is sure to pack when he’s going on a photo assignment.
Photographer David R. Gluns, whose work is featured in “Kootenays: four treks, four seasons” in the Spring 2010 issue, is a man with multiple interests. He’s a forest hydrologist; a pilot; a world traveller; a hiker, skier, and all-round outdoorsman; even a former trekking guide in the Himalayas.
It’s not surprising, then, that when it comes to photography, this sharpshooter prefers not to limit himself to any one type of subject matter. Aside from capturing landscapes and outdoor recreation for British Columbia Magazine, Gluns likes to shoot aerials, urban scenes, people shots, product shots, and food.
The downside to being a generalist is that he needs a lot of gear⎯so much, in fact, that Gluns has devoted 2.5 rooms in his Nelson home to his photography! The contents of Gluns’s camera bag on any given day depends, he says, on what he’ll be shooting, and where.
“I always pack to the job at hand,” says Gluns, who has eight camera bags for different purposes. He prefers a front-loading pack for ski touring so he can access gear on the fly, a wide-opening case when working out of a vehicle, a “minimalistic” shoulder bag for around town, and several Pelican waterproof cases for rafting or kayaking.
For a day of hiking in the Kootenays, he takes a backpack-style camera bag, typically loaded with the following:
- A camera, or two. Gluns shoots with digital Nikon cameras: the D300, D2X, and D2H models. “I have two bodies for everything. . . . I always want to be backed up.”
- Lenses. Gluns’s lens collection includes a 105mm macro, a fish-eye, a 12-24mm wide angle, a 24-70mm mid-range zoom, a 70-200mm zoom, a 200-400mm telephoto, as well as lenses of fixed focal lengths.
- Filters. He doesn’t leave home without a polarizer. “It takes reflections out of the air or surfaces, creating richer colour for all your shots.” And for darkening overly bright skies, Gluns often brings along several graduated neutral-density filters.
- Flash. When there’s a model to be photographed, Gluns brings along one or more Nikon Speedlight flashes.
- Tripod. He has four, but favours a lightweight carbon fibre model made by Gitzo. A full camera bag can exceed 15 kilograms, so it’s important to lighten the load where possible, he says. “Those [last few pounds] are the ones that will break the back.”
- Rations. Gluns always carries water and food on his excursions. “Sushi,” he says at first, teasing, but then admits, “I bring whatever’s in the fridge.” Usually he tosses in a couple of granola bars, but saves them for emergencies.
- Extras. A headlamp is a must, as is insect repellent. “That’s a big one, especially at Idaho [Peak]. That’s always in my bag in summer.” For larger pests, he takes along bear spray. He also carries a GPS unit in order to record his whereabouts, and a warm jacket.
- Camera manual. That’s one item Gluns leaves at home. “If you have to read your manual out in the field,” he laughs, “it’s too late.”
- Good luck charm. “The only thing that I bring that would be out of the ordinary is Glory . . . to help carry stuff,” Gluns says. His partner, Glory Vitug—featured on the summer issue cover—apparently enjoys hauling the heaviest lenses for exercise.
At the end of each day, the photographer strips apart his bag and puts away his gear, to stay organized. Then the downloading, organizing, culling, and digital processing work begins, on one of his several computers.
