They say you know a woman by the contents of her purse.
While I've never investigated this claim, It's possible you can get to know a photographer by the contents of their camera bag.
So what kind of photographer did you hire?
Are they organized? Prepared? Minimal? Overpacked? Or a risk taker, who doesn't even have a bag? Although many items will crossover from one personality type to the other there are a few items that may tell you what kind of photographer you hired.
Personally, I carry a backpack. Included in my backpack are many necessary and sometimes unnecessary items. I am one of those people that "might use this for a session one day". I try to keep it as minimal as possible but I also have a few necessities that I believe every in photographer should carry.
One being a multi tool or some sort of cutting device. Scissors or a pocket knife will also do the trick. I just prefer a multi tool for the diversity. There's just been countless times I've had to remove tags from clothing that was newly purchased for a session or a screw that needed tightened on a stand or battery that needed replaced. You never know when a mutil tool could come in handy.
Another would be various lens filters or random items that give photos a little flair. While not all photographers or genres accommodate a creative motif to a photo. I consider them one of the most efficient ways to add variability to any session. Sure, you will go through many poses with alternate angles and depths but adding a filter or holding a sparkly wand just at the edge of the lens also creates a whole new opportunity to make that photo stand out as well. It also allows you to be a little more creative and look out for new fun objects that once again "might be used for a session one day".
Of course my bag is also home to my other lenses, flash, caps, portable light etc. Most things that other Photographers carry. But I also use my bag as a purse when I'm out and about at a session. It's well equipped with all the normal contents of my everyday purse such as mints, pens, notepad, my wallet, phone charger, chap stick and hygiene products. All the things girls need when stepping out of the house.
As far as the organization of my bag... That could be another story, but I know where everything lives and always puts everything back in it's place. I love almost everything about my camera bag and I've made it as prepared for the possibilities as I possibly can. So this is my question for you... Based off the contents of my bag, what kind of photographer do you think you hired?
Also... This post in not intended to be serious, its completely my opinion. Take it with a grain of salt and hire that photographer you've been following!
