First Las Vegas Photoshoot with Natasha Tyler

My apologies to those of you who actually take the time to read this blog.  I've been busy with other commitments and have not been able to keep up with the BTS postings of our shoots.  Have a bunch of them that I'm working on and I will get them up online as time permits.

Went to the NAB (National Association of Broadcasters) trade show a while back and since both the Star Trek Experience is no longer there and I'm not into drinking or gambling, I had some free time to schedule a couple of photoshoots and make some new contacts in Las Vegas.  The first of our two shoots was with Natasha, a model I met through Model Mayhem.

For this shoot we were working out of a TINY hotel room, so it was a challenge to try to find angles that would look good. Decided to use mostly prime lenses and shoot wide open to throw the background out of focus as much as possible. This entire shoot was done with the Sony a6000 with 3 lenses - the 35mm f1.8 OSS, 50mm f1.8 OSS and the PZ18-105mm F4 G OSS lens.

Our first set was a simple headshot next to a window. We improvised a reflector by holding up a white shoot thru umbrella right next to the model's face just out of the right side of the camera frame.

Not only was the room tiny, the furnishings were so old that they still had an old tube style television instead of a newer flat screen LCD or LED.  In this shot of Natasha in a black evening dress we hid that by carefully positioning the camera angle so that we could hide it behind her.

The lighting for this shoot was mostly natural window light mixed with a Cheetahstand (Godox) CL360 with a white mushroom adapter firing into the ceiling next to the camera position.

A Cheetahstand (Godox)V850 in a Westcott Apollo Strip was used to add edge lighting to the model.

The same lighting setup was used in this shot of Natasha reclining on the bed in her second evening dress.

Natasha was as great model to work with.  Was even up for having some fun with a "geek glamour" type shot. Again we used the camera position to hide unwanted elements in the background.  Sometimes it came down to where if either she or the camera moved even an inch to either side, we'd see stuff in the background.  Lots of trial and error on this shoot.

To close this shoot, Natasha changed into a white mens shirt and we had her recline on the bed for a few implied shots.  Would have liked to have gotten a higher vantage point for the camera, but the low ceiling didn't give us enough clearance to frame her properly.

All in all it was a lot of fun for my first official photoshoot in Las Vegas. A big Mahalo to Natasha for being such a great subject to photograph!

Gear Review - Think Tank Photo Hubba Hubba Hiney v3.0

The Hubba Hubba Hiney is one of our favorite Think Tank Bags to use when shooting with a mirrorless setup. Think Tank Photo recently came out with a V3.0 of this bag and although they do have an introductory video on their website, we received a sample to review and go a little bit deeper into the changes they have made compared to the older version.

You can find the specs for this bag on Think Tank's product page.  Overall the size/weight is about the same.  Color-wise they've gone with all black this time around which I personally prefer.

The front pockets have been enlarged and now extend to the bottom edge of the bag.

The loops to connect the shoulder strap have been replaced by metal D-rings.

They've also changed the rain pouch. In the previous version, the rain pouch was completely removable and was hidden in a zippered section between the front pocket and the main compartment.

In the new version, the rain pouch is now a part of the bag, and is is stored underneath the bag instead of between the front pocket and main compartment. This means less bulk in the wall between the front pocket and the main compartment.

This is accessed from the bottom rear of the bag and is closed with velcro instead of a zipper - making it easier to quickly take out and cover the bag with one hand while you're holding your camera. This is a welcome change for me - since I shoot a lot of weddings at the beach, over time the salt air can cause metal zippers to jam when they're not used much.

Inside the main compartment has not changed much if at all.  Some minor cosmetic differences but that's about it.

There are a couple of big changes though. One of the most notable changes is to the back of the bag - the belt loops are still there, but the velcro and plastic tab have been removed.  

Meaning you can't just slip over and onto your Pro Speedbelt like the older model - now you'll have to thread the belt through the loops.  

If you keep your belt setup configured a certain way all the time, this isn't much of an issue.  For me it's a bit of a hassle, because I use different pouch configurations depending on if I'm shooting photo or video.

The other major change to this bag is the front pocket. One of the things I found really useful about the Hubba Hubba Hiney is the organization and key/Pixel Pocket Rocket tether clip that is in this pocket.

In version 3.0, the organizational pockets and the tether have been removed.

Overall, the Hubba Hubba Hiney v3.0 is still a very useful bag for mirrorless shooters.  I'm able to fit a Sony a6300, 10-18mm wide angle lens, 35mm and 50mm prime lenses stacked on top of each other, and a small flash in the main compartment. Although I like the change to the rain cover, I really wish they had kept the organizational features of the front pocket and also the velcro style belt loops on the back of the bag.

If you find this review useful, please consider using the links on this page to purchase your Think Tank gear.  A small portion of your purchase goes to helping us maintain this blog and allow us to continue doing gear reviews.

Gear Review - Streetwalker Harddrive v2.0 and Streetwalker Rolling Backpack by Think Tank Photo

Think Tank Photo recently released v2.0 of their popular Streetwalker series of camera backpacks and we were able to put two of them through their paces and review them for our readers - the Streetwalker Harddrive v2.0 and the Streetwalker Rolling Backpack v2.0.

For reference, we will be comparing them to the Streetwalker Harddrive backpack v1.

(from left to right - Streetwalker Harddrive v1.0, Streetwalker Harddrive v2.0, & Streetwalker Rolling Backpack v2.0)

We're going to skip over the usual tech specs of each backpack, as you can see all the measurements on the product pages at the Think Tank Photo website.

Size-wise, the bags are all pretty much the same.  There are minor differences once you get into the bags.

The typical loadout we use in these bags when on wedding and event assignments consists of:

3 camera bodies - the Sony a7rii, Sony a7ii, and the Sony a6300 - both a7 series cameras have Sony battery grips, Peak Design Clutch handstraps and Spiderholter plates attached.
Zeiss 24-70 f4 lens
Zeiss 16-35 f4 lens
Sony 70-200 f4 G lens
Sony 85mm f1.8 G Master lens
Sony 30mm Macro lens
Sony Fisheye lens
Sony 10-18 f4 lens (mainly for the a6300)
Think Tank memory card case with 8-32GB Sandisk cards
Think Tank battery case with 4 extra batteries
2 - Yongnuo flashes and Yongnuo transmitter
MagMod Maggrips attached, with grid and gel set.



Streetwalker Harddrive v2.0

For the following images, the v1 is pictured on the left, and the v2.0 is on the right.

(v1 on the left, v2.0 on the right)

The Streetwalker series of backpacks is already one of the best camera backpacks around, so there wasn't much the people at Think Tank Photo could improve upon.  Most of the changes in v2.0 are very minor compared to v1.0.

Outside the bags look very similar:

Below on the v2.0 on the right you can see where they moved the loops for the tripod attachment straps from the top of the bag to the front just above the outside pocket. This allows you to access the inside of the bag while still having the tripod attached to the outside of your backpack.

Access to the laptop/tablet section has moved from the side of the bag to the top of the backpack.

The laptop compartment is now a completely separate compartment from the main interior of the backpack and also includes a slot for an iPad.

Inside the layout is pretty much the same as the v1

If you look closely at the top section of the bag, you'll see a small change.



On the v1 where the laptop section starts, you can see a small shelf - this is was because the laptop section of the v1 was a sectioned off part of the main interior.  On the right in the v2.0, since the laptop section  is now completely separate from the main bag, that shelf is now gone.

Below you can see how the same camera body (Sony a7rII with battery grip and Spiderholster plate attached) looks in both bags:



As you can see, there's not much difference in depth between the two bags.



The other small change is to one of the long dividers near the bottom of the bag.  They made it hinged so that you can position it over to the side to make room for another camera body with lens attached.  While you could do this with the older v1 bag, it's easier to do now on the v2.0.



So you can now store both camera bodies with the lenses attached if you want.

Streetwalker Rolling Backpack v2.0

I don't recall ever seeing a v1 of the Streetwalker rolling backpack.  The only rolling bags with backpack straps I've seen from Think Tank were the Airport Security v2.0 and the Airport Takeoff.

Streetwalker Rolling Backpack v2.0 compared to Airport Security v2.0:

The Streetwalker Rolling Backpack v2.0 gives you the option of using it as just a roller bag, or as a backpack, or as a roller bag with the backpack straps tucked in the bottom for fast access.

Compared to the Airport Security v.0, the Streetwalker Rolling Backpack is a lot more comfortable on your back since there is much more padding.

Compared to the Streetwalker Hard Drive v2.0, the layout of the inside of the backpack is pretty much the same.

(Streetwalker Harddrive v2.0 on left, Streetwalker Rolling Backpack v2.0 on right)

On the Rolling Backpack, the laptop section has been moved to the inside of the front flap:

Since the backpack incorporates a telescoping handle, the sides and bottom are slightly deeper than the middle portion of the bag. Below you can see the bag with and without the dividers.



The bag is almost deep enough for a Sony 70-200 f4 G lens to fit standing up (Streetwalker Harddrive v2.0 on left, Rolling Backpack on right).



The bag is more than deep enough for a gripped body (Sony A7rii with battery grip and Spiderholster plate attached)

The upper section of the bag is shallower, so a gripped body might stick out a bit, which would put pressure on the hotshoe.

I usually get around this by turning the camera over on the side.

It holds the same amount of gear as the Streetwalker Harddrive:

The addition of the handle and wheels to the Streetwalker backpack does add more weight.  The Streetwalker Harddrive v2.0 is 4.5lbs while the Streetwalker Rolling Backpack v2.0 is 8.2lbs, so that is a tradeoff you will have to consider.

Both of these bags were used on several wedding assignments and both bags were very comfortable to wear and securely held our gear just as well as the Streetwalker Harddrive v1.

We did notice when using the rolling backpack,  that we tended to use it more as a rolling bag instead of as a backpack, mainly due to the added weight of the handle and wheels.

When traveling interisland, we really liked the fact that the narrower profile of the rolling backpack (as opposed to the Airport Security v2.0 ) made it much easier when rolling it through the aisle of the plane.

If you are looking for a solid camera backpack that's comfortable and not overly huge, the Streetwalker Harddrive v2.0 is a great backpack for you to consider. If you already have v1 of this bag however, there aren't that many changes/improvements that would warrant upgrading to the v2.0

The Streetwalker Rolling Backpack v2.0 is a nice addition to the Streetwalker lineup, but the added weight means you probably will want to use it mainly as a roller instead of a backpack, especially if you have a lot of gear.

As always, if you purchase any of Think Tank Photo's products by using the links on this site, a small portion of the sale will go toward helping us continue reviewing products for our readers.  Mahalo!