A lot of people write up blogs on cool gear for Christmas. So I thought I’d help you guys answer the question “What does Braun want for Christmas (And his upcoming 31st Birthday, Dec. 23rd). Most of this stuff is gear I need for my Airstream tour or that I use on every shoot. Hopefully you guys can see some stuff to ask your honey for. CHEERS!

American Flag Patriotic Zippo Lighter Polished Chrome

On the Rock Glass and Ice Ball

Gepe Card Safe / Extreme Memory Card Protector – Neon  GREAT protection for cards. Bright colors keep you from losing it

SanDisk 32GB Extreme Pro CF memory card – UDMA 90MB/s 600x

Embassy Pen

Eno Double Nest Hammock Orange/Grey from Eagles Nest Outfitters – Airstream gear. Want to carry 2-4 with me for guests

Newer Technology Power2U AC Wall Outlet with USB Charging Ports (White)  Planning on installing 25-30 of these around these USB + Electrical Outlets around the Airstream!

NIKE TAILWIND SHORT-SLEEVE V-NECK Awesome Shirts for shooting or all things outdoors

Polaroid Z340 3×4 Instant Digital Camera with ZINK (Zero Ink) Printing Technology

Polaroid ZINK Media 3 x 4 inch Photo Paper for Polaroid Z340 Camera and Polaroid GL10 Printer – Pack of 100

You can never have too many Memory Cards!

Asic Onitsuka White & Black (Size 10 please)  BEST SHOES EVER!

BRAUN Gents Chronograph 

Braven BZ625BGB 625s Wireless Bluetooth Speaker/PowerBank – Retail Packaging – Black

Philips ShoqBox SB7210/37 Bluetooth Wireless Speaker (White)

New UGG® Australia Montgomry Chestnut boots size 10

Pro-Iroda O-Grill 3000 Portable Gas Grill – Orange

Mont Blanc StarWalker Metal Rubber Fineliner (8856)

GoPro Hero3 Black Edition HD Camera

Easton Mountain Products Kilo 3P – Ultra Light 3-Person 3-Season Backpacking Tent with Easton Carbon Fiber Poles and Airlock Connectors – 518738/SL

Advanced Elements AdvancedFrame Inflatable Kayak

Hasselblad H4D-50 Medium Format DSLR Camera Body Only   PLEASE OOH PLEASE OOH PLEASE SANTA!

Photographer’s are reliant on few things. We don’t need an office, break room, or even a water cooler. BUT you take away access to power from us and watch us squirm like a wall street firm on a bad day. If you’re shooting in a studio you have no worries at all. Plenty of plugs around right?! But if we go out shooting, scouting, digital back up etc…. we need a little help. WAHHH LA! Here are 3 great gear solutions for photographers that shoot on location for everything from portraits to advertising . We’ll start small and go big.

1. Mophie PowerStation. This little thing is as big as an iphone and will charge your phone, ipad, or whatever with a USB an impressive amount. While I was in NYC this week (for the first time ever) I had my phone open constantly looking at maps and taking photos. I also had an app that was tracking-recording my location through GPS, which SIGNIFICANTLY drains the batt.  So it was great having this thing to charge up my phone in my pocket.  It will also charge up a GoPro camera too. They also make iPhone cases but I’d rather have a device that can charge multiple devices.

2. The HyperJuice 100.  I took this bad boy to Africa with me since I wasn’t sure of the power availability and man was I glad I did. Shooting 30-60gb of photos a day and then backing them up at night on a laptop to 2 different drives required a bit of juice. This thing handled it like a champ! The 100 is about the biggest size you want to carry around with all your gear (including a laptop) on your back. It ain’t lite but it’s worth it.  I also use it to power the laptop while I’m tethering in the field. Def worth the investment! There are bigger models just in case you want to really torture your assistants…or if you are going back backing far far away for more than a day.

3. AlienBee’s Vagabon ii – Now as soon as I started writing this I looked up the Vagabond ii on the site and it’s being discontinued and replaced by a few other Vagabond models. I’m sure they are lighter and better.  But all I have is my experience with the Vagabond ii’s. These were my first battery packs for lights and I love them. I have 3 and they have powered strobes, christmas lights, fans, hair dryers, laptops etc etc etc. Great cheap solution for photographers for sure. HEAVY, absolutely, but not horribly. I’ve put them in a back pack and had an assistant follow me around with a light on a stand all over the city. Worked great. They also have clips to wrap around light stands, the weigh comes in handy on a windy day! Even when I’m shooting with Profoto’s, which has their own power system, I will bring one of these just in case there is power needed by something.

I’m going to blog about this little contraption from heaven very soon.

Here ya go. All three have saved my bacon more than once for sure and are all now a part of my travel gear.

HAVE FUN!

Braun

Soooo I want to start a series called TOOLS. Tools mainly for photographers and video peeps. Sometimes I will highlight big expensive tools. Sometimes I will highlight random little things. Both types are usually crucial and/or at least helpful to this group of professionals. And if you are neither photo or video nerds like us I’m sure there is a little gadget freak in ya to perhaps find a good use for such items.

NOTE!!!!!!! As of Today, the 2nd of May 2012, 2:30PM. I AM NOT SPONSORED BY ANY COMPANY. I do not receive toys or cash for free in exchange to be on this blog. (not saying I’m opposed to the idea) but I will definitely make this known if it changes. OKEY DOKEY? I just want to share stuff that I believe in and that I use on the regular with work and through life that I see has value to others. Help me help you.

FIRST Tool. The Belkin Mini Surge Protector. If you are like me you have far too many gadgets & gizmos that require an electrical socket one place or the other. WAH LA! This little baby is great when traveling. Instead of tearing apart your hotel room for all the sockets and scattering your junk across the room (increasing the chance that you will overlook and forget it later)…plug this guy in and keep everything central! So many things now charge off USB….iPhone, iPad, bluetooth, etc etc. so the 2 usb inputs are fantastic! The 3 prong plug can actually swivel which is super handy depending on where the socket is located at.  Well worth the investment for sure.

Let me know what you think. Was this helpful? Are you interested in more? What other types of stuff would you like me to highlight?

Cheers!

Braun

Do you ever see an image and find it just really grips you? Something about it draws you in to it. BOOM You’re visually inspired! Whether you know it or not what we look at becomes a part of you. Somewhere lingering in our subconscious… It’s there.

Today we are content junkies…and I am the king of the visually hungry.  We look at more photography, graphics, art, etc in one month than people did their entire lives 100 years ago. So for a few years I’ve taken up the habit and passion of archiving what I see on the net that really inspires me. I’m not saying each one fuels me to slay a dragon…I’m saying I simply dig it!

Over the past few years I have used TUMBLR.com which is really awesome.  I still am a big big fan of it. But recently I took a harder look at Pinterest once I learned it basically did the same as tumblr but offered a Category (they call it board) function. You may say to yourself ….WHY THE DEUCE DO YOU CARE ABOUT THIS BRAUN?!?!? Because I can now give clients a Board of only PEOPLE or CARS etc for us to start a dialogue of what we are both drawn to. Advertising or whoever jobs are all about clarity of expectations.  THAT is why! …..vs TUMBLR I have to look through my tumblr “Archive” and hope I can find (and remember) which month I posted a certain image too.

So as of a few weeks ago I have officially switched from tumblr to Pinterest. YOU WILL NOT FIND ANY RECIPES, WEDDING PLANS, OR BABY ROOM IDEAS HERE!

When I have a project coming up I will dive into my boards. Maybe I will like the lighting or wardrobe “this” image and the composition or mood of “this” image etc etc. Inspirations keep us sharp! BUT don’t over whelm yourself and forget to be you!

If you use Mozilla’s Firefox, there is a really great add on that will make posting 100 times easier and faster. Just right click and send it to which Board you want. PINTEREST RICK CLICK

Now after my explanation of why I have switched from Pinterest I must say I still absolutely love looking at my TUMBLR archive. It fuels me. Literally. Seeing the collage of what I find beautiful gets my heart racing and mind thinking of things to do.

My TUMBLR:

LAST NOTE! AND MOST IMPORTANT WHEN YOU START PUBLISHING YOUR INSPIRATIONS FOR THE PUBLIC.

DO NOT LET ANYBODY MODERATE OR CRITICIZE WHAT INSPIRES YOU. THEY CANNOT SEE WHAT YOU SEE!

Do your thing. Much Love!

BRAUN