Nicaragua, Part 1

Nicaragua has been very interesting so far. Some highlights of the trip - 

* Being stuck in a hotel room for 3 days waiting for the helicopter to clear customs

* Taking a ride in the most destroyed taxi i've ever seen. It had 240,000 KM and looked like it had been in 240 accidents

* Surfing and being in the ocean through a massive rainstorm until getting chased out by very close lightning

* Driving my tiny car through back country muddy roads

* My friend stepping on a stingray (that was a lowlight actually)

I've been shooting some film and have a lot to develop when I get home, I cant wait to share!

The Art of Packing - Nicaragua

This installment of The Art of Packing comes to you from Managua, Nicaragua. I'm down here to install the aerial camera for a TV show that is going to be shooting for a couple months. Part of my job was to hand carry 6 massive cases of gear (totaling 398 pounds) through the airport and customs. Needless to say, I tried to keep my personal gear to a minimum apart from my necessary tools. Read about what I brought and why after the photo!

1. Ticket organizer - Steffy got me this as a gift from J Crew, it has slots for your boarding pass, money, passport, etc. It seemed dorky at first but its actually really handy.

2. Pepto Bismol - you never know when that empanada from the street vendor will wreak havoc.

3. Sunglasses - same cheapies

4. Domke bag - I love this bag! I use it on set as a sort of fanny pack for gear, or in this instance I removed the belt and used it to keep my cameras organized inside of my regular non-camera backpack.

5. Olympus XA2 - my newest camera, I think its going to be perfect for travel. Its truly pocketable and very discreet, I can keep it ready at all times.

6. Removable flash for the XA2 - not sure if i'll use it but you never know, I also have 2 spare batteries.

7. Yashica Mat 124G - when I have more time to compose and for landscapes, ill use this camera

8. Sharpie - for labeling my rolls

9. Film - 2x 100TMAX 35, 2x 400TX 35, 2x 400TMAX 120, 1x expired 100TMAX 120, 1x Lomo 400CN 120.

All of this fit in my normal size backpack with plenty of room for my computer, a book, water bottle, headphones and more. Since the Yashica is the most expensive camera at $240, i'm not overly worried about theft or whether I should take my camera places. I also have a small carry on roller with my clothes and tools. And that's it! 3 days of work, 5 days of fun, and when I get back i'll have a couple days to hopefully work and develop some film before heading to New York!

Clem's Classic Cameras

This weekend I found my dream camera store. A couple months ago while in Daytona Beach, I was in a little camera shop where I bought the Time Magazine camera for $5. They had a pretty cool selection but the owner told me that there was a guy at the flea market who had ten times his selection. I had to leave the next day and the flea was closed so I had to wait until next time to check it out. We just spent Memorial Day weekend up in Ormond beach so I made it a point to investigate. Let me tell you, Clem's did not disappoint. He let me come behind the counter and ogle his merchandise for the better part of an hour and was really friendly. The selection was just massive, old folding cameras, underwater stuff, medium format, SLRs, Leicas, and much much more. I ended up buying a vintage camera bag, an Olympus XA2, some expired film, vintage camera straps, and a couple of $1 point and shoots for my friends. His prices were reasonable and its great to get to play with the cameras in real life instead of just looking at pictures on Ebay! If you're ever on I-95 near the Daytona exit, seriously consider checking this one out.