GEAR : Cancun Destination Wedding with Two Carry-Ons /  by Glenn Fajota

If you have traveled abroad, you know much hassle it is to go through customs. From re-checking your bag to the random luggage searches and even all the paperwork. One way I eliminate that is to travel with just my carry-ons. One backpack with my camera gear and one roller case.

My backpack always stays with me and in it has all my essential gear. Cameras, lens, laptops. The bag I have been using more and more lately is the Lowepro Protactic AW because it can fit a lot and has even more storage options with the external molle system.

In my roller case, I have my clothes, backups (batteries, hard drives), power cables, toiletries and anything else I can fit in there to alleviate the weight off my pack. I am based in Norfolk/Virginia Beach and our main airport is not a major hub, so for most of my flights, my layover is a short hour or so flight to larger city. These small regional planes don't have the normal overhead bin space as normal passenger plane so I have to check in my roller, which I pick up at the gate when I land. But in some cases, that baggage handlers below checked my bag to my final destination and that means there's a chance I might lose the precious cargo.

Traveling to Mexico to shoot a destination wedding, stock footage as well some leisure time, it would be hard for most to carry everything in two carry-ons. This video I show you what and how I packed for this trip. Enjoy!
 

Lowepro Protactic 450 AW
Canon 5D III with grip
Canon 5Ds
Canon 15/2.8
Canon 24/1.4
Canon 50/2.5 macro
Canon 50/1.2
Canon 135/2
Canon 580ex II
Canon CP-E4
T3 Gear 2 Day Collapsible Pack
15” Macbook Pro

Pelican 1510
ZPacks Cuben Fiber Dry Sack
Manfrotto Nano Light Stand
Impact Sandbag
 

GEAR : CPS Canon Professional Service Loan /  by Glenn Fajota

As a Canon CPS member, you are entitled to equipment loans which you can request by email. You have the loan for a duration of (10) days, starting when they ship it out til the day you send it back, so to be safe, you have about 7 days to test out the gear.

For this particular request, I asked for the Canon 5Ds and Canon 50/2.5 macro lens. I wanted to see how far I can push the megapixels while shooting in Cancun. I currently use the Kenko extension tubes for my 'macro' shots but I wanted to see if the price was worth getting a dedicated macro lens.

Want to become a Canon CPS member?

Canon EF 50mm f/2.5 Compact Macro Lens

Canon 5DS Body

NEW HIRE! /  by Glenn Fajota

Accounting, Billing, Emailing, Scheduling, SHOOTING Photo and Video, Editing, Public Relations, Social Media, you name it, I did it. Although I would contract people throughout the years, HIREGFP was pretty much a one man team, working 12 hour days for years. I never complained because I knew what the end product was and that I loved what I did.

Many of you always asked how I made it all happen all while keeping a high end brand with high end clients. Well the truth is, even though I'm hanging off cliffs and traveling around the world, the workload back home was only getting deeper and deeper. Do I stay home and knock out the work or keep traveling to my clients and do what I do best. It was and still is hard for me to find a balance between the two. If I stayed home, I would get a lot of work done but then I wouldn't fulfill my clients needs. Now, if I traveled to shoot for my clients, I would satisfy their needs and my brand BUT the workload back at the home office would only grow.

If you have been following me on social media over the years, you know that I travel a lot. 4-5 days every week or to put in a year's perspective, I would be gone nine months of the year. I try to meet deadlines and correspond in a timely manner but it is impossible even if I was only traveling two days out of the week.

Well, I've finally succumbed and realized that I can't do this all by myself. My strength is behind the camera and in order for me to do that, I have to relieve myself of the pre and post production. There was only one solution, to expand and hire someone. Someone who knows my brand and values it just as much as I do.

Join me as I say bye to the 80 work weeks and say hi to Mary Anne Matel! She has worked with me over the years and understands why and how I run Glenn Fajota Photography. A handful of people applied but none fit the position better the she does. I am truly blessed to have her on board full time as the Production Manager at Glenn Fajota Photography.

The caveat of her position, is that she will be doing it all, including writing her own paychecks and being her own human resource department haha. So from here on out, please send all compliments and concerns to maryanne@glennfajota.com (;

Glenn Fajota
Owner, Photographer
Glenn Fajota Photography