Robert Reed and his tap group, St. Louis, Missouri.

For a little Get Out section art previewing a tap festival, I joined Robert Reed and his tap group for a portrait at an arts center near downtown several days ago. What better elements are there to work with when you have a fabulous set of tap dancers, red uniforms, a huge white curtain and a slate gray floor? I used a simple one light setup with a flash bounced off a giant silver umbrella right behind the camera. The white curtain’s texture was a glorious reflector.

By the way, thanks for all the bag comments from the previous post. Right now I’m test driving a Think Tank Speed Demon for a couple of days. It’s rather large and a bit cumbersome, but it sure saved my back while covering a funeral in Maplewood.  Thanks Mike, Tom and Lisa for your advice. It genuinely helps.

So I’m curious to know what kind (if at all) belt systems you use and if you would mind explaining why you like it. The ThinkTank and LowePro gear has piqued my interest. Are they a hassle to get on and off, and what is the smallest “bag” per se that can fit on a belt pack and not get in the way.  Lastly, does your employer pick up the cost of a bag or do you just pad the mileage? Oh wait, no one does that.

Please write in, my back begs for mercy.