Rain Gear (and Why You Need It)

You’re shooting outdoors—anything can happen. Especially when you’re heading out to a dawn shoot when it’s still pitch black outside—that rain can sneak up on ya. So, you’re going want to have some rain covers with you, but also for those awesome opportunities right before a rain, or right after, where it might be sprinkling (or about to), but you want to be shooting. They make expensive high-end rain covers, but I think those are more for folks like sports photographers who will be shooting in the pouring rain for hours. Instead, get something small and lightweight that you can keep in your camera bag and pull out whenever you need it (the best rain gear is the one you will actually carry with you). The smallest and least expensive are the OP/Tech Rainsleeves. I think of these as emergency covers, and they kind of look like a plastic bag with a hole at both ends. But, if you get caught out in rain you weren’t expecting, at least these will keep your gear dry, so you can shoot for a while longer. They’re super-cheap (a set of two is just $7). However, a big step up from those quality-wise are the Think Tank Photo Emergency Rain Covers (don’t let the name fool you—these are awesome and not just for emergencies). They fit easily in your camera bag, they’re simple to use, quick to deploy, and they’re an amazing deal for the money (around $35 at B&H). If you can spring for the $35, they are well worth it.