What was in my bag when photographing Presidents Zelenskyy and Stubb?

I’ve read many times “What’s In My Bag?” articles by fellow photographers. I decided it’s now time for me to participate in this tradition and reveal what’s in my camera bag for event photography.

I started to think about the equipment I’m going to need right after I was hired to photograph the presidential meeting. Camera bodies, lenses, batteries and memory cards, they are all essential. Do I need other stuff as well? Flashes? Tripods? Do I need to rent or borrow something? I had only few days to plan everything. Also, I needed to consider which bag to choose. I have many shoulder bags, backpacks and a rolling bag for my gear.

I decided to go for my rolling bag, Think Tank Airport TakeOff. All the necessary equipment fit there well. As always, I had two camera bodies, Canon EOS R5 and R6. For lenses I chose Canon RF 14-35mm F4 L IS USM, Canon RF 24-70mm F2.8 L IS USM, Canon RF 70-200mm F2.8 L IS USM of my own and Canon RF 400mm F2.8 L IS USM, borrowed from Canon Finland. Thank you!

Some photographers use big tele lenses and monopods attached to them, especially in sports events.  It’s understandable, since these big lenses are quite heavy. The 400mm Canon lens I used weighs 3 kg. Holding the lens and waiting for the perfect moment will have your arms aching. That’s why I used Gitzo GM3551 carbon fibre monopod. It’s sturdy, lightweight, retracts to a small 54 cm length and easy to transport.

Event photography is sometimes unpredictable. Even though everything is thought out and scheduled, there is always an element of surprise present. That is why I brought along the compact Think Tank Vision 10 shoulder bag with a few extra lenses. It gave me a chance to move around with the essential gear, should that be necessary. This time I didn’t need this kit, but it’s always good to be prepared!

I bought Think Tank Airport TakeOff bag in 2013 before my journey to New York. It has served me well on many holidays and work assignments. I am also so happy with Think Tank’s awesome customer support! Years later I had a problem with the retractable handle of the bag, but Studiovarustamo fixed it fast, and free of charge. I have also received some spare parts for the camera bag from Think Tank. TakeOff bag is clearly made for heavy use, and I’m so happy with this excellent service.