Two homemade sandbags at 15 lbs. each

Any photographer knows that some sort of weight support for their light stands is crucial when you are photographing outside in windy conditions.  I knew I needed to come up with a sandbag solution very soon as I had several outside shoots in the books.

After checking the prices online for pre-made sandbags, I quickly decided that there was no way I was going to pay $35.00 for a 15 lbs. of sand and fabric.  I did a quick search online and soon found a very thorough tutorial on how to build your own sandbags from another photographer.  You can find the tutorial here.  After considering my lack of sewing experience, I asked my mother and grandmother if they would be interested in doing the project.  They graciously agreed and a couple of days later I had two 15 lb. sandbags, and enough material to make 4 more.  We ended up going with a 1” nylon webbing for the handle rather than the 1.5” because we couldn’t find it locally.  I think on the next 4 we are going to use the heavier webbing however.  The 1” seems to be strong enough, but I would feel more comfortable over the long run with a slightly stronger material.  So all in all, it was a great project that I would highly recommend to any photographer who is looking for some light stand support.  The most amazing part of all was the total cost of the project.  We managed to construct 6 sandbags for just over $20.00! So, divided out, that comes to around $3.35 for each bag! Quite a large difference from the original price of $35.00 per bag on B&H.  I think overall the project was a huge success.

Top view

Detail of the stitching on top to connect the nylon webbing

This is the back or underside of the bag

Detail of the stitching underneath. It is important to stich both sides for strength.

Stitching on the side of the bag.

As far as equipment goes, I decided to go with Canon rather than Nikon, primarily because of the current lineup of DSLR cameras. I found the 5DMKii to have many more advantages than the D700. The D700 is a great camera, and I love the solid feel and ergonomics, but 5DMKii’s sensor and the Canon EOS lenses were just too good to be beat. Having the same 21MP sensor as the 1DS Mark III at a fraction of the price was the motivating factor in my decision. I decided to go with fast lenses because the majority of my wedding work would be done in very low light. I ended up with the Canon 24-70/2.8, the Canon 70-200/2.8 IS, and a Canon 50mm/1.4 prime. I am looking to add a 4th lens to the bag on the wide angle side, most likely the 17-40/4 or the 16-35/2.8.

Regarding lighting equipment, I did a lot of research on what is being used professionally at the moment. I was heavily influenced by the Strobist blog and his use of lightweight strobes. I knew immediately that I needed a wireless triggering system to enable me to light my subjects from off camera, which is a necessity in high quality photography. However, I also realized that I would be photographing in a very fast paced environment, and needed automatic metering, so I decided to go with a RadioPopper triggering system, rather than Pocket Wizards. I am very happy with the Radiopopper system, although one of my receivers was faulty when I received it, and I’m still waiting for a replacement one to be sent.

I purchased 2 580exii flashes, one 430exii flash, and one White Lightning x1600 strobe. I also bought an assortment of modifiers and stands.