ppage wrote:
I ask this with some trepidation anticipating some ridicule...
I will be photographing some high school sports soon. Would it be good to wear a vest to hang my press pass on and carry around some crap? Kind of look the part and differentiate myself from the parents on the sidelines with cell phones and what not. Most of these vests are hilarious. What am I going to do with 21 pockets and zipper handles dangling everywhere? I was hoping to find something kind of simple. Do any of you guys wear them in this setting like sports or events?
I ask this with some trepidation anticipating some... (
show quote)
Yes, I regularly wear a vest at sporting events. In fact, the only time I don't is when it gets REALLLY hot (upwards of 95F).
For that purpose, I DO NOT buy photo vests. Instead I go to Walmart or Big 5 Sports and buy a fishing vest. $15 to $20 and they work fine holding extra batteries, memory card cases, business cards, cell phone, etc. etc. etc. The $15 Walmart fishing vests wear out after 2 years. As a result, I've never had to wash them... by the time it starts to smell funky, I've worn holes in the pockets anyway. So I just throw it away and replace it.
The last time my local Wallymart didn't have the really cheap, lightweight vests in stock, so I ended up buying a bit more expensive ($20-$25) vest at Big 5 instead. It seems a bit better made and likely will last 3 or 4 years, so I may have to empty all the pockets and launder it once or twice
At most events it's filled with 6 or 8 spare batteries, 2 or 3 Pelican memory card cases, a handful of biz cards, micro fiber lens cleaning cloths, Kleenex, snack bars and string cheese, cell phone (set to silent), and more. Pockets aren't large enough for lenses or spare cameras.
If you get a fishing vest, they often don't have the open mesh like photo vests do... might even have a double layer of cloth on the back to provide a pocket. Just buy a bit larger size so it's loose fitting to provide some cooling in hotter weather.
One thing different with fishing vests is that most have a little patch sewn on as a place to store extra lures and hooks. That's the only thing that gives it away, that it's not a "perfessional photographer's vest". It's simple to remove, if that bothers you.
I also have another rig: A Lowepro belt and vest that ARE designed for photography. It's fitted with assorted modular pockets that I use to store and carry my macro gear (two lenses, ring lite, twin light, flash bracket and a few other accessories).
BTW, an old pro I worked with for many years at a newspaper ALWAYS wore his photo vest. I don't think I ever saw him without it... even when he was at lunch or working in the darkroom! (I hope he had several... But if he did, they were all identical.)