Toronto's Union train station in the heart of downtown.
Wednesday. My day off. Today I have been busy getting ready for the Montreal Hard Liquor and Porn party, Darryl's sixth installment with added francophone humor. Thursday and Friday I am to be on Felicity to finish off the show. So there won't be any time to prep for the trip to Montreal after today.
First stop the train station. I decided to take the train. It's a five hour ride from Toronto as opposed to the half hour flight by plane. The nice thing about going by train is you don't have to worry about electronics being turned off, looking for a light to stay seated, and taking a cab from downtown to the airport and another cab from the airport to downtown. Or if not a cab whatever transport you decide to choose. The train leaves from downtown and drops you off downtown. Nice.
The agent selling the tickets picked up that I was a novice train traveller and tried to perk my interest with the fact that travelling by train is a great way to meet people. Leaving one city single and entering another one romantically involved. He told me that the romance factor increases on the train. You're stuck sitting around people you don't know and they can't get away. He referred to all those movies where strangers would meet on a train and get married in the city they arrived in.
Trains going through dark tunnels. There's something to be said about that. As a movie buff I then brought up the fact that people usually get murdered on the train, and usually in that same dark tunnel or at least during the night. From Russia with Love, The Spy who Loved Me, Terror by Night, and even Silver Streak. With the exception of Terror by Night, there's someone getting some by the end of the movie. I guess Sherlok Holmes didn't need the sex with all the cocaine he was doing. George (played by Gene Wilder- Silver Streak) got some probably because he knew how to garden and plant. It's nice to know an ordinary character (not just James Bond) can get the girl in movies. Isn't that what movies are all about?
Once I picked up my tickets the next stop would be the camera store. Specifically to pick up stuff that would help with the shoot. One thing I've noticed while shooting in crowds of people is my camera bag is cumbersome. It's a bit heavy with all the gear but it also gets in the way as I try to squeeze through people. Also it takes time to open it up, grab a lens, should I choose to change lenses, and close the bag again. The solution I was looking at was a belt/harness contraption. You would buy individual pouches for each lens/accessory and hook them on. The main advantage is even weight distribution over the body.
The belt and shoulder straps came to about $100. The pouches were about $20 or more each. As I'm not made of money or could justify spending the money I decided not to get it. If the photoshoot were to pay big bucks or involved running around (literally) then maybe. But for now the camera bag would have to do. Even if it means saying "I'm sorry for hitting you with my camera bag" in french. "pardon moi." I don't know "the camera in the gut/head/or body part"part of the saying.
2 comments:
I have had the same camera bag problem, especially since I use a couple of bodies and quite a few lenses interchangably... my solution: a fisherman's vest. Mine is an excellent green Hillary (the mountain climber) camping vest, and I've sewn a few extra large pockets for papers and maps on the inside with snaps to shut them. It already had a variety of large and small open, button, velcro and zippered pockets and can hold up to seven (mind you, some are very small) of my lenses, and include my wallet, papers and pens, a good supply of film, and my sunglasses. I can quickly grab the lense I want, or another roll of film, because I know which pockets contain what. The only thing outside the vest is the camera bodies themselves, which I wear on their straps around my neck, and then I can protect them from the bumping masses, holding them in front of me. Fully loaded, the jacket is a bit bulky, but nothing swings, everything is exactly located within easy reach, it fits under a large coat or over a small one, it isn't hot to wear in the Summer since it's just a vest, and, as if all these benefits weren't enough, it makes sure the weight is more evenly distributed so you don't have one sore shoulder the next day (which was the original reaon I went and got a vest)! I got mine at a Sears Outlet store for something like $25, but you can find multi-pocketed vests in a variety of styles and colours at many affordable stores. If you get yourself a vest, Derek, I can even help you sew a few extra pockets if you need them.
Good luck with the romance on the train. Maybe you'll bump some beautiful lady with your camera bag...
He may bump some beautiful lady on the train, but it won't be with his camera bag.
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