Just because you pack expecting it photograph one thing should you leave the possibility open for something else to come up. It’s crucial when going out shooting on an assignment whether it’s a self assignment or not, that you are prepared for all contingencies in the event that something comes along. In order to do this you need to have an all purpose bag packed. Photographing birds in Texas we ran into one heck of a storm cloud making it’s way across the Gulf during sunrise. It was one of the few times that the birds weren’t the subject.
While the workshop centered around birding, knowing that this would be a new environment, everyone was told to bring a wide angle lens. This is why. While it wasn’t the main goal it was worth stopping for especially since the light on the birds wasn’t that great until the sun moved over the clouds. Having lots of gear can be nice but if you don’t have a basic setup for every scenario then that gear is useless. Knowing what to bring and why comes with practice. In this case it was the D5 and 18-35 f/3.5-4.5.