This year I’ve been hearing a lot of positive feedback from my second shooters and the videographers I’ve had the honor to work with. So often I hear things like, “You’re so organized!” or “You really seem to have your stuff together!” or “Is there anything you DON’T carry in your bag of tricks?” The thing is, a lot of what I do and how I organize my gear has to do with trial-and-error. There are also a few things I’ve picked up from other photographers who I’ve had the chance to learn from through workshops or training opportunities. There really isn’t any magical process to make sure things are organized or in their proper places. In fact, it actually makes my life SO much easier!! I can’t tell you how many times I have left lenses behind at receptions. And I’ll never forget the day I got a phone call from a reception venue asking me if I was missing a speedlight and light stand…yep…I left my whole OCF (off-camera flash) set-up behind the night before. HOW someone can do that is beyond me!! Yet, I still managed to do it.
I think I first heard about Lenstag in one of Susan Stripling’s CreativeLive courses a couple of years ago. I’ve had an account with them ever since and I have to admit that it’s really helped me stay organized by providing an easy-to-use list of what I own. The benefits of using Lenstag are pretty clear when you open an account!
Why I Use Lenstag
- I’m able to register the serial numbers of the equipment I own, along with pictures of each piece of equipment in order to have an organized list for insurance purposes. In case anything I own gets damaged or is stolen I already have a detailed list of items I can provide my insurance company for a replacement.
- If I want to purchase a piece of used gear I can hop online to Lenstag’s website and search the serial number. This will help verify whether or not the lens or camera body was registered by another person as stolen. If it was stolen I know NOT to make that purchase. Imagine being able to crack down on theft and catch the people attempting to resell these pieces! It also increases the chances of the photographer getting their stolen gear back.
- Lenstag also provides you with a column in your database showing the new and used (depreciated value) of your equipment. This could come in handy for insurance purposes, of course. But you can also use this as a quick glance page when you’re thinking of pricing your gear for sale.
What’s even better is this whole entire service IS FREE!!! All you have to do to take advantage of opening an account is enter in your email address and contact information. That’s it!
So, what are you waiting for?!
CLICK HERE to register and start taking advantage of your own Lenstag account today.
