In preparation for the tomorrow and Sunday’s shoots, I’ve tapped out my bank account. I bit the bullet and purchased several key items that will bring my location shoots to a whole new level. Not only that, but allow me to actually do some indoor stuff as well.

I found a guy on Craigslist selling his used backdrop support system for well under market value. He claimed he’d only used it once, but I could tell it had a few more miles on it than that. Either way, it’s in good shape, it’s good quality, with the added bonus of recycling. I then bought a 15 llb. sandbag – which is used to keep my stands from tipping over. I then realized that I wouldn’t be able to afford any serious overhead sunshades (known as a Scrim Jim) and didn’t have time to make one, so I did some serious thinking about an alternative. I went back to Samy’s, asked them about an affordable alternative and bought a sunshade holder…or sunshade stand. Not sure what it’s called exactly. It’s basically a stand that holds my sunshade – which is pretty much like those car shades you put on your windshield to block the sun. Aptly titled, the sunshade shades the sun. They can also be used for reflecting and bouncing light. Neat huh? I’ve never used a sunshade stand before, so I’m hoping it will do what I need it to. Either way, it’s something that will definitely come in handy.

The bad news is, I’m broke. Photography is allegorical to a nasty drug habit. You always need one more fix and you always need one more piece of equipment. And it ain’t cheap either. The cheapo sandbags run about 20 bucks. Times 3, you’ve just spent $60 bucks without blinking. The sunshade stand runs about $80 and it’s not even what I really wanted. I really wanted a super-clamp which is the “all purpose clamp things to your stand” clamp. They don’t call it “Super” for no reason. It really is. The super-clamp runs about $150. So there you go. I’ll make due with the sunshade holder thingy and I’ll get some good use out of it.

Tonight, the major prepping for tomorrow begins. I’ve gotta take stock, run the day through my head, pack everything up, charge my batteries, and wash clothes. I’ve got 8 people coming to my house at 8am. I might want to wash some dishes too. I checked out the location this morning and it seems I might have found the one place in Old Town Pasadena you’re less likely to get busted shooting without a permit in. Here’s hoping.