No matter if I am shooting at home or abroad, I know if my bag could talk it would simply say, “Thank you!  Thank you for always bringing me on your adventures and getting to see some of the world’s most stunning natural beauty.”

Rachid Dahnoun
Photo by Ryland West

There is nothing better than shooting at home, especially when home is South Lake Tahoe, California.  About five months ago the board of tourism, Tahoe South, commissioned me to shoot a year-long landscape project documenting the beauty of our alpine paradise.

Photo by Ryland West

The goal was to show off Tahoe at her best and keep the shooting schedule loose.  That way I could chase light and weather when both were at their prime.

Rachid Dahnoun
Photo by Ryland West

I am a huge proponent of shooting light and fast.  My motto has always been, “If I don’t need it, I don’t carry it.”  This makes the Lowepro Flipside Trek 450 AW the perfect bag for me.  It has the exact amount of room I need for a mix of camera and outdoor gear while I’m out shooting.

Rachid Dahnoun
Photo by Ryland West

Below is a breakdown of my gear on a typical landscape shoot:

Camera Gear

Nikon D800E

Shutter Release Cable

Nikkor 16-35mm f/4 lens

Nikkor 50mm f/1.4 lens

Nikkor 70-200mm f/4 lens

Singh Ray 10 stop ND filter

Singh Ray Vari-ND filter

Singh Ray Daryl Benson ND-3 Reverse Grad

Lowepro S&F Memory Wallet 20

San Disk Extreme Pro CF Cards

Flashpoint Carbon Fiber Tripod

 

Personal Gear

Extra layers (varies depending on the weather)

Headlamp

Leatherman

Water Bottle

Snacks

Rachid Dahnoun
Photo by Rachid Dahnoun
Rachid Dahnoun
Photo by Ryland West

It is rare these days that you get more than a few days to work on an assignment let alone an entire year.  The flexibility to shoot through the seasons and only be dictated by the weather (rather than your client’s deadline) has been a welcome change in the fast-paced world of commercial and editorial photography that I generally work in. It has allowed me to focus on each individual image and give each location my full attention.

Rachid Dahnoun
Photo by Ryland West

The project is now half complete and these frames are just a few of my favorites. Enjoy!

Rachid Dahnoun

Rachid Dahnoun
Photo by Rachid Dahnoun
Rachid Dahnoun
Photo by Rachid Dahnoun
Rachid Dahnoun
Photo by Rachid Dahnoun
Photo by Rachid Dahnoun
Rachid Dahnoun
Photo by Rachid Dahnoun
Tahoe Landscape
Photo by Rachid Dahnoun
Jessica Medina

About Jessica Medina

Jessica Medina is the WW Marketing Communications Manager for Lowepro. You can reach her at jmedina@daymen.com

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