In more than 35 years of photographing everything from national events to folk acts in Europe, I’ve never had my gear ripped off. Unfortunately, that changed Thursday night.
I was working a sold-out benefit for the N.O. Musicians Clinic at the Howling Wolf. My black camera bag was gone when I came back to get it where I left it, behind the NOMC t-shirt tables. The tables and boxes of shirts were backed up against a wall next to the small bar, inaccessible from anywhere but in front. It’s inconceivable to me that someone could have gotten back there and taken th bag, but I scoured the area and it was not there. Friday afternoon I went back to the club to look again, and informed Howie of the situation. I found nothing.
Bottom line: $1800 worth of gear is gone. NOT the 5D, thank goodness, or my 70-200mm long lens and flash. I had those around my neck when I went to shoot in the Green Room.
Here’s the list:
Lowepro Magnum AW bag – Virtually new, black, style with sewed-on side bags and strap, not the metal swivel strap type
Interior is blue, with one grey divider
Canon 28-70mm f.2.8 USM
Canon 1.4x Extender in stock leather pouch
Canon BP 511 Li-ion battery
Impact IMBP511A Li-ion battery
Canon Compact Battery Pack E (six AA’s, velcro flap)
Metal/foam CF card 4-slot “book”
3 Lexar Pro 133x CF cards
77MM lens cover, camera body cap and rear lens cap
My beloved Swiss Army knife, found on the train in Lausanne in 1985. (Actually once returned by the TSA in Chicago after confiscation and dumping.)
And oh yeah — my Saturday ticket for Jazz Fest.
There were business cards in one of the pouches, but likely they would have been tossed. Ditto for my 2007 Jazz Fest mini-notebook.
If anyone happens to bump into any of this stuff, please contact me ASAP. Thanks very much.
Jef Jaisun
206-963-5604
www.jaisunphoto.com