alittlenews

Austin's Jamael Johnson leaves the field during one of the periods of heavy rain as Austin battled Cullman Friday night in Ogle Stadium. Photo by Gary Cosby Jr. 10/30/09

The little kids rhyme, “Rain, rain go away, come again another day,” seems to be the thing that Alabamians are saying these days.  There have been few weeks this fall without rain and I mean a lot of rain.  That has made Friday night football a bit damp this year and has caused my kids soccer schedules to be shredded.  I know, soccer usually doesn’t care about the weather but the city of Hartselle is really fond of their new soccer fields and they are very protective.

What this means for photographers on the sidelines is we have to continually fight the moisture wars.  At the big venues like the college games I get to cover from time to time I see the big boys from Sports Illustrated and other fine organizations rolling out with those high tech rain covers with eye pieces that fit their cameras precisely.  Yeah, that would be nice.  Since The Daily has not seen fit to spend a few hundred dollars on rain covers my approach is decidedly low tech.  Lets just say that my rain covers would do the Beverly Hillbillies proud.

I usually pay a visit to the local Wal-Mart or grocery store and pick a box of trash bags.  Yep, you heard me right.  I am covering a $5,000 camera and $5,000 lens with a bag that can’t possibly cost even 50 cents.  I know what you are thinking so stow it!  (GRIN)  Really, the everyday trash bag has some decided advantages over the hundred dollar high tech fabric weather shield.

First of all, it is downright cheap.  Secondly, but more importantly, the things are completely impervious to water.  For those of you who don’t have a dictionary handy that means they keep the water out.  Thirdly, they can be easily manipulated to fit whatever lens-camera combo you are using, kind of the ultimate in one size fits all.  Fourthly, (is that even a word) they are cheap so if I lose one I don’t have to worry about going back to the boss and trying to explain how I lost a hundred dollar rain coat for the camera.  Fifthly, (now I am pretty sure I have gone beyond the bounds of English) MacGyver is my hero and I want to do him proud so a trash bag and a roll of gaffers tape would get a thumbs up.  Heck, he would probably fashion a parachute out of that much hardware!  Or a hang glider.  Finally, did I mention they come in black and white, and sometimes brown?  Fashionable and cheap, now there is a dynamic duo.

Cullman's Connor Adams evades a diving Austin kick off team player as Austin battled Cullman Friday night during a heavy rain storm in Ogle Stadium. Photo by Gary Cosby Jr. 10/30/09

Now there are some problems with the trash bag turned rain coat.  First of all you kind of look like a hick.  Secondly, you get a bit of an inferiority complex standing next to someone with that nice Aquatech with fitted eyepiece.  Thirdly, the thing flaps around a lot in a high wind.  Fourthly, (here I go again) it can be a little difficult to keep the little opening you have to tear for the eye piece actually over the camera’s eyepiece.  Fifthly, (did you know that when doing point and counter point that if you have a fifthly in your points you need a fifthly in your counter points even if you are not sure that fifthly is an actual word?) if water does get inside your bag it can really make a mess.  Finally, did I mention that you look a bit like a hick?

For you big spenders, there is an alternative to the garbage bag if that is just a little to ghetto for you.  You can buy a really cheap rain suit and then cut off the leg to the appropriate length using the gathered end over the lens and the open end over the camera.  I think you can buy those near disposable suits for a couple of bucks and they actually raise your status from ghetto to simply wrong side of the tracks.  You might even fool the unsuspecting newbie into asking where you got your slick rain cover.  Then you will really make MacGyver happy.

Photos copyright Gary Cosby Jr., The Decatur Daily.  The opinions expressed in this blog are my own and do not necessarily reflect those of my employer.