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Camera hood made from Ziploc bag
Travelers love Ziploc bags. Oh yes, we do. They have so many wonderful uses. We have to pack those 3 oz bottles of liquids in them, and they’re good for containing anything that might leak in your luggage. You can use them as a doggie bag for meal leftovers, as an organizational tool, and if you want to separate your dirty underwear from your clean, the Ziploc does the trick. Something else they are also useful for is to serve as a makeshift DSLR camera hood.
Cut the 2 bottom corners of bag and slip camera straps through
I read this tip online almost a year ago (but damned if I can find the link again), but didn’t have the opportunity to put it into practice myself until my recent trip to the El Yunque rainforest in Puerto Rico. Obviously, there’s a fair to middling chance it will rain on you in a rainforest. If you’re too cheap to invest in a camera hood (like me), you can make do with a gallon Ziploc bag. Just cut the two bottom corners of the bag. Unfasten the strap of your camera from the camera body and slip the body into the bag. Then slide the ends of the strap through the bag holes you’ve just cut and attach to the camera as usual. You will shoot your photos through the top opening of the bag, but you can also zip it shut between uses to keep your camera nice and dry. The bag is thin enough that your fingers will easily locate and press any necessary dials and buttons, and believe it or not, you can still see through the viewfinder and the clear plastic of the bag.
Shoot through the opening of the bag
I felt a little silly during the first hour or so at El Yunque, because it was sunny and there was no rain. The Ziploc bag on your camera does look kind of dorky. But believe me when I say I was very happy I had it on a little later when the skies opened up and it really started pouring as we were hiking through the forest. It would have been a shame if I couldn’t get photos of such a beautiful rainforest due to a fear of getting my camera wet.
Brook at El Yunque
Bridge at El Yunque
El Yunque Rainforest
