Dear all, do you do anything special to guard against theft?

This is a constant worry that I have; and, to be honest, there's not much I've so far come up with to help. I try to put bags in less conspicuous/accessible place during the reception. That's about it. But this wouldn't stop a camera-loving guest walking up to the bags while I was busy elsewhere and going home with a $3000 lens in his pocket if he were so inclined.

Locks -- would hinder our ability to grab gear under pressure; wouldn't stop people taking the entire bag; and couldn't protect gear left elsewhere -- like cameras on tripods on the dance floor.

Tying bags to table legs or similar -- doesn't really seem that practical/possible most of the time.

Any thoughts?

I don't know about preventing it...but I'm always worried about it, which is why we carry a small bag with us at all times, something small that fits comfortably over the shoulder (s).

In it, is our batteries, cards, and car keys. And I'm 99% of the time with my camera. That way if our large bags ever do get taken, we have the bare-bones we need to at least finish that day.

Just had an idea - Place a Go-Pro on a light stand next to the DJ table and point it towards the spot where the gear is stored.

If anyone messes with your stuff, you have it on video and very likely of being able to identify the thief, especially when you inform the B&G of your loss of their footage.

Hey Jim...

Personally I love that idea, although in a dark room a gopro might be a bit obsolete... If I owned a gopro, I would most likely do this. Instead I'll probably just print out some signs to put on my case and on the wall behind it stating that this particular area is under video surveillance. Even though it wont be true, it might be just enough to detour someone from walking out with my gear.

I've had my H2 taken twice already (different ones), and it's an empty feeling.


Steve

If you manage to hit it off with the DJ you can station your stuff with their table and at least put forth the general impression that someone is going to notice if a sticky-fingered guest walks by and picks something up.

That spot tends to be very visible, as well. You don't want a spot that's not visible, but accessible; that just makes it easier. It should be a locked room or a spot out where everyone can see the thief in action.

Knock on wood - nothing has ever happened to me in the 5 years I've been doing this but I am always worried about it. Especially during a dark reception with a lot of people. Most of the time me and my other shooter are in and out of our bags so much that it doesn't seem too risky but there are times like when we are eating dinner, or heading outside for a quick photo shoot that I feel vulnerable. We do try to park our stuff as close to the DJ or bandstand as possible to make it more risky for a potential thief to try anything. I do like the ideas of the Go-pro and the surveillance signs!

Art

I say this only half-kiddingly:

are there not homing devices (such as the "Find My iPhone" app) that could be hidden in one's valuables?

If my phone happened to be in the gear bag, I could (conceivably) use my computer to track its whereabouts. I'm sure apple is not the only company to sport this perk.

Not that any of this would have dawned on me as I walked out to take shots with the photographer during cocktail hour.

Which is why I try to have the main bag of lenses/nicest camera with me always.

Just had an idea - Place a Go-Pro on a light stand next to the DJ table and point it towards the spot where the gear is stored.

If anyone messes with your stuff, you have it on video and very likely of being able to identify the thief, especially when you inform the B&G of your loss of their footage.

Let's just hope that the thief doesn't decided to take that as well :)

Home Depot has a small, round, window alarm by Doberman Securities called "ultra slim window alarm." Peel off the backing, then stick it on your case, bag, or whatever. Turn on the power. If someone picks it up or shakes it, a high pitch, 110db siren goes off until you turn off the power. Sells for about $8-10, weighs practically nothing. Hide the power switch so they can't find it and you're good to go! The alarm is SUPER loud and very annoying.

My worst nightmare ... Carrying so many expensive items with the risk of it being stolen!

When we were doing the bar band videos I had a Pelican 1600 in SCREAMING YELLOW for all my cameras. It was a great protection case, but I assumed the SCREAMING YELLOW would take someone with serious confidence to try and walk out with it. I also felt if it did walk away, people around might notice the color, and remember who was carrying it.

Brilliant idea.

I have a movement detector with very loud audio but I've never used it on a job because the risk of it going off as a false alarm is too great.

You can only do so much but I use a lot of these luggage padlocks:

2 x High Security 3-Dial TSA Combination Luggage Locks With SEARCHCHECK (Black): Amazon.co.uk: DIY & Tools

There are other versions with slightly longer flexible wire loops. They will secure most zips adequately to stop the pure opportunist - obviously they have their limitations.

I also have a couple of these Pacsafe cables to loop around bags and secure to furniture. Again to stop the opportunist:

Pacsafe WrapSafe Adjustable Cable Lock: Amazon.co.uk: Sports & Outdoors

I also have one of these Pacsafe nets. But they are not quick to use:

PacSafe 85 Secure Backpack & Bag Protector: Amazon.co.uk: Sports & Outdoors

Get locks with combinations rather than keys so you are not scrambling around trying to find the right key in the dark. Set all the combinations to the same number - you don't want to be searching around for bolt cutters at short notice :- )

Pete

no soft bag, use pelican style hard case , they usually have a hole to install a lock and you can attach them with a steel cable somewhere.

This is constantly a worry for me - especially as a solo shooter as I often have to have my gear set up in one room while I'm filming in another - and at churches where I'm outside filming the post-ceremony celebrations and my gear is inside! A while ago I was filming at a cathedral that was open to the public (including the ceremony chapel) and there were lots of tourists around!

I have to set up my gear and then get on with filming what is happening around me - If I leave setting up my equipment to the last minute - a whole host of things could go wrong - and If I gather it up before leaving a venue such as a church, I could miss so much good footage! I've even had my gear set up in a church while I've gone to film at the bride's house - I simply have no option.

Thankfully in 5 years I've had nothing taken :)

Often the venue has a reasonably secure place to store your gear, locking office, store room, locking closet, if you know who to ask. I always ask, whether shooting in a church, restaurant, arena, stadium. Many venues, even churches, have someone in charge of security. Just ask. Plus security cameras are getting more common everyday. Look for where an active security camera is pointed.

Sometimes when shooting outdoors, I use a steel cable and a padlock going through the handle of the Pelican cases (with padlocks too!) wrapped around a big tree, utility pole, or through a fence.

Buy insurance

Whilst it would be foolhardy to run a business without the appropriate insurances, insurance will not help out on the day property goes missing. Whilst many of the suggestions are sensible not all options are always available so I used the method that Peter suggested, flexible wire loops with combination locks.

I was at a venue where there the manage told me that a week before someone had walked away with all of the couples gifts that evening guests had brought and put on a table which had been set out for them. At some point someone had walked in from outside and taken them out. Nobody batted an eyelid as the staff thought that it must have been someone the couple had asked to do it and the guest thought it was one of the staff. When everyone is either partying or working few people if any would think anything if someone looking smart moving things, guests and staff would just assume that anyone walking away with a camera case was working with the videographer, yellow or not. I found that looped and locked in an open area was my most confident solution. If I ever left a camera on a tripod I use a combo cycle lock to loop through the handle and tripod legs.

Though in all of the 20+ years I was doing weddings I never lost anything to theft even before using the loop and lock. I did loose things through leaving behind though which were rarely there the next day when I went to collect them, except in churches. Anything I left in a church was always still there when I went back.

I have insurance of course but the disruption on the day - not to say increased premiums - would be a pain!

George I am interested how you chain your camera and tripod. I frequently have a camera/tripod on a church balcony that could easily be stolen!

Pete

I have insurance of course but the disruption on the day - not to say increased premiums - would be a pain!

George I am interested how you chain your camera and tripod. I frequently have a camera/tripod on a church balcony that could easily be stolen!

Pete

I agree about insurance as I said above, it's no help to you on the day but I think it would be daft not have not to have any though it's best to make sure items will be covered if left unattended, many policies will exclude that.

Locking my camera to the tripod, as in the the above situation is something I often did (I'm not doing weddings now), i.e. set up remote usually way before anyone is arriving at church, or the civil ceremony room. I used something like the item below through the camera handle and between the tripod legs and if convenient round a fixed post or even a chair. It won't stop a determined thief but may stop or slow an opportunist that may think they can just lift the camera off and walk away, even causing a clatter as the tripod comes up with the camera.

205 Combiloop Cable Bike Lock (http://www.cyclexpress.co.uk/combiloopcablelock.aspx?gclid=COTD7KSNsbYCFaHHtAodJlUAcw)

I had thought about motion alarms but feared they would go off either accidentally or someone moving the kit for a benign reason or just being over sensitive. I'd hate to be the one that had to go and switch it off during the vows or the groom speech, or even the first dance.

Hi Guys

In Churches with old fashioned type wooden pews it's hard to find something to lock the cable onto unless it's quite long ....I think the only thing in a pew might be the footbar near the floor which would mean quite a long cable. I have never locked cameras inside a Church despite the fact that I'm waiting outside for the limo to arrive with one camera and the 2nd cam is inside the Church ready to go. It's not very pleasant to think that people would actually steal from a Church and a wedding but I guess it happens!

At reception venues I use my custom aluminium trolley which takes all my gear and I normally befreind the DJ and park the trolley near his console so it's in his line of vision 99% of the time... stuff I'm not using is on the trolley and the bungee cords I use to keep everything in place are also fastened...never lost anything yet and never had an insurance claim yet either.

I have done some stupid things too like leaving a lav mic/transmiiter still clipped to the lectern and after a call to the venue the next morning I found staff had carefully put it away for me.

Maybe we need to have a "security officer" who walks around watching your gear ...That might be something we have to look at in the future or be obliged to employ a second shooter whose main job is not get extra footage but keep an eye on our gear. Common sense surely must prevail here and not leave $3000 lenses lying on tables where they can be easily picked up?

Chris