It’s great when a pro shooter will let you peak into his camera bag. It’s even better when he’ll unpack the dang thing and explain all the contents… on the web.

John Harrington is an energetic, editorial shooter based in Washington DC. I’ve read and highly recommend his book, Best Business Practices for Photographers. I heard him speak at Photoshop World in Vegas last fall and at ASMP Strictly Business 2 in Los Angeles this winter. If you get a chance to meet or listen to John, consider it a must-do.

To get a sense of the diverse environments in which John must shoot, spend some time on his portfolio site. Then think about all the gear you’d have to have to face so many different challenges.

Now click over to John’s Assignment Construct. Of particular interest are the 30+ short videos in which he unpacks and discusses the various gear kits that he takes on assignments. There’s so much to watch. Perhaps the best place to start is with John’s intro to the videos.

A personal favorite is his Light Modifier Kit which includes a large collection of Plume and Chimera $oftboxes. John also demonstrates the very handy Mathews Road Rags.

Of course, if you’re into modifying light, you need stands. Take a peak at John’s Stand Case. It has just about every large and small stand known to man.

John is a Hensel shooter. If you’re interested in Hensel, you’ll find videos on the Vela, Porty, Porty Ringlight, and Tria 1500 / 3000.

There’s plenty of other really neat toys essential equipment as well. John does a nice demonstration of the California Sunbounce. Curious about the Kenyon Gyro, click here. Heard of a sound blimp, but don’t know how it flies – here’s the answer.

All of this is way more fun than reading the online specs from the NY superstores. John shows vignettes of nearly every item in use. He has also posted transcripts with each video in case you get impatient while the video stream is loading.

You will also want to check out John’s blog: Photo Business News & Forum. And remember, you should consider John’s book, Best Business Practices for Photographers, to be a must-read if you’re ever going to earn a penny with a camera.