aows #12
the one rule I can't break when I purchase new camera gear
one bag to rule them all
When I buy a new piece of camera equipment to be used in the field, I have a couple of requirements it should meet, and one rule I can’t break.
It has to do something I can’t do with my current gear - in a meaningful way, not just minor improvements (like a slightly wider lens, faster AF or better high ISO performance).
It should be affordable. This means it’s reasonably priced, and I have the money to buy not once, but twice or even three times. If I buy gear I can barely afford, I’ll be afraid of taking it out in bad weather and I won’t use it to its full potential.
As small and light as possible, please. Even half a pound can make a huge difference on your back when you spend hours out there.
I try to stick to these requirements as much as I can, but I have one rule I cannot break no matter what: whatever I buy, it must fit in my camera bag.
See, we move a lot. Less so now with the pandemic, but still. We don’t have a permanent home and we switch continents a couple times a year. If I want to use something regularly, it has to come with me—I have to carry it everywhere. Keeping it to one bag makes everything much easier for me.
That’s also the bag I bring with me when I’m in the field taking photos. Since I can fit all my gear in it, I don’t have to make any decisions before leaving the house. I just bring everything!
More often than not, I have no clue what I’m going to be photographing that day. I like to stay open so I bring a telephoto along a wide angle lens, a small camera and a big camera, and so on. If I had to choose which ones to bring and which ones to leave behind every single time I go out, I’d have analysis paralysis.
What about you? Do you stick to “one camera, one lens”, or do you enjoy having as many options as possible?
new images
new videos
Come with me on one of my morning walks here in Indiana. I show you some of the spots where I made some of my favorite images. It might inspire you to do the same wherever you may live.
This newsletter, but in video form :)
I love my 35mm f/1.4 lens. It’s relatively wide, and really fast. It creates images that remind me a bit of the medium format look. So, I wanted to try other fast, but even wider, lenses. And that’s what I did!
and just like that, winter is gone…
We had a transition period of about 2 days. Almost all the snow and ice are gone, as temperatures have risen from the 20s (-5C) to the 50s (10C). I think I’m going to need a bit more time to adapt to the new landscapes, but I look forward to the new opportunities the spring will bring.
What are you looking forward to photographing in the spring?
Thank you for reading, I hope you all have an awesome week!
Adrian
Loved your morning walk video. I take the same 1-2 mile walk most days near my home. It is a forest walk and seeking out new compositions is a challenge. Quite often light dictates the mood, but my walk after watching your video resulted in a new approach. Thank you. I find that taking a different lens, different times of day, and the weather are what keep me fresh during this covid time of limited movement.
‘Analysis paralysis’, I love it !