Photons to Fotos

i have reached a long suffered conclusion…the main detractor from the photographic experience is the weight and bulk of the camera bag….

to be clear…i have a fetish for bags in general…a fetish which i fuel with a long and frustrating search for the perfect setup….hours are spent playing with velcro separators, weighing lenses and rearranging things to try and save weight and increase efficiency.

Moreover, it is also perfectly clear, that taking the perfect photograph has precious little to do with how much stuff i am carrying around and much more with the ability to lose myself in the moment and focus on the light, my surroundings and the photo/look/lighting i would like to achieve

but a bit like driving a classic car, or writing a letter with a good fountain pen…the instrument becomes part of the experience…in the same way that shooting with a manual focus SLR like my Nikon FM2n or my Nikon FA is not only about the photograph, but also about the tactile sensation of mechanical dials and the film being exposed, then also the bag, and the way in which it is packed is part of the seamless process of taking a good shot.

its tied, i guess, to the difference between shooting for pleasure and shooting a wedding…the first is meant to be a relaxing and sometimes cathartic…the second is bound to fulfilling the expectations of the client and being prepared for changes in lighting, setup and for the opportunity of a candid shot to delight the bride and groom.

i have gone from a snail like ambition to carry all my gear with me (14kg plus) to a couple of bags with different setups with a limit of not more than 9kg per bag…Part and parcel of this process, is disciplining myself to visualise what i want to achieve before setting off, and packing accordingly. there is always the fear of not having the right lens with me…but part of pushing myself to be a better photographer is to understand the need to plan and previsualise and also to appreciate that the right shot depends less on having the perfect lens and more on working with the tools at hand, the subject and the lighting to achieve something remarkable.

my current favourite bags –

Lowepro Pro trekker 450 aw II…..Large, capacious and very protective of my gear. not the best bag to carry around on a shoot…its heavy empty and because of its shape there is no weight centralisation at all. its ideally suited to carrying kit to a shoot, travelling on trains and planes but not to hiking, or travel photography once at location.

Think Tank Urban Access 15…My new favourite bag for travel, light hikes, street photograpy and general duties. while it holds a lot of gear, and the side access is definitely comfortable, it is not that efficient when carrying a tripod, and i suspect that it will not hold up as well as my Lowepro gear

Lowepro Flipside backpacks. – I have a couple of these and have had more in the past….light, efficient but the rear access, while useful in the city, is not my ideal access when in the countryside…i am always concerned with the gear which is in the outside pockets being banged against rocks etc

Think Tank Retrospective 30 – Stylish, strong, long lasting, it can hold quite a lot of gear….at the expense of protection to some extent because of the slim dividers, and comfort….I cannot bring myself to carry anything more than 3kg in this bag for any length of time

the odyssey continues….any recommendations or hints, please do feel free to comment.