The state of #infrastructure in the #UK is shocking. I can't collect my #bicycle from #bike shop in #Winchester due to overrunning works on the #Rail line. There's a footbridge where the supports suddenly became so dangerous that they have to demolish it and a landslip in close proximity in #Woking and the works are blocking trains. In related news, a footbridge over the #M3 near #Bagshot suddenly became so dangerous that it has to be demolished.

Preventative maintenance/inspections?

IN YOUR BAG: 1725 – C.M. Tucker

IN YOUR BAG: 1725 - C.M. Tucker

Hello! My name is Carmen (but I go by C.M. Tucker on social media). I’m a graduate student from the Greater Toronto Area.
I like to keep things light and compact because in addition to photography gear, I also carry my books and laptop in my bag. I squeeze in my daily photography fix whenever I have a gap between classes. I either take the bus downtown to do some quick street photography, or I take a walk through some of the hiking trails near campus. It’s all about making the most of the situation I’m in and trying to find something new and interesting in scenes and locations that I’ve been seeing nearly every day for the past 8 years.

For me, photography is a means of breaking routine. Taking a camera with me to school and to work is a reminder to see even the most mundane activities, like a long commute or waiting in the pizza line, as an opportunity for discovery.

I bought my first film camera off Etsy in 2016. It was a Pentax Spotmatic with a 55mm f1.8 lens. It’s still one of my favourite cameras to use today, but I find the all-metal build too heavy for me to bring as a daily carry. Instead, my go-to daily camera is now a Canon EOS Rebel G with the good ol’ plastic fantastic nifty fifty, a modern EF 50mm 1.8 STM lens. It’s a plastic SLR with a built-in electronic lightmeter. It’s the camera that lets me takes photos most efficiently, even though it doesn’t look “vintage” enough to be a conversation starter.

What I’ve learned since starting film photography (and after G.A.S. left me with more cameras than I knew what to do with), is that I want a camera that doesn’t get in the way and allows me to be confident in the shots I take. As a photographer, I don’t want people to notice me. Instead, I want to be the one noticing others.

But over the last month, my G.A.S flared up again, and I took the dive into large format, which is the exact opposite of light and compact.

I wanted to understand what makes large format so special. What do “movements” mean? What does it mean to shift the plane of focus? How shallow of a depth of field can I really get?

After much soul (and financial) searching, I finally made the leap. At first, I doubted if I was good enough or ready for large format. I mean, I still frequently miss focus and butcher exposure when I shoot 35mm. How could I be qualified for large format? But I learned that you don’t need to master 35mm in order to “level up” to large format. If anything, being doubtful of my ability actually made me more attentive and careful when shooting large format. So, out of the 30 images that I’ve taken with the Intrepid so far, I actually like more than half of them. A 50% success rate is a lot higher than what I typically get from a roll of 36 exposures.

I mainly shoot with a 6×7 Horseman roll back so that I can use 120 film. 4×5 sheet film is just too expensive. Plus, I didn’t choose to try large format because of the resolution it can provide (since you can easily get comparable sharpness with a medium format camera), but my goal is to try to use movements, which is a technical feature not commonly available on medium format cameras. Since I’m still just practicing, I’m shooting mostly macro photography either around the house or the local neighbourhood.

The gear haul

The bag: A large tan leatherette tote that I got from a 2 for $10 sale at a local mall. I like to call it my Mary Poppins bag because it feels limitless. I can stuff my laptop in it, my books, my lunch, and of course my photography gear.
But because the tote is essentially a storage abyss with no padding or sections, I have to wrap my gear in cloth to protect them. The wide mouth of the bag also makes it easy to pull gear out on a whim. I don’t have to swing a backpack around to my chest or set it on the ground to unzip. But it probably goes without saying that it’s not ergonomically designed for long, strenuous hikes, but as a tote that doubles as a school bag and gear bag, it’s more than enough.

The notebook: A bullet journal from Dollarama

The poetry book (behind the notebook): The Essential John Reibeitanz. An anthology of poems by the Canadian poet, John Reibetanz. I picked it from a used-book sale at Bookends from the Toronto Public Library. I find that there’s a relationship between written poetry and visual poetry, and so I tend to carry poetry books with me when I need some inspiration. I also have a short attention span, and I’ve unfortunately been reading fewer books as I get older, but poetry books are easy to flip through.

The cameras

The Canon EOS Rebel G with a 50mm f1.8 lens: A plastic, manual SLR with an electronic lightmeter. It has everything you’d need from an SLR but with half the weight.

The Intrepid 4×5 with a 135mm f5.6 lens: One of the most lightweight 4×5 cameras out there (you’re probably noticing a theme here) that clocks in at about 2.6 pounds. The Rodenstock Sironar-N lens is also small and light. It’s as tall as my bullet journal, as you can see in the picture.

The film: I don’t have any go-to film stocks, but lately I’ve been trying black and white more with Acros II, and I’ve been alternating between Ektar and Portra to capture fall foliage.

The accessories: A 20cm Manfrotto PIXI mini tripod for the Intrepid to sit on for low-level shots, a measuring tape so that I can measure how far I need to extend the bellows for macro shots, and the 6×7 Horseman roll back in which I load 120 film for the Intrepid.

Not pictured: My pen for my notebook, my cable release, and my jacket that doubles as a dark cloth.

While the gear in my bag is periodically changing depending on what kind of photography I’m interested in trying that month, my curiosity and interest for film photography has been a constant in my daily life for the last five years. I’ve grown a lot as a person and as a photographer through film photography. In “The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock,” T.S. Eliot writes “I have measured out my life with coffee spoons.” Well, I think I am now measuring out my life with film photography gear and milestones.

Instagram (cmtuckerly): <https://www.instagram.com/cmtuckerly/>

Youtube (The Undefined Photographer): <https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCssP1i1ZzAGP0GULP9cLPeQ>

Thank you and take care,

Carmen

Keep them coming folks, we need more submissions, so get your bag onJapancamerahunter.com

**Send me a high resolution image of the bag. Optimum size is 1500px across. Please ensure there is a bag in the shot, unless you don’t use one. The more you can write about yourself the better, make it appealing and tell us a story. Snapshots of your gear with a camera phone and no words will not be featured.
Oh and don’t forget your contact details (twitter, flickr, tumbler et al). Send the bag shots here. Not all make the cut, so make sure yours is funny/interesting/quirky. And please make sure the shot is of good quality, you are a photographer after all. **

Cheers
JCH

The post IN YOUR BAG: 1725 - C.M. Tucker appeared first on Japan Camera Hunter.

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IN YOUR BAG: 1724 – Stuart Hill

IN YOUR BAG: 1724 - Stuart Hill

My name is Stuart Hill. My home is in Scotland, my work is in Switzerland - my soul is in London.

A few years ago, I embarked on the journey to be either a photographer or an architect by signing up for a Foundation Course in Fine Art, ultimately deciding to pursue the latter: the logic being that if I pursued my ‘hobby’ professionally, it would ruin it for me. Well, I managed to avoid that – and so I am still fiddling around with all things photographic - many years later.

Monorail

Prior to Art School, I enrolled on an evening class at the local college, where I had access to a fully equipped darkroom and a collection of Zenith TTLs. At this stage, I owned an Olympus Trip – which was a beautiful birthday-present camera, but not adjustable in any way. After a long time of paper rounds and saving up, I upgraded to a Canon AE1, which globetrotted alongside me for the next two decades. I also embarked on designing and building my own monorail camera, using the school metalwork room at lunchtimes. One of my original design drawings is below:

I also advanced to setting up my own darkroom, with a Russian Zenith enlarger – the collapsible ‘espionage’ model, which was bizarrely - although rather conveniently - contained in an attaché case: a perfect sign of the times in what was middle of the 1980’s cold war – alongside a collection of used ice cream tubs as chemical trays and a huge demijohn full of water (there was no running water in the freezing roof space). This modest set-up had the advantage of honing my darkroom skills while enabling me to puff away on underaged, illicit cigarettes, well out of sight - and reach - of my parents.

I then got distracted by other life events, and having a darkroom was no longer practical – the Zenith was packed away in its espionage case for another day. That day never came, and eventually the introduction of digital scanners meant it was no longer required. I discovered ways of developing films using a changing bag and laptop, which no longer required hours in solitude away from the family – albeit the smoking secret did come out of the closet.

London

Eventually, in 2003, my eye caught an advertisement for a London camera dealer who was offering interest free credit on new cameras. After an amazingly quick trip into central London on the tube, I became a bit poorer - albeit the owner of a Leica M7/ 50mm Summicron. Once again, I had photographic wind in my sails! Rarely a week would go past when I was not developing at least one HP5, entertaining the family by lap-fumbling with the changing bag on the sofa, while reminiscing on the true joy of solitude in a dark place.

Fast forward another fifteen years and - in a moment of madness - I part exchanged the M7 body for a used M9. It didn’t take many high-decibel shutter-winds for me to realise the error of my ways. For months I perused the dealer’s websites, in a vain attempt to identify my M7 and buy it back - the one which had been around my neck for some amazing adventures. I could identify it easily, as it had some bright orange Kenyan sand in the viewfinder, which had reduced its trade-in value. Alas, I never found it. Of course, eventually I got used to the M9, and now that it has the patina of a much-handled old friend, I adore it too.

Paradoxically, buying the M9 did change my approach to cameras for the positive – perhaps bizarrely, I had never bought a used camera before. The M9 had surprised me with its reliability, and so I started to keep my eye on other second-hand gadgetry. A slippery slope ensued, resulting first in a Leica M4-P. When not wearing its half-leather case, this is a wizened old man of a camera – a true Hemingway -with numerous war wounds and unknown stories to tell: it seems to smell of oil and leather, possibly whisky. But it is nothing but a joy to handle, scrupulously simple and reliable - as silent as a maus.

The M5 was a Christmas treat when I should have known better – bought out of sheer curiosity about how a re-design project could apparently go so drastically wrong for an experienced camera manufacturer. This is the least used of all my toys, primarily because the side hung strap is a complete nuisance, clearly a case of ‘change for change’s sake’ - but an incredibly irritating one when the strap obstructs the viewfinder, often enabling one’s street photography victim to shuffle out of shot.

The R8 was the final addition to the bag-shot family. It was ordered in June 2020 and the package was not opened for fourteen months due to covid travel restrictions – a very long story of neediness. So, I am just getting used to this object of utter beauty, the overall handling quality of which came as a revelation. For this is what many - allegedly - believe to be the ugly duckling of the Leica pond. It is the only bag shot camera which has a functioning light meter, which is taking some time – and mental arguments - to get used to.

Not shown in the picture is a Hasselblad 500EL/M which completes my quartet of gorgeousness. Regrettably, on the return trip from Scotland to Switzerland it lost a coin-flip with my clothes (…best of three, of course). This stunning piece of clockwork engineering has just been hauled around the north east coast of Scotland and - after some tear-jerking episodes of utter frustration - has produced some stunning - and huge - images, all traditionally developed and printed in a reconstituted Highland darkroom: alas, without the Zenith espionage enlarger - the sponge attaché case packing having deconstructed into what appears to be a (possibly) toxic post-soviet honeycomb. Best to keep the lid on that.

As for the bag itself – this was bought from ‘Fossil’ in London in the January sales - around 2011, I believe – and it has sufficient pockets for most things to get lost – although, I confess, the bag shot is fake news - all of cameras would rarely be in that bag together, as the strap would inevitably break.

So, that is that: recent images - mainly but not exclusively analogue - can be seen at:

<https://www.calderhill.photography/>

Stuart Hill

Keep them coming folks, we need more submissions, so get your bag onJapancamerahunter.com

**Send me a high resolution image of the bag. Optimum size is 1500px across. Please ensure there is a bag in the shot, unless you don’t use one. The more you can write about yourself the better, make it appealing and tell us a story. Snapshots of your gear with a camera phone and no words will not be featured.
Oh and don’t forget your contact details (twitter, flickr, tumbler et al). Send the bag shots here. Not all make the cut, so make sure yours is funny/interesting/quirky. And please make sure the shot is of good quality, you are a photographer after all. **

Cheers
JCH

The post IN YOUR BAG: 1724 - Stuart Hill appeared first on Japan Camera Hunter.

#inyourbag #bagshot #bellamycamera #camerageek #cameraporn #camerabag #classiccamera #cooljapanesecameras #gearporn #insidethebag #japancamera #japancamerahunter #limitedcamerabag #specialcamerabag #whatsinthebag

IN YOUR BAG: 1723 – Andy M

IN YOUR BAG: 1723 - Andy M

I am Andy M. and live in Vicksburg, Mississippi, USA. I am a retired geologist and have been taking pictures since the late 1960s. I still use film almost 80 or 90 percent of the time because I like the traditional hardware and prefer the look of genuine black and white film. I have always preferred the most compact version of cameras for their specific format. That means Leica thread mount or M for 35mm, Rolleiflex or Hasselblad V for 120, and a Tachihara wood camera for 4×5″ sheets.

Being retired, I have time to wander around rural Mississippi, Louisiana, and adjoining states to look for urban or rural decay. Unfortunately, there is plenty of this subject matter in the US South.

Camera bag

Leica IIIC travel kit

During a recent trip to North Carolina and New England, I packed very light, with just my little Leica IIIC. This camera has been in the family since 1949, when my father bought it and the Summitar lens in Guam. It has traveled all through Asia, Europe, and North America and recorded family pictures during the 1950s and '60s. I took the IIIC to Nepal in 2017, where people were amazed that a 70-year-old camera still worked so well. I had to explain that there was no LED screen for them to look at the pictures. Don Goldberg (DAG camera) recently gave it a complete overhaul

This was my North Carolina travel kit:

Tenba BYOB 7 bag

Leica IIIC body

5cm ƒ/2 Summitar lens

50mm ƒ/2 Jupiter-8 lens

Series VI filters and adapters for the Summitar and Jupiter-8

Yellow and dark yellow direct fit Summitar filters

Gossen Luna-Pro Digital light meter

Misc. cleaning cloths, business cards, cable release

Note pad and pen

A Leica table tripod went into my luggage as well as a spare Luna-Pro meter. Kodak BW400CN and Portra 160 film went in a clear zip-lock bag, which the airport security people could manually inspect (no X-Ray).

Tenba BYOB camera pouch

When I travel by car, I usually pack a tripod and the Hasselblad or 4×5″ camera, but I often tuck the IIIC (or my M2) into the corner of a camera bag.

Thank you for reading. If you want to see some of my urban decay work, please visit:

worldofdecay.blogspot.com

Keep them coming folks, we need more submissions, so get your bag onJapancamerahunter.com

**Send me a high resolution image of the bag. Optimum size is 1500px across. Please ensure there is a bag in the shot, unless you don’t use one. The more you can write about yourself the better, make it appealing and tell us a story. Snapshots of your gear with a camera phone and no words will not be featured.
Oh and don’t forget your contact details (twitter, flickr, tumbler et al). Send the bag shots here. Not all make the cut, so make sure yours is funny/interesting/quirky. And please make sure the shot is of good quality, you are a photographer after all. **

Cheers
JCH

The post IN YOUR BAG: 1723 - Andy M appeared first on Japan Camera Hunter.

#inyourbag #bagshot #bellamycamera #camerageek #camerabag #insidethebag #japancamerablog #japanclassiccamera #japanclassiccamerablog #japancamera #japancamerahunter #limitedcamerabag #specialcamerabag

IN YOUR BAG: 1722 – Crystal Joy Merrick

IN YOUR BAG: 1722 - Crystal Joy Merrick

I've been shooting film a long time, mostly in a document-your-life way. I also have an interest in old stuff/old places, and those things combined make up most of my photography practice today. I live in rural Pennsylvania, and I love exploring the towns and cities around me.

The Bag

My bag was given to me by a friend a long time ago. Sticking out of the bag is a beanbag I made—I use it instead of carrying a tripod all the time. Obviously that doesn't work in every situation, but for what I do it works enough. I have a short cable release to use with it.

Usually I have two cameras with me: an SLR (my Nikon FG here was my first and is still my favorite) and one of my cameras from the 1950's (right now it's my Argus C3 rangefinder, a recent barn find). My go-to lens on the Nikon is my 50mm. Not having a structured camera bag, I recently got some Domke equipment wraps for my antique cameras, and I love them, they work great. The strap on the Nikon was a gift from my boss at a local photo studio (where I work a few hours a month as a graphic designer).

I shoot mostly black & white and I pretty much always have a yellow filter on my SLR, but I usually have my red filter with me too, just in case. I usually remember to carry extra film—most of what's in the bag right now is hand-rolled from bulk by me, which is why the pots have tape labels.
I pretty much never actually use my hot shoe level, but I carry it around with me as a reminder to consciously level my shots because I am really bad at that. I have a little notebook and pen to write down my camera/lens/filter/film combinations and whatnot.
And some cash because who knows when you'll find the perfect dive bar or taco truck that only takes cash! Last but not least, I often carry one or two beer can pinhole cameras, loaded with (usually expired multigrade) paper.

Keep shooting film, kids!
Find me on IG: @bluekid
Join me in the Facebook Caffenol group
Crystal Joy Merrick

The post IN YOUR BAG: 1722 - Crystal Joy Merrick appeared first on Japan Camera Hunter.

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IN YOUR BAG: 1720 – Steve Mitchell

IN YOUR BAG: 1720 - Steve Mitchell

My name is Steve Mitchell, and I live in Invercargill, at the very south of New Zealand.

I bought my first camera, an Ilford Sprite, with pocket money I had saved at the age of eleven. Dad was a keen amateur photographer, so I guess I was following in his footsteps.

Later I graduated to my first SLR, a Practica, which was followed by a Yashica TL Electro X, and in 1984 I bought a Contax 139 Quartz, with the Planar 1.7/50 lens, using that for the next twenty years until digital photography arrived.

Contax

Fifteen years and half a dozen digital cameras later, I stumbled upon the Contax in a box in the wardrobe, and had the film that was still in it processed. The Contax was no longer working, but one thing led to another and after adapting the Zeiss lens to my Canon DSLR with very good results, I bought a replacement Contax body and a couple of lenses from Ebay, and shot my first roll of film in a very long time.

I was blown away by the difference in the colour and texture of the images, and found that I also enjoyed the analogue process far more than the instant gratification of digital photography. So, most of my photography is now analogue, both 35mm and medium format. Luckily I have had some kit given to me, and been able to buy more before the prices really started to shoot up!

Bag

This is my bag that I throw in the car whenever I go somewhere. It is a Lowepro BP 300 AW which can carry two SLRs along with four or five lenses and accessories, with a tripod attaching to the back – ideal for walking into the wilderness, which in this part of the world is amazing.

I shoot mostly landscape and travel photography, and my usual kit is;

2 x Contax 139 Quartz bodies

Zeiss Planar 1.7/50

Zeiss Distagon 2.8/25

Zeiss Vario Sonnar 3.3/28-85

Zeiss Vario Sonnar 4/80-200

Zeiss Tele-Tessar 4/300

Zeiss Mutar 2 x Converter

Contax TLA30 flash with extension cable

Contax 139 Motor Winder

Lens cleaning cloth and air duster

Film – I like to work with colour and usually have Kodak Portra 400 and Ektar 100 in the cameras.

K&F Concept Tripod

Remote Shutter Release

Spare batteries for camera and flash

Lens hoods and filters – UV, Skylight, Polarising, ND, Graduated ND and FLD.

It has taken me three years to build up this kit which I could never have afforded when I was younger and had kids to support, and it has given my photography a totally new lease of life!

Sites

I have a blog; viewfromtheendoftheworld.wordpress.com where I try to showcase the amazing world around me. I can also be found at;

www.instagram.com/stevembluff

www.facebook.com/stevemphotos

Steve Mitchell

Keep them coming folks, we need more submissions, so get your bag onJapancamerahunter.com

**Send me a high resolution image of the bag. Optimum size is 1500px across. Please ensure there is a bag in the shot, unless you don’t use one. The more you can write about yourself the better, make it appealing and tell us a story. Snapshots of your gear with a camera phone and no words will not be featured.
Oh and don’t forget your contact details (twitter, flickr, tumbler et al). Send the bag shots here. Not all make the cut, so make sure yours is funny/interesting/quirky. And please make sure the shot is of good quality, you are a photographer after all. **

Cheers
JCH

The post IN YOUR BAG: 1720 - Steve Mitchell appeared first on Japan Camera Hunter.

#inyourbag #bagshot #bellamycamera #camerageek #cameraporn #camerabag #classiccamera #cooljapanesecameras #insidethebag #japanclassiccamera #japancamera #japancamerahunter #limitedcamerabag #specialcamerabag #whatsinthebag

In Your Bag: 1719 – Jay Daelo

In Your Bag: 1719 - Jay Daelo

In 2014, I was lucky enough to have my bag and gear posted on this site. Alot has changed in the many years that have passed, and since then I've had two children with one more due in less than a week!

As the baby will be delivered via cesarean, we are expecting to remain in the hospital for at least two or three days. My wife rolled her eyes at me when she saw what I was packing. While she is taking one duffle bag, Ill have one bag dedicated with clothes and toiletries and another dedicated to photography/film gear. This is the way…

Pictured is my film/photography gear that I will be using to capture the 1st few days of the newest member of our family. What may stand out is that I will be using a super 8mm camera. The camera I will be using is a Braun Nizo 561 Macro. I'll have 2 cartridges of Kodak super 8mm film. Both are color negative but one is rated at 200 iso while the other is rated at 500 iso. To be honest, I have no experience filming in the super 8mm format, but I'm not afraid to experiment in this medium and look forward to the results, no matter what they are. Once the film is exposed and developed, it will be scanned to make a digital file which I can then work on via a video editing application on my PC.

The rest of the items in the photo are:

- Peak Design bag -

I really like this bag as it is pretty discreet looking, has enough storage space for my needs and keeps the camera gear easily accessible.

- Nikon F3 w/ 28mm f2.8 -

This has been my main carry camera setup for the past while.

- Fuji XT-3 w/ 35mm f1.4 -

I love this camera and lens. It's easy enough to use when the need arises for someone else to take the photo and I love the look of the photos that come out of this package

- Film!! -

I have 2 cartridges of Kodak super 8mm film. Each cartridge is 50 feet of film. At 18 frames per second, that will give me just over 3 minutes of footage…. It's not cheap but it's something I always wanted to try.

The 35mm film container has a mix of HP5, Portra and tri-x. Pretty standard stuff.

- not pictured-

The bag also contains spare batteries for the camera, the on camera flash for the XT-3, and usually a Fujifilm 50mm lens wrapped in a cloth for the XT-3. It makes for a great portrait lens and I love the results.

Thank you again for letting me share my bag and gear. I'm excited for what the future holds and I hope to keep capturing it with these tools that I love.

Jay Daelo

Keep them coming folks, we need more submissions, so get your bag onJapancamerahunter.com

**Send me a high resolution image of the bag. Optimum size is 1500px across. Please ensure there is a bag in the shot, unless you don’t use one. The more you can write about yourself the better, make it appealing and tell us a story. Snapshots of your gear with a camera phone and no words will not be featured.
Oh and don’t forget your contact details (twitter, flickr, tumbler et al). Send the bag shots here. Not all make the cut, so make sure yours is funny/interesting/quirky. And please make sure the shot is of good quality, you are a photographer after all. **

Cheers
JCH

The post In Your Bag: 1719 - Jay Daelo appeared first on Japan Camera Hunter.

#inyourbag #bagshot #bellamycamera #camerageek #cameraporn #camerabag #cooljapanesecameras #documentaryphotography #insidethebag #japanclassiccamera #japancamera #japancamerahunter #limitedcamerabag

In Your Bag: 1719 – Jay Daelo

In Your Bag: 1719 - Jay Daelo

In 2014, I was lucky enough to have my bag and gear posted on this site. Alot has changed in the many years that have passed, and since then I've had two children with one more due in less than a week!

As the baby will be delivered via cesarean, we are expecting to remain in the hospital for at least two or three days. My wife rolled her eyes at me when she saw what I was packing. While she is taking one duffle bag, Ill have one bag dedicated with clothes and toiletries and another dedicated to photography/film gear. This is the way…

Pictured is my film/photography gear that I will be using to capture the 1st few days of the newest member of our family. What may stand out is that I will be using a super 8mm camera. The camera I will be using is a Braun Nizo 561 Macro. I'll have 2 cartridges of Kodak super 8mm film. Both are color negative but one is rated at 200 iso while the other is rated at 500 iso. To be honest, I have no experience filming in the super 8mm format, but I'm not afraid to experiment in this medium and look forward to the results, no matter what they are. Once the film is exposed and developed, it will be scanned to make a digital file which I can then work on via a video editing application on my PC.

The rest of the items in the photo are:

- Peak Design bag -

I really like this bag as it is pretty discreet looking, has enough storage space for my needs and keeps the camera gear easily accessible.

- Nikon F3 w/ 28mm f2.8 -

This has been my main carry camera setup for the past while.

- Fuji XT-3 w/ 35mm f1.4 -

I love this camera and lens. It's easy enough to use when the need arises for someone else to take the photo and I love the look of the photos that come out of this package

- Film!! -

I have 2 cartridges of Kodak super 8mm film. Each cartridge is 50 feet of film. At 18 frames per second, that will give me just over 3 minutes of footage…. It's not cheap but it's something I always wanted to try.

The 35mm film container has a mix of HP5, Portra and tri-x. Pretty standard stuff.

- not pictured-

The bag also contains spare batteries for the camera, the on camera flash for the XT-3, and usually a Fujifilm 50mm lens wrapped in a cloth for the XT-3. It makes for a great portrait lens and I love the results.

Thank you again for letting me share my bag and gear. I'm excited for what the future holds and I hope to keep capturing it with these tools that I love.

Jay Daelo

Keep them coming folks, we need more submissions, so get your bag onJapancamerahunter.com

**Send me a high resolution image of the bag. Optimum size is 1500px across. Please ensure there is a bag in the shot, unless you don’t use one. The more you can write about yourself the better, make it appealing and tell us a story. Snapshots of your gear with a camera phone and no words will not be featured.
Oh and don’t forget your contact details (twitter, flickr, tumbler et al). Send the bag shots here. Not all make the cut, so make sure yours is funny/interesting/quirky. And please make sure the shot is of good quality, you are a photographer after all. **

Cheers
JCH

The post In Your Bag: 1719 - Jay Daelo appeared first on Japan Camera Hunter.

#inyourbag #bagshot #bellamycamera #camerageek #cameraporn #camerabag #cooljapanesecameras #documentaryphotography #insidethebag #japanclassiccamera #japancamera #japancamerahunter #limitedcamerabag

In Your Bag: 1718 – Daniel Castelli

In Your Bag: 1718 - Daniel Castelli

My Pandemic Bag

I’m Dan Castelli, and I’m sharing my EDC Covid-19 bag. I had previously posted the bag I carried to Florence Italy (#1290) in 2015.

It might seem superficial to write about taking photographs during a pandemic. People are dying and a photographer is wondering which lens they should use to get the money shot? I’ll argue that especially during these times, its critical for people to record how the cope with C-19. You can avoid being the boorish, stupid person with a camera. It’s possible to work in a respectful, compassionate way. Being creative is good therapy. So is baking, but this is a write-up about photography.

The emotions emerging due to the reality of the pandemic and the draconian nature of the lockdown ranged from disbelief and resigned acceptance to outright refusal to comply with public health directives. No one was untouched across the entire globe. Photography in its various forms helped us make sense of the times and allowed us to share common experiences with others.

My style of photography came to a sudden halt. I’ve always been drawn to the humanistic style of photography. I’m not a “street photographer” pushing my Leica into the startled faces of strangers. I like the gentle approach of Kertesz or the dry humor of Elliott Erwitt. I look for things people can relate to.

Now, about my thoughts about camera bags. I classify bags into two general categories: a DAY BAG and a FIELD BAG. My Italian bag (#1290) was a field bag – assembled for an extended stay away from home. I updated & reconfigured a field bag for a vacation to the UK in 2020 with my wife. Well, that trip never happened. We entered lockdown 14 days before we were going to depart.

In the first few weeks of lockdown, I wandered about the house with a Nikon FE2 and a Nikkor macro lens shooting shadows & the tips of paint brushes. Our routine was adapted to the lockdown rules. The trips outside the home were limited to essential needs. However, I could carry a camera and snap the occasional photo. For the most part, I avoided photographing people. There were high levels of stress and tempers were short. I wasn’t looking to add to people’s anxiety.

For inspiration, I looked to the 1930’s Farm Security Administration (FSA) archives. I turned my camera toward the physical signs of the pandemic: empty shelves and warning signs. People in lines. Reminders to stay safe. I did occasionally make photos of people wearing masks, but since I don’t own a telephoto lens of my Leica, getting close enough (with a 40mm lens) for a portrait was out of the question.

So, I took a minimalist approach to the bag. I eliminated anything and everything that wasn’t needed for a day shoot.

The Bag & Contents

• A Domke F-5B shoulder/waist bag. I modified this bag by ripping out the hook & loop fasteners (too much noise) and the spring snap closure snap. I replaced the snap with a military grade twist-n-lock closure. I can open & close the bag without making any noise and I can do it one-handed (even behind my back!) Hint: wash your camera bag when you first get it. It’ll soften up the fabric and be easier to carry.

• Leitz-Minolta CL w/a 40mm m-Rokkor lens. The camera is in excellent condition. Attached to the camera is a Voigtlander VC II exposure meter. The meter in the CL is accurate. I’m not a big fan of spot meters, so I rarely use the built-in meter. I can meter a scene with the camera sitting in my lap. I set the shutter speed & f/stop, bring the camera up to my eye and make the photo in one smooth movement. The CL is protected with a Zhou half-case. A Domke quick release swivel strap keeps the camera strap from twisting when film is changed. Anyone who uses a film CL will know you need at least 3 hands to change film.

• The start of the pandemic coincided with me switching over to bulk load my film. I would load the camera with 12 exposure rolls of HP-5. The 12 exposures were enough for a single outing. I’d batch process the film in ID-11 in my basement darkroom.

• Ever since I was stranded underground on the Red Line in Boston (aka “The T”) back in the 1970’s I’ve carried a small flashlight in every bag I carry. I’ve also carried a small penknife since I was a little human. The knife comes in handy when trying to open those plastic-sealed packages or trimming a loose thread.

• A 3-layer face mask w/extra filters, blue surgical gloves and a bottle of hand sanitizer.

• A moleskin notebook personalized by our artist daughter. A small roller ball pen and business cards are also tucked in one of the outside pockets.

• Everyone should carry a bandana. This one acts as extra padding in the base of the bag and is handy to wipe my hands. In a pinch you can fashion a head covering and look like a pirate with the bandana.

You may see my work at:

Flickr.com/photos/dcastelli9574/

Instagram: djcastelli68

My sincere wishes that you all stay healthy, look after your loved ones, get the vax and continue to make photos.

Postscript I didn’t want to write.

(July 30, 2021) When I first wrote this piece in April of 2021, the virus was beginning to slow down. The United States was ramping up the distribution of vaccines to the various states. Mass vaccination sites were established, and people were getting the shots in increasing numbers. Both my wife & I were fully inoculated by early April of 2021. By early May, our entire family had received both doses. We hoped we had begun to turn the corner on this deadly virus.

I had broken down the bag and replaced the personal protective masks & gloves with extra film, batteries, etc. The new surge has forced me to return to carrying the masks & gloves.

We now are seeing a lethal reversal on the progress we’ve made against Covid-19. Many parts of the US have reached pre-vax infection numbers. These high numbers are among the people who refused to be vaccinated. Some conservative (aka: red state) governors are actually banning the wearing of masks in public or schools. Other states are reintroducing mask mandates even in areas that have very high vaccination rates. We have snatched defeat from the jaws of victory. We are in effect, two Americas. It’s sad and it was preventable.

Keep them coming folks, we need more submissions, so get your bag onJapancamerahunter.com

**Send me a high resolution image of the bag. Optimum size is 1500px across. Please ensure there is a bag in the shot, unless you don’t use one. The more you can write about yourself the better, make it appealing and tell us a story. Snapshots of your gear with a camera phone and no words will not be featured.
Oh and don’t forget your contact details (twitter, flickr, tumbler et al). Send the bag shots here. Not all make the cut, so make sure yours is funny/interesting/quirky. And please make sure the shot is of good quality, you are a photographer after all. **

Cheers
JCH

The post In Your Bag: 1718 - Daniel Castelli appeared first on Japan Camera Hunter.

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