Only 3 Lenses?
Thoughts on travel and gear.
In April I'll be taking a small group of photographers to Patagonia for an extended adventure. I can hardly wait. Aside from all the travel details and packing chores, there is also the mind-melting headache of what camera equipment to take. That's always a challenge, as I think most of you will agree.
The crazy thing is, I've finally come to the age or experience level or persnickity-ness that my choices are simpler. I no longer agonize on what to take with me on any photo assignment. About four or five years ago I switched from a lifetime of shooting Nikon to the Fujifilm GFX medium format system. Love at first sight.
I don't advocate for anyone to abandon their current system. Medium format is definitely not for everyone. And as with every photographer, my vision has evolved over the decades. I no longer want to shoot 50+ frames/second. I want to slow down, choose my images carefully, end the day with one or two satisfying images that I can proudly print.
So for my Patagonia adventure I plan to take only three lenses to mount on my Fujifilm GFX 100; a 32-64mm, a 120mm macro and a 100-200mm, all wonderful Fujinon lenses. Keep in mind that Fujifilm medium format lenses are equivalent to .79 of a 35mm lens. A 120mm Fujinon lens would be approximately equal to a 95mm lens in 35mm format, for example. So, I'll be covered from wide angle to moderate tele (I'll also bring my 1.4 tele-extender for the 100-200mm lens), as well as nice portraiture.
There are limitations, of course. I'd like to have my 23mm (18mm in 35mm format) wider angle lens with me. But I'll rely on my 32-64mm zoom and use it to do panos that widen the perspective.
Nowadays, when I approach a scene I ask myself how the capture would look as a print, perhaps even a very large one. If it doesn't rise to that level, I choose not to photograph and instead enjoy the sensation of just being there. At other times, in Africa for example, I may not have the reach of an uber-tele, but that's also okay. I have come to prefer a more intimate, closer image of wildlife or perhaps one showing the animal in its environmental context.
What are your solutions for traveling with your gear? And how do you treat the headaches it causes?
Indeed! Simple is best.
Fuji x100 for me with leica Q2 Monochrome.
Single lens wonders....
I'm working on this. Keep after me! "...when I approach a scene I ask myself how the capture would look as a print, perhaps even a very large one. If it doesn't rise to that level, I choose not to photograph and instead enjoy the sensation of just being there." >>>>>>>>>>I do like to document where I am when I take a photo, and of course, there are always the fun ones. Like when we pick on you... or you hold a banana over my head. What fun we have!