Are you a chronic over-packer? Do you lug bags full of gear everywhere you go, just in case you need that rarely used accessory? While preparation is, of course, a good thing, there is a such thing as taking it too far. Packing lighter than you think you need to can actually be a good thing, and this great video essay discusses why.
Coming to you from Matt Day, this excellent video essay discusses the benefits of travelling light. If you are anything like me, you probably lug around every last piece of gear you own just in case you need it, no matter how remote the possibility. This inevitably leads me to decision paralysis, as I stare at my bag and stress out over what to take for the day. It can be overwhelming and distracting to spend so much time obsessing about your tools rather than putting them to use, and it certainly is not beneficial for your work. It was only in the past few years that I got better about packing way less, and it was really freeing to simply walk out every day and enjoy the creative process, knowing that if I had the gear for a shot, great, and if not, there would be plenty of other opportunities. Check out the video above for the full rundown from Day.
I agree with this. The less gear i take the more i can focus on the trip etc. I just did Singapore with only a X100V, its the lightest my camera bag has been for years. Im going to Broome next week and only taking my Zf/35mm f1.8 and a drone. yes ill probably miss some shots what could have been done with a tele but i will live with it.
Hey Cameron
Your minimalist approach to gear on this trip is interesting to me. It causes me to wonder if this trip to Broome is solely for photography, or if you are going for other reasons.
Depends... Is the trip to see stuff or to take photographs? I find myself usually leaning towards the latter, but do cut down bag contents; last trip was a multi-country three weeks in Europe, 2022, predominately automobile museum oriented with GP of Italy and a wedding (as a guest) thrown in. Equipment was only three items, a Z7, the excellent 24-70 f/4 S lens and a tripod with pano stuff. Used a lightweight Amazon Waterfly Sling Bag that did not remotely resemble a camera bag, for theft avoidance.
Richard Tack wrote:
"Depends... Is the trip to see stuff or to take photographs?"
That's a great question to ask, Richard. I take a good amount of gear with me whenever I travel, and have never wished I had taken less. But then again, the only reason I travel anywhere is for wildlife photography. I have no interest in regular vacations, or sightseeing, or to experience other cultures. All I want to do with my time is to amass as many high quality wildlife photos as possible. I would be sick to my stomach if I ever missed any shots because I didn't bring a certain lens with me.
No question that you gotta have gear for wildlife along with the dedication and concentration. Thankfully, most of the inanimate objects can't get away from me in my travels.
This is so on point. I just got back from a 2-week trip to England. I packed my Leica M5 with 35mm Nocton, a Horizon 202 panoramic camera (for fun) and 17 rolls of HP5+. Came back with only 3 rolls not used. Had a blast shooting and now the fun of developing begins!
One camera. One lens. Legs, hands, eyes, a brain and creative intuition. The principles of art and design for extra credit.
If you distill your best shots I betcha it factors the simplicity above.
We often mistake our wants for needs.
Too much gear is like a ball and chain on creative expression.
Get the gear, learn it. Then eagerly discard it down to what you actually need. Don't worry about looking the part. Be active in being the part.
I find I'm on a constant evolution to scale down more and more. I'm not fully where I want to be but I'm happy I was able to break free of GAS.
But that really depends on a photographer's objectives. If one wants only to produce a cohesive body of work featuring images that all share a common basic aesthetic, then what you say is golden advice.
However, if one wants to shoot things in radically different ways, or shoot a wide range of subject matter, then paring things down to one body and one lens would result in a failure to produce all of the different images one sets out to make.
I mean, if I want to shoot macro close-ups of a Gecko's eyeball in the afternoon, and then get highly detailed portraits of wild ducks that evening, and then shoot action shots of my friend's kid in the Friday night football game under very dim lights, there is no way to turn out all of the images that I want of all of these subjects in these varying conditions using just one lens.
To suggest just one body and one lens to everyone would be pretty irresponsible advice. We really have no right to suggest anything until we know precisely what someone wants to shoot, what style they want to shoot it in, what conditions they will be shooting in, and what they want to do with the final output of the images.
You could just hit the gym and the weight isn’t an issue. I lug 17 lbs of gear on the reg and never end up sore by the end of the day. Focus on your core and shoulders and you’ll be golden.