What One War Photographer Uses to Cover Conflict Around the Globe

War photography is not for the faint of heart. Beyond having technical expertise in your equipment, there’s a whole other level of engaging with people and resilience that comes into play. While that last part takes years of experience and training to learn, here’s a peek into what one war photographer uses to shoot with on the battlefield—and his gear will definitely surprise you.

Photojournalist Jonathan Alpeyrie has covered wars in Syria, Gaza, Ukraine, and many other locales around the world. Whereas most photojournalists usually carry two or three of each brand’s “holy trinity” lenses into the field—something like a Canon EF 24-70mm f/2.8L II USM and a Canon EF 70-200mm f/2.8L IS III USM—Alpeyrie does not. His only gear consists of an older Canon EF 50mm f/1.2L USM, which he uses with a Canon EOS R. Yes, the original R.

As a result, Alpeyrie’s work has an intimacy you can’t necessarily get with a long lens or from standing far away. He’s right in there with drug gangs, soldiers, mourners, and anyone he’s covering for an assignment. He talks about how he works hard to build trust and how he learns when he should and shouldn’t take a photograph. The light setup enables him to blend in a little better rather than hanging two bodies and a couple of white lenses off to the side.

Alpeyrie also talks about how he doesn’t overshoot. Coming from a film background with a limited number of frames has taught him to shoot only what he really needs—something that cuts down on editing time for him. It also helps because he says he only carries two SD cards in the field with him, one mostly to use as a decoy if authorities start to question him about his photos. While most photographers on the internet are decrying cameras without multiple card slots, Alpeyrie takes the single slot on his EOS R and makes the most of it.

Finally, the other part of Alpeyrie’s minimalist kit includes a laptop and lightweight armor. You won’t find flashes or extra lenses in the bag, as it’s simply too heavy to lug around more than that.

Alpeyrie’s career hasn’t been trouble-free. He’s been captured, tortured, and suffered injuries that have left him mostly deaf in one ear.

In addition to his talk about gear, Alpeyrie discusses the struggles and successes of being a war photographer and also delves into his background with film and his book documenting World War II veterans across the globe. It’s a fascinating listen in the video above.