Let's start with one of my favorite quotes by David DuChemin...
"Gear is good, vision is better."
Gear is big business, and photography, for me, is all about creativity.
Coming from the age of film, I have bought and sold my fair share of photography gear. I have shot everything from product photography, portrait, landscape, nature, and today I primarily focus on culture, nature, and travel photography.
What I carry in my photography bag depends on what I want to create. Leaving the house with my end goal in mind is always helpful. That typically requires lots of research and planning. I get my best results that way. :)
Travel photography is tricky because I don't want my bag to be too heavy, yet I want to create the highest quality images possible.
Again, for me, it is primarily about vision, not gear.
What's in my travel bag today?
The Canon EOS R5
This is my workhorse camera. The 45 megapixels are what I use to create large prints for my Art Shop. It's fast, quiet, and not the largest DSLR out there.
I use the Canon EOS R5 for travel, landscapes, and nature photography.
The biggest drawback with this camera is that it is a DSLR and gets heavy by the end of the day. But it helps me get the results I am looking for, and I haven't found a better alternative.
Canon 24-240 (f4-6.3) Lens
I own several lenses, but I love my Canon Lens 24-200mm, f4-6.3 for travel photography. It's not the fastest lens I own, but it's fairly light, and I don't have to change lenses when I'm out traveling around.
I want to make travel as easy as possible, so this lens with a wide focal range works for me.
I may bring a few other lenses depending on where I am traveling. These may include:
Canon RF 70-200mm, f2.8
Canon RF 100mm, f2.8, MACRO
Canon RF 24-70mm, f2.8
I love the results I get with these Canon lenses, and the subject of my work will dictate which lens I choose to use.
On long-haul flights and countries where I don't want to carry a lot of gear, I take my Canon 24-240mm lens and make things easy for myself.
The Leica Q2
I have fallen in love with the Leica Q2. It is a whole new way of photography for me with the fixed 28mm f1.7/2.8 lens.
This camera does not have interchangeable lenses. There is no zoom, except for my own two feet. But I love it!
As I travel, I find that a big, heavy bag of camera gear slows me down and distracts me from enjoying the pleasure of photography.
I discovered the Leica Q in 2015 and only recently upgraded to the Leica Q2. With the new design and larger file sizes, I am glad I did. The camera isn't bulky, heavy, or awkward. It fits in my bag quite nicely.
The color rendition of the images is about as close to reality as I've seen in post-production from any camera I have owned.
The smaller camera and design work for what I need.
The iPhone 13
What can I say about the iPhone 13, except it has a great camera, and it's always in my bag!
These are the cameras I use to create photographs.
"The camera is just a tool, but your heart should be your compass." Cristina Mittermeier
Happy shooting!
Marla
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