How to Audit Your Camera Bag and Choose the One Body That Actually Serves You

How to Audit Your Camera Bag and Choose the One Body That Actually Serves You

There’s a point most photographers hit where the gear starts owning them instead of the other way around. I know I hit it. I had two mirrorless bodies, a backup DSLR I hadn’t touched in eight months, and a film camera I kept “just in case.” Every time I packed for a Sunday photo walk, I’d spend twenty minutes debating which body to bring and end up annoyed before I’d taken a single shot.

Why I Always Have a Compact Camera in My Pocket (And How Sean Tucker Convinced Me to Stop Making Excuses)

Why I Always Have a Compact Camera in My Pocket (And How Sean Tucker Convinced Me to Stop Making Excuses)

Every Sunday morning I do a photo walk. Rain, shine, or the kind of Seattle gray that makes you question your life choices. The ritual is the point. But I’ll be honest with you — there have been plenty of Sundays where I nearly talked myself out of going because I didn’t feel like hauling my whole kit. And on those days, the camera that saves the walk is always the small one stuffed into my jacket pocket.

Matching Your Camera to Your Subject: A Lesson in Intentional Gear Selection

Matching Your Camera to Your Subject: A Lesson in Intentional Gear Selection

When Your Equipment Becomes Part of the Story I’ve always believed that the best creative decisions come from asking yourself: “What does my subject deserve?” Recently, I watched a fascinating example of this principle in action when a cinematographer had the opportunity to film a rare vintage aircraft and chose to match that opportunity with equally vintage equipment. The scenario was compelling: a 1958 Douglas DC-6B aircraft—a piece of aviation history that hadn’t touched American soil in decades—was being flown across the United States.

Stop Obsessing Over Specs: Why Your First Camera Choice Is Really About the System

Stop Obsessing Over Specs: Why Your First Camera Choice Is Really About the System

Stop Obsessing Over Specs: Why Your First Camera Choice Is Really About the System When I talk to people considering their first interchangeable-lens camera, I notice something interesting happens. They immediately pull up comparison charts, scanning megapixel counts and frames-per-second rates like these numbers hold the secret to great photography. I understand the impulse—cameras are technical instruments, after all. But I’ve learned that this approach often leads beginners down the wrong path.