Hello everyone! My name is Gabriel, and I am a street and portrait photographer and a college photography instructor.
I am a minimalist and shoot almost exclusively on film for personal and professional reasons.
Although I own several cameras and lenses (many, according to my fiancée, and too many, according to my family and accountant), I have my favorite camera, which I rarely leave behind.
What can I say about my gear and photography?
I love simplicity, whether in my images or while creating them.
There are several reasons why I decided to quit digital photography, as I didn’t particularly appreciate taking a massive number of similar-looking pictures, being forced to be too fast and too obsessed with some notion of perfection while staring at a small screen and trying to take a better snap every time.
Also, I wasn’t happy with digital cameras and their endless functions.
Don’t get me wrong; it’s incredible how far technology has progressed. But despite being in my early thirties, I’m an actual technological dinosaur who can barely answer his emails without a mental breakdown!
The more complex the cameras became, the more I craved something simpler, and by simple, I don’t mean a point-and-shoot camera but an analog device with a few physical buttons.
After all, I’ve based my entire career on simplicity.
Nikon EM – It’s been a year or two since I started shooting with the one and only Nikon EM.
I’ve never really been a technical geek, and sometimes, even when people hand me their camera saying, “It’s the best device I’ve ever had,” I care more about how it feels to hold, how I like the position of the viewfinder and buttons, and how I enjoy turning the focus ring.
The Nikon EM was love at first sight, and it never faded.
Honorable mentions must also go to some of my lesser-used cameras, such as the Canon QL19, which I used for street photography before, my backup camera, the Canon EOS 3000, the Praktica LB, which my parents gave me when I was a teenager or even the Polaroid 600.
Once you’re a sort of anti-Photoshop, old-school photographer, the purchase of a Polaroid becomes inevitable. Even though I use them less and less, they still hold a place in my heart and apartment.
Nikon 50mm f/1.8 series E – this is the only lens I use for several reasons. First, with my constant back pain, I would rather not have too many lenses in my bag.
Secondly, as I was initially trained to be a portrait photographer, I was used to 50mm or 85mm lenses and could best work with them.
I also own a zoom lens but do not like how my laziness takes over me, and I remain too static. It’s much more fun when you have to do a few steps to get closer to the object.
Hersmay CY-20 RSY-AE051 Hot Shoe Flash – I rarely use a flash, and this one is light and compatible with my primary camera. So far, I have nothing else to say about it except that I still prefer natural light.
ONEgenug Vianber Bag – I have long refused to wear any camera bag. After all, I usually left the house with one camera, a lens, a light meter, and… well, that’s more or less it.
However, as my work became more and more complex, I had to purchase a bag, and this one is a vintage bag for a vintage photographer.
Yes, you got it right. I only bought it for its retro look.
Now is the time to mention that I used to work as a photo editor for television, specifically for a news channel, where I mainly worked with Photoshop and honed my skills with the program.
However, I try to edit as little as possible in my current photography. I prefer to set my camera(s) correctly and spend less time editing.
I also learned to use Lightroom for iPad, and in fact, I haven’t had any desktop Adobe software for over a year, not even a laptop or computer.
The iOS version of Lightroom is enough for my minimal editing needs.
Werralux Light Meter – one chill Sunday morning, my dearest and I went to a market at Boxhagener Platz in Berlin-Friedrichshain. As soon as she saw me crying with happiness upon finding a vintage “posemètre” (a light meter in English), she couldn’t resist and bought it for me.
Not that I use it much, but I always have it with me. It’s a reminder that photography can be done without constant charging and changing batteries.
I find that a notepad and pen are something I can’t live without. You say, “But you have notes on your iPhone, right?” And you’re right.
However, somehow, I prefer taking notes in the old-fashioned way, and I encourage all photographers to do the same as Helmut Newton did. Once I have an idea for a picture or something I want to develop later, I write it down.
If you’ve read this far, let me congratulate you with a surprised face.
Those are a lot of words for someone who calls himself a minimalist!
Thanks for joining me on this reflection on photography gear.
Credit : Source Post
