‘One camera is never enough’ …or is it?
Envision the scene as you set out on a photography adventure… it’s freezing cold, the air is damp, the harsh wind is scorching your frozen face as you climb a crumbling rock face. You’re carrying a tripod, food, water, camping gear and a backpack full of kit in excess of 10kg, sweating from every pore…perhaps today is the day you ask “do I really need all of this stuff?!”
Whether you’re climbing a mountain for that ultimate landscape, flying from country to country with a limited weight allowance, or waiting patiently for hours for nature to happen; being prepared is the greatest skill you can learn. So how much kit do we need and how do we decide what to take?
I recently caught up with experienced landscape photographer and Arcanum Master, Varina Patel, whilst shooting in the rolling hobbit hills of New Zealand.
Checkout this video…
Highlights of this video:
0:24 How many cameras are needed
0:37 One is enough but…
Traveling Light
It’s really not necessary to carry three, four, five or six cameras unless you really want it.
Varina’s experience tells us that one camera should be enough, but research is absolutely key.
Varina personally carries
- one full body camera with full frame
- and another as backup with crop factor
Preparation is the Key
However knowledge on the area and an idea of what you aim to achieve, is the greatest tool in preparation, that will result in the best quality work and most effective management of time. Plan ahead for that place and time of day, then decide what kit you will need.
Oh and one more thing – when doing landscape photography like this on a cliff top, watch your step and don’t look down!
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I hope you enjoyed this one. Don’t forget to leave me a comment below.
Cheers,
Brent
I have found that I always carry too much if I walk a long distance, and never carry enough if I am close. The required gear (for me) is dependent on how tired I get carrying it to the location.
Since I shoot mostly locally (not traveling a long distance or by air), I only ‘carry’ one camera. I may have a backup in my vehicle, but not carry it to the shoot location. So far, I have never had a camera fail on me.