In your bag No: 657, Ben Grill
Ben brings us his superb film shooters bag today. This is definitely my kind of bag. I have not seen a Nikon EM for ages but it fits in this setup perfectly. Check it out.

Hey there! My name’s Ben Grill. I’m 20 years old and from Chicago but I’ve been living/studying in Montreal for the past couple of years. I’ve been shooting film on and off since I was a little kid, but I’ve recently started to take my hobby a little more seriously. I don’t really know what kind of photographer I am. I tend to take a lot of candid pictures of my friends when we’re out and about, and when I’m alone, I take more personal and introspective photos of the world around me. I have this unremitting fear of losing important memories, and photography, especially film photography, has been a way to sort of create/design a pretty, albeit distorted version of what I want to remember. What I struggle with, though, is the fact that photography creates a distance in experiencing things. Since I often use photography as a way to optimize future memories, it kind of comes at the expense of present experience…anyway, sorry for rambling!

Here’s what I’ve got to work with:

Nikon EM w/ 50mm 1.8: This is my main camera. I fixed it up after finding it in my basement and I just can’t stop using it. It’s not the best camera by any means, but there are so many things I love about it. It’s incredibly lightweight, small, simple, and in my opinion, pretty darn good-looking.

Ricoh GR-1: I found this on eBay last year in great condition. I mostly use it when I’m out at night with my friends. It feels so nice in my pocket! However, I really don’t use it as often as I should, considering how much I paid for it. I’ve been thinking of selling it and picking up a cheaper point-and-shoot.

Various films: I’m still experimenting to see what I like best, but seeing as it’s summer, I’ve been shooting lots of Ektar lately. Velvia is pretty wonderful, though I have lots of trouble exposing it right and the processing is a lil’ pricey. I also shoot black & white once in a while. But Portra, for me, is my favorite film. I’ve only shot two rolls of it and am trying to save my other three for special occasions :)

iPod: I don’t often listen to music while I’m out photographing, but it’s always comforting to have 15,000 songs in my pocket!

Notebooks & pens: I use one for drawings and the other for any sort of writing (journal, diary, poetry, project ideas, etc.)

Casio F-91W watch: I love this thing. Picked it up for $10 at Target and is still running strong. I feel naked when I’m not wearing it.

Book: I’m a big fan of reading, so I like to have a book on me at all times!

And finally my bag. I’m not sure what it’s called, but it’s made by Jansport. That much I know. It’s not much of a camera bag, but it’s super light and I can fit everything I need into it.

And before I forget, here’s where you can find me on the internet:

bengrill.tumblr.com
flickr.com/photos/bengrill
instagram.com/homieben

And if you ever end up featuring this, thank you so much in advance!

Much love,
Ben

Thanks for sharing your bag and your passion with us Ben, you have a very similar way of thinking about photography as I do.
Check out the links and make sure you come and comment.

Keep them coming folks, we need more submissions, so get your bag on Japancamerahunter.com. Send me a hi resolution image of the bag (please make sure it is horizontal) and its contents, with some details about yourself and what you shoot. Oh and don’t forget your contact details (twitter, flickr, tumbler et al). Send the bag shots here. Please understand that there is a long wait now as there is a backlog of submissions. Not all make the cut, so make sure yours is funny/interesting/quirky. And please make sure the shot is of good quality, as the ones that are not do not go up.

Cheers
Japancamerahunter