In your bag No: 698, Bryan Szablewski
Bryan is only 19, but is already into his street photography. And this is the bag he carries. He has a novel lens cap too, I wonder if it helps?
Hello everyone, my name is Bryan I’m 19 and live in New Jersey. I first started my photography journey with a Nikon COOLPIX S6100 which I received as a gift back in Dec. 2011. I’ve shot with the Nikon for a year and carried it with me wherever I went, it became an appendage. My trusty point and shoot had broke and I felt like I was left with nothing and had a 2-3 month falling out with photography. I was grateful to have a nice chunk of change came my way, this was my opportunity the get “that” camera. Long story short, I purchased a Fujifilm X-E1 with the 35mm 1.4 XF and haven’t regretted my decision one bit. So without further delay, let’s get to the bag.
My bag is mainly centered around shooting street photography, the bag I use is a Domke F-5XB. Attached to the bag’s metal ring is a set of photographers rights gray cards I’ve purchased from PetaPixel, I slip these cards into the back of the bag where it’s supposed to be used as a waist pack. This allows me ease of access to the law in case I need to pull them out for quick reference. The camera is a Fujifilm X-E1 (taped over X-E1) with a matching flat black “Boop” shutter button, as well as the X-E1 Thumbs Up Grip in the hot shoe. Attached to the camera is the Fujifilm 35mm 1.4 R along my genius idea of a flip lens cap with a smiley face in it. I also carry two extra batteries for the camera, an extra memory card just in case, and a little Lens Pen cleaning supply kit. A map of NYC accompanies me as well and is left in the front section of the bag as I frequently travel into the city. Occasionally when I want to try something different and mix things up, I carry a 1950’s Biloret 2017 brass tripod with a Joby ball head, a shutter release cable, and a Skink pinhole.
Hope you enjoyed my bag, thanks for reading!
Thanks for sharing the bag Bryan, I wish you had sent some links too. Perhaps you can leave them in the comments.
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
That’s a great set up.
My personal preference is not to disguise cameras with tape. It originated as a way to avoid scratching a fine camera and to down play its value in the eyes of wary subjects and theives. However, I don’t want to give the impression that I’m doing anything sneaky. I engage my subjects; if not before, then after with a smile and thanks. I find the camera draws interest (when I choose to let it be seen) and offers a talking point. I show my camera to interested people and even let them handle it.
Perhaps it is a cultural thing and your location may be different. For a start, Hong Kong is a pretty safe place, crime wise. People are curious about valuable or interesting cameras. The only concern is your motive for photographing people and how you will portray them. The Cantonese for candid photography means “to steal a photograph” and has surreptitious and and unfriendly connotations.
That lens cap is pure genius :D
Thanks for the comments, and for including my bag Bellamy. I forgot to include my website… http://www.bryanszablewski.com/
Update: I’ve recently acquired a Fuji XF 27mm f2.8 lens and have been primarily using it for street photography since I gotten it. I like that the lens is a “pancake”, this allows me to get my camera in and out of my bag without much fuss. Also, I don’t use a cap for this lens, this gives me more of a “quickdraw”. My 35mm is now being used for portraiture and doesn’t get as much attention as my 27mm for everyday use. I also bought some velcro and cut it to size to fit over the inner flap of the bag, this way I can access my camera without making a ripping noise. This has come in handy in environments such as on public transportation or in a place of worship.