In your bag No: 1447, Michael Duke
I am on a roll, I actually have time to post bag shots! Today we have a journalists bag, but not with the sort of camera you would usually be thinking of. Check it out.

My name is Michael Duke and I’m a journalist, street photographer and teacher in Houston, Texas. I fell in love with film about two years ago, thanks in large part to Japan Camera Hunter. I’ve become rather evangelical since then and now teach film photography, including film processing, to my students, who are as young as 11-years-old. I’ve found film photography, in particular, to be an incredibly versatile vehicle for teaching any topic or subject imaginable. 

After learning on 35mm and 120mm, I’ve recently made the leap to 4X5. With a journalism background, I couldn’t resist picking up a Crown Graphic. This one is from the early 1950s and is fitted with a stock Optar 135mm f/4.7. It fits nicely inside a Filson Magnum field backpack, which carries four film holders, a Sekonic LiteMaster Pro, a changing bag for loading more film in the field, and a notepad and pencil for recording exposures, details and stories. The camera’s rangefinder is surprisingly clear, but occasionally I’ll use the ground glass back screen for pinpoint focus, so I keep a pair of 4X reading glasses and a cable release in the bag, as well. HP5 is my go-to film, due to its ease-of-use and generous margin for error. 

4X5 has enriched my journey with photography. I hope it offers the same to my students.  

I post a blend of my film and digital street photography images at instagram.com/duke_fojo and tumblr.com/blog/fujifojo. 

Many thanks, JCH, for spreading the love of film!

Thanks for sharing your bag with us, Michael. That is such a cool setup. The Crown is a classic.

Keep them coming folks, we need more submissions, so get your bag on Japancamerahunter.com
Send me a high resolution image of the bag. Optimum size is 1500px across. Please ensure there is a bag in the shot, unless you don’t use one. The more you can write about yourself the better, make it appealing and tell us a story. Snapshots of your gear with a camera phone and no words will not be featured.

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