In your bag No: 1499 – Steven Bleistein
We are getting close to a failry monumental number. But that doesn’t mean this bag is any kind of let down, it is a superb setup. Very simple and zen.
I am a street photographer who lives in Japan. I started shooting nearly two years ago as a way of connecting with my father. My father, a life-long photographer, grew up in New York. He shot the streets of New York in the 1950s and 1960s in black and white with a Leica M3. I remember some of those photos hanging on the wall of our home when I was growing up, in particular one of kids in Chinatown and a night shot of the Washington Bridge. My father still has his two Leica M3’s.
I wanted to experience what my father experienced, only in Japan. I acquired a Leica M3 through Kanto Camera, and hit the streets. I love the way the M3 feels, and while many argue the technical, esthetic and tactile virtues of the M3, a large part of the attraction for me is that the M3 is the camera my father used in his youth.
These days, I shoot both film and digital. I love shooting in Japan. It never gets old or boring, and I am constantly finding ways of pushing my photography forward as an art. I am a solo consultant in Japan, and I love what I do. Street photography is much like consulting. To be successful in both, you have to be constantly observant and in the moment. You assert without hesitation. You provoke and compel with your art. Photography makes me a better consultant. I set aside time to shoot every week.
You can see some of my photography online.
https://www.instagram.com/sbleistein/
I have an upcoming trip to New York, and have set aside a few days for photography. This trip, I plan to visit Brooklyn, where my father grew up. Here is my kit.
Artisan&Artist RR series shoulder bag—light, minimalist and perfect for Leicas
Leica M3 SS, fitted here with a 50mm 1950s era 50mm Elmar f/2.8 collapsible, a Leica yellow filter, and a Leicameter MC—no batteries!
Leica M type 240, fitted here with a 35mm goggled Summicron, which I had acquired for the M3. Works brilliantly on the M240!
Leica 12585H Hood, that fits both the Summicron and the Elmar—I find hoods useful when it starts to sprinkle rain.
Leica Elmarit-M 21mm f/2.8 pre-ASPH, with a Leica 21mm external finder. 21mm is wonderful in dense urban settings.
Muji passport size notebook for making notes, and a Muji permanent ink pen for writing notes and marking film canisters
JCH film case, filled with TMAX400
One spare roll of JHC Streetpan
Steven Bleistein
Thanks for sharing your bag with us, Steven. Nice to see a bag from Japan on here for a change.
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
