In your bag No: 1645 – Tiffany Perez

Tiffany became a born again photographer and these are the analog lovelies she’s acquired since.

Hello! My name is Tiffany Perez and I am a data analyst from Southern California. I consider myself an amateur/hobbyist photographer. I have been shooting film for the past 5 years on and off but really got back into it this past year. I shoot anything and everything but a majority of my photography is what I call “drive-by film shooting” as it is done mostly in my car on the way to work. Living in California, traffic is crazy and I spend most of my time in my car so might as well get something out of my time with some cool photos.

To give you some background, I got into film through an obsession with thrifting. A few years ago, everyone in my area was taking up thrifting, trying to find the best deal. When I visited my local thrift store they had some film cameras available for 50% off. As I was searching around, I happened upon a beat-up Olympus box which held none other than the Olympus XA. The box itself was damaged but the camera itself looked pristine. Looked at the price tag and it was $10. I took advantage of the deal of the day and walked away with my $5 Olympus XA. After taking it home and cleaning it up a bit, I ran a battery through it and found that it worked perfectly. The only problem being that the film counter doesn’t work but that doesn’t prevent me from shooting it at all.

After I starting shooting that little guy, my dad took notice and said I could have his old film camera if I could find it in the garage. I searched and searched and was rewarded with the Nikon F3 with a  50mm f1.4. The AE lock button was missing, but just like the XA, it still worked perfectly. After that, I shot both of them throughout my college years on and off but sadly got caught up in life and drifted away.

Within the past year, I was hit with a bout of depression. After a few ups and downs, I was looking for an outlet to get me back on track. It was then that I found my cameras in the box and was propelled into analog photography once again.

Returning back to the present, my collection has grown since then to allow me a variety of companions in my bag. Speaking of which, let’s get to what you all came here for and that is what I carry in my bag.

Let’s start with the bag itself and the knick-knacks I carry in it.

• Explorer Tactical Messenger Bag: This is my everyday carry bag. I have a Tenba insert which perfectly fits in the bag and offers extra cushion for my cameras and external batteries. I have added pins to the bag to make it less military and more to my liking.
• Film case: I sadly don’t have a JCH film case but I made my own version out of the beat up case my XA came in and added some foam and some stickers to the outside. It holds about 10 rolls and I take it everywhere.
• Business Card holder: I have a small business card holder that I got from an organization I was a member of in college. Surprisingly helpful.
• Hydro Flask: My sticker adorned water bottle. It is perfect when I decide to go out and shoot.

FINALLY ON TO THE MAIN EVENT!

Let me say that I do not carry all these cameras in my bag at once. I usually take one of the SLRs and then one of the two point and shoots as a side companion. I can honestly say that I rotate throughout these cameras which made it hard to feature only one or two in this article.

• Nikon F3: My main SLR. It just feels so natural to me to shoot this. Also, being my dad’s camera, I could never imagine selling this guy for any reason. This camera will go to my future children. Love this camera to death.
• Nikon FM3A: A recent addition, I couldn’t pass up the FM3A when he came up in a bundle on eBay. To my surprise, it is nearly brand new except for a dent on the top. Since I shoot mostly out in the day, the 1/4000 shutter speed is helpful when I want to shoot a wide open on a sunny day. 
• Nikon F5: This tank of a camera came in a bundle with the FM3A (now you understand why I couldn’t pass the deal up). I don’t currently have any AF lenses for it but it works perfectly fine with my other F mount lenses. Super clean and such a workhorse.
• Olympus XA: The camera that started it all. Still operates very well despite having it for so long (and dropping it a few times.) This camera usually stays in my bag with whatever SLR I choose to carry around that day. Constant companion.
• Olympus Pen FT: My half frame beauty. This is the smallest SLR I own and if you haven’t seen one of these cameras before, I highly recommend looking it up. The shots I have gotten with this girl are beyond belief. I only have one lens, the 38mm f1.8 which on a half frame camera is basically like a 55mm on a regular camera. When I want to get creative or want to test out a new film stock, I go to this camera. 72 exposures goes a long way.
• Olympus Mju/Infinity Stylus: Another thrift store find. I know that the Stylus Epic is currently more popular than this guy but I think he does really well regardless. This is my go out with friend’s, party camera for when I don’t really want to think about everything. I just compose and shoot and it has not steered me wrong yet.

That is everything that is in my bag! Thank you for reading. If you want to see my photos or want to chat, you can find me on Instagram at www.instagram.com/tjpiks.

Thanks, everyone! Keep shooting!

Tiffany Perez

The Drive-By Film Shooter