IN YOUR BAG: BRANDON ALEXANDER

Hey there! I’m Brandon, a street and documentary photographer based in Manhattan. I’ve been capturing the world around me for about 10 years, with my journey taking me from the streets of bustling cities to the open road. My practice has evolved from pure documentary to a mix of street and snapshot photography.

I got my start with an old 35mm Minolta X-370 film camera paired with a 50mm f/1.8 lens. I experimented over the years, moving from large DSLRs to rangefinders and compact point-and-shoots, and exploring different focal lengths.
A while back, I was obsessed with shooting at 21mm, but I eventually found my sweet spot: 28mm. To me, it’s the perfect balance—wide enough to capture the scene, yet just tight enough to layer and play with composition.

MY BAG AND GEAR

So, what’s in my bag? First up, my trusty M10 Monochrom with a 28mm f/2.8 Voigtlander Color-Skopar lens. This is the first digital camera that convinced me to part ways with film entirely. The tonality and dynamic range (though biased towards shadows rather than highlights) remind me of the things I loved most about shooting Kodak Tri-X and T-Max.
I also carry the Ricoh GRIII Diary Edition, with its 28mm f/2.8 equivalent lens. The Ricoh brought me back to color, thanks to its film emulations and straight-out-of-camera JPEGs. It scratches that nostalgic itch for Ektar and Fuji Superia, without all the hassle of loading, developing, and scanning rolls.

I like to keep things simple and efficient, so my bag only holds both cameras, a spare battery each, and a leather wrist strap for the M10 (in case I want to give my neck a break from the usual strap). Since I’m also a film editor, there’s always an SSD in my bag for shuttling projects between the office and home. I pack it all in an Artisan&Artist GCAM-1100 Leather Shoulder Bag.

Some days I skip the bag altogether. The M10 hangs from my neck (or slips into a coat pocket during the winter), while the Ricoh stays tucked in my pants pocket.

SOCIAL MEDIA

Instagram: @__balex__ Website: brandonalexander.xyz