Vamonos!

I’m (we’re) off on a little voyage that I hope will produce some fun photographic results. “Hope” is the strong word here as traveling with my family (which includes my wife and 2 small children) is not something I’ve done before and I am not sure how much opportunity I will have to photograph. My longing is to be able to take memory card after memory card worth of images but the reality is more likely I will be spending a lot of time with my young children playing and connecting, and napping!

I’ve also stressed and fretted about what to bring on the journey. It’s the same old problem; I want to take enough gear to be able to capture the images I would like, and I need to travel somewhat lightly. In other words, I need the gear but it can get in the way: of the vacation as well as the images.

Still, I am excited. I have my new 85mm f1.8 to play with as well as both “The Hot Shoe Diaries” by Joe McNally and “The Photographer’s Eye” by Michael Freeman to read. I’m also taking my Nikon D300, my 50mm f1.4, my 18-135mm f3.5-5.6 lens, some close-up filters, my SB-600 flash, and my lightweight tripod. I was inspired to take less stuff by reading Chris Plante’s gear list for his recent trip to Cuba.

What I’m leaving behind: ( I struggle. I struggle!) I know I often write about doing more with less, but I struggle. I like gear as much as the next guy. It’s fun to play with. It feels good in my hands. It opens up new opportunities. But it also gets in the way and weighs me down. So, I’ve cut out the Tamrom 28-300mm f3.5-5.6 lens I normally take. I’ve shot with this a lot and it’s an OK lens. Not great, but it gets me in close and I tend to be a sniper with it, sneaking my shots. I want to connect more with my subjects so I’m leaving this home to force me to get a bit closer to my subjects. I’m also leaving my brand spanking new battery grip. It’s nice, I like it for portrait shots, but it’s not essential. So it stays behind. I’m also leaving my 40 inch 5-in-1 reflector kit. This one I really struggle with because I’ll be doing some family shots while there and this would be great to create some really nice light on my subjects but….it’s a bit too big and I don’t have a sherpa to hold it for me. Plus, leaving it behind will force me to get creative work with what I might have on hand. Stay tuned for what I come up with.

I’m also leaving behind the spare camera. It was either the spare camera or one of the kiddos, and the kiddos won out.

I hope you’ll check back soon and find some fun stuff from our little voyage.  I’m very excited.  Vamonos!

2 comments

Chris Plante

That’s an interesting motivation for NOT taking the long lens Tamron. When I had my 50mm 1.4 on my camera body I had NO choice but to get near the subject and that means interaction. The interaction is the key to a more meaningful portrait.

BTW. Couldn’t your children double as Sherpas? 😉

Brian Miller

Thanks Chris. I think you’re right. I’ve come to the realization that just taking an image of someone because they look exotic (or whatever) diminishes their humanity as well as mine. I’m a chicken though, so sometimes I find myself falling into bad habits. But it I don’t interact with my subject I find it lessens my photographic experience as well.

And my kids are, unknown to them, Sherpas in training (our four month old is still working on the whole walking part… 😉