The Story Revealed By The Changes To Your Photo Kit f/63
Scott’s Photo Kit Circa 2016
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Scott’s Photo Kit February 2021
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Show Notes
The contents of our camera bag are rarely static. The gear we carry evolves as we continue our pursuit of photography. And therein lies a story. The camera bodies, lenses, filters, and tripod we add, change, and remove from our photo kits tell our story as artists. In today’s podcast, I take a closer look at the changes in my photo kit over the past five years and share what it reveals about my journey to date as a photographer.
The notable revelations in my kit changes are:
For my still photography, the gear I use to capturing stills has had little change. The most important upgrade is a switch to a modular filter system - I use the Haida M10 filter system now. Yes, my camera body got an upgrade, yet I’m still using 4+-year-old Sony A7Rii cameras. And my lenses … they haven’t changed at all.
The foray into videography is what’s fueled the change in my photo kit. Capturing behind-the-scenes footage for YouTube has changed very little. The
That in turn reveals something else. The improvement in my stills has been outside of the technical space. It’s been learning to see better, understanding light, getting better at composition. The filter upgrade has given a boost to my long exposure work. Yet the cameras and lenses I own continue to serve me well. While there are sharper lenses and newer camera bodies out there, they are not (yet) the limiters on my photography.
Interestingly, the foray into video has had a positive impact for my still photography work. Part of capturing behind-the-scenes video is thinking about the different angles, establishing shots, B-roll, supplemental footage … all the things that make a video more engaging. That’s spilled over into my still work in the form of a group of photos from a given outing, instead of the singular composition I’d chase in my past.
So, examine your photo kit. What’s changed? What’s stayed the same? And why do you think that is? What changes have fueled your creativity and improved your artistry? There is an interesting story to be heard from the gear in your bag … and the echoes of the gear no longer with you.
Resources mentioned in this episode:
Podcast Episode #45, Is My Photo Kit Obsolete? f/45
Scott’s current gear is all listed at https://scottdavenportphoto.com/gear
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