On my instagram @photo_by_baard some of you have asked me what I carry when I am out shooting. So here we go.
For a start, different locations call for different packing, but that aside. Let me share with you my basic setup when I go out to shoot landscape locally.
And just to be clear from the start, I am not sponsored by any of the brands. So, this is just me sharing my setup.
I have had my eyes on the 31-liter Wandrd backpack for some time. Or to be honest, as my wife says, I had seen an unhealthy number of YouTube videos on photo back packs, and to both our relief, I managed to get my hands on a secondhand Wandrd 31 this summer.
Wandrd 31, an incredible versatile back pack.
The Wandrd 31 liter is a very versatile backpack, after I have filled it with my photo gear, there still is plenty of room for warm clothing and a coffee mug. The backpack has an easy access to the camera on the back, which means that the front, that is covered in some sort of pvc prevent the backpack from getting wet.
The back opens for easy access.
As most photographers I probably carry too much, you kind of want to have a backup this and backup that. The last thing you want to experience is to miss a shot because you didn’t have a backup in a time of need.
Ok, enough about the backpack, lets dive into the all-important content.
Look at that, all lined up.
So here you go. this is the content of the backpack that I brought for this morning's shoot. Let's start form the top.
Sirui carbon tripod with a ball head. I am no expert on gear, but this tripod was a nice upgrade I did last year. It isn’t too heavy, but still quite stable. I take a lot of seascapes and the tripod needs to take on both wind and the occasional wave. And so far, it has not let me down.
The tripod needs to take on both wind and the occasional wave.
Then we have the Bose earplugs for suiting music. On the right you see the release wire that fits both the cameras. I normally use the remote app for my Fujifilm XT-3. But it's good to have a backup when the technology fails, as it does way too often. The green cloth is a face mask as a Covid-19 precaution. Then there is the compass. As mist and fog is a photographer's wet dream, I felt that a compass is a clever tool, at least when shooting in the mountains. The matches are a compliment to the brown leather case containing two Cubans. When the shot of the year is captured it calls for a celebration.
Moving on we come to an essential part of the gear. The microfiber cloth. Never leave home without it. The Lacie Rugged is for onsite backup if I get paranoid and caught by fear of losing a great shot. The Fujifilm x 100s is my backup camera (with an extra battery and a couple of extra memory cards). It is kind of cheesy to refer to the x100s as a backup camera, because it is a brilliant camera in itself. I bought my x100s back in 2013 and its thanks to this camera that my photography got serious. Nothing has made me develop as a photographer as the Fujifilm x100s. To this day it's my go to camera for street photography and its brilliant for snap shots in conditions with poor lighting. If you are looking to get into photography but do not want to spend a fortune, look for a x100s. You can probably get your hands on a good one for around 400$. Then we have my main camera, the Fujifilm XT-3, for those of you with a sharp eye you will spot that I still shoot with the kit lens XF 18-55. Yes, I do want to upgrade. But for a kit lens it is pretty amazing. Bear in mind that most of the landscape photos you see here on my web is taken with this lens. It has a decent dept of field and the optic is really good. The XT-3 comes with the battery grip and carries three batteries. As you can see, I carry a couple of extra memory cards for my main camera as well. In addition, I have an extra eye muff and the black metal box contains lens paper and q-tips for the camera and band aid for me. Notebook glasses and a pen, just in case the poet in me get busy. Then there is the mini tripod for the x100s and a dust blower to keep lenses and sensors clean in the field. Cable and charger for the battery. And finally, the Fuji-non 100-400. I bought this lens for my first trip to Zimbabwe. It was a big step, and I had to dig deep into my wallet. But boy do I love that lens. Wildlife in Africa, pin sharp. Even shooting handheld. And for the zoomed in landscapes, its perfect. Heavy, bulky, but extremely sharp. I really love this lens.
So, there you have it, this is my basic setup, always packed and ready to go. And while I have your attention, may I ask you to follow my other Instagram gallery as well; @BY_BAARD for pure landscapes.