How Ditching My Camera Bags Revolutionized My Landscape Photography

[@yrjomaenpaa]

Thank you, Chris! As a 69-year-old busyhead myself, this was a refreshing video that inspired me a lot!

[@chriswright.photography]

Thank you! Delighted it’s useful. Hoping to be more measured in 2025!

[@alexyphotoman9716]

Excellent story...thanks very much Chris....you are a gifted communicator and raconteur. Good ideas as well. I've just turned 78 and I know what you mean about having no desire to lug 20 to 30 kilos of gear around the outdoors, which is what I used to do (briefly) when I returned to photography upon retirement. I rarely used more than 2 of the 4 lenses that I had in my pack - I'm embarrassed that it took me so long to stop lugging all that stuff about. If I'm off camping in a car accessible location, I'll take 4 or 5 lenses with me, but leave most of them in a separate pack in the car, taking just 2 with me on the trail. Cheers, Alex

[@chriswright.photography]

Thank you, that’s very kind! Yes, I think the surprise for me was that these notions are really common sense, but because we’ve been lugging three lenses about for thirty years, we don’t question it!

[@Bob-us9di]

Hello Chris. This video popped up on my feed (amongst the usual click-bait rubbish) and I found it a refreshing change in that you're talking about approaches to landscapes rather than 'top tips' and the like that can often be done in 5 minutes! I used to do a lot of portraiture and living in deepest rural southwest UK there aren't a lot of potential subjects - so I've been moving into landscapes and asking much the same questions as you have - you've helped to clarify my thinking - many, many thanks. So I've signed up and subscribed :-) I'm also heartened and impressed by the fact that you emigrated at 63? for a new life. I'm 63 and often think about moving abroad - Ireland figures in a lot of my thoughts... tempting.

[@chriswright.photography]

Hi Bob, thanks for this, it’s funny, I thought this video would bomb as it’s so far removed from the usual YT fare and it’s turned out to be one of the most popular on the channel. There’s a lesson for me there! Ireland is a wonderful country, I know Galway well and there is a real wealth of subjects for landscapes there, the Cliffs of Moher, wild horses in Connemara. I loved it and of course you don’t have to learn a new language! Thanks for subscribing, and good luck with your landscapes!

[@Ricardo-SW]

Good thought- I think many of us think we need to be prepared for every eventuality/opportunity, and that can bog us down.

[@chriswright.photography]

Exactly that. It takes a while to really master any lens/body combo. We only make it more difficult by piling on the variants.

[@tremaincheerful4189]

Excellent advice. At 69 I switched to Olympus/OM systems from my beloved and hard won Canon kit. The M.Zuiko Pro lenses have proved their metal against my L lenses- and weigh much less, per equivalent focal length, than my Canon gear. The Hi Rez modes have allowed me the details of a 50 megapixel or even 80 megapixel file when needed, and the 20 megapixel base resolution for general use. Even with this weight reduction, I too have found that restricting each day's activities to a genre or purpose has made those days even less strenuous (less gear), and less scattered in my mental focus.

[@chriswright.photography]

Thank you! I'm still using Canon gear myself, but quietly envy the Olympus/Fuji/Leica users. It's the hardest change to make!

[@MrFlishface]

Two years into a new hobby, 66 yrs old, using local UK bus service and carrying the day's food and water. I soon realised carrying too many lenses/possibilities was a pain and stopped taking the tripod. Yesterday I was thinking about the flash as I trudged along. I'll get to where you are, kit wise, Chris, when it all falls into place. ( hopefully soon). PS good video and one lens approach is on the horizon.

[@chriswright.photography]

Thanks! One lens or two at most works for me if I think about what I’m doing. Did a shoot in Granada this week two lenses, no tripod and it worked out well! Good luck, two years in you have some great times in front of you.

[@christophermason7735]

I'm looking forward to your architecture photography video. I particularly struggle with beautiful UK national trust buildings. Big shiny tower blocks are easy in comparison. Looking forward to what you have to show us. 😊

[@chriswright.photography]

Me too! I’ll be able to compare 11-24mm with 16-35mm and explore the new version of ViewPoint. The plan is to use Granada Cathedral. We’ll see how that goes..

[@rockitdude]

This a great video, Chris! I have way less gear than you, yet I do have 3 very different lenses. I used to carry them all with me, but I find that changing lenses in the field is off-putting compared to doing the same in the film era, when there was no fragile sensor to be contaminated and I swapped out the lenses on my Nikon FTN as often as necessary. So now I go out with one lens at a time, and concentrate on one way of seeing at a time. And the lenses are: Olympus 12-45 f/4 Pro zoom. This is the go-to walkabout lens for vacations, but mostly used in the wide angle range for landscapes and street photography, and also for close-ups just short of macro. Olympus 8mm Fisheye Pro. This is a versatile lens used for ultra-wide landscapes, whether made rectilinear in post, partially de-fished in post, or left full-on fisheye. Olympus 45mm f/1.2 Pro. The purpose of this lens, for me, is to use it wide open, so as to obtain the shallow depth of field needed for medium distance nature photography that isolates the subject of interest and creates beautiful bokeh in the background.

[@chriswright.photography]

Thanks! I share your aversion to lens changing - one of the things about DSLRs is the sensor is to some extent protected by the mirror, I'm much more wary with mirrorless. That's an interesting selection of lenses, each with a very specific purpose. Did you research and buy or get there by a process of elimination? (Which is how I got to my present gear).

[@rockitdude]

@@chriswright.photography Chris, there was no process of elimination. I did quite a bit of research on line. The 12-45 f/4 zoom was an easy choice because it is light, compact, and has a close focus capability. The fisheye was also easy; I had a fisheye adapter for my TG-5 that I bought on a lark some years ago, using Olympus rewards points, so I knew I wanted that capability for my MFT camera. Then I began experimenting with de-fished and partially de-fished images, to good effect. The 45 f/1.2 came a couple of years later, because I was missing the shallow depth of field with the f/4 zoom lens. I'm pretty well set with lenses but am contemplating a second body.

[@chriswright.photography]

@@rockitdude Congratulations on a job well done! the process of elimination is an expensive way to get to where you need to be. Having said that the lenses I traded were mostly earlier versions of lenses that were noticeably improved. The Canon 70-200 mk II is completely different animal as is the 100-400. I sold a 70-300 only to buy it again a few years later to use with a Canon 7D body. Almost the equivalent of 400mm but lighter,

[@vermis8344]

"I like photographing everything except people" This sentiment was a big factor in getting me to hit 'subscribe'.

[@chriswright.photography]

Thanks, and welcome! that made me smile - I was sure I’m not alone in this!

[@garymaunder1399]

Excellent video Chris. We seem to have mirrored our photographic paths. I am also 68 and have had a complete rethink and refit, selling lots of equipment and started investing in equipment similar to yourself. Just subscribed.

[@chriswright.photography]

Thanks Gary! It comes to us all eventually, it's also an opportunity to re-evaluate what works and what works not so well!

[@TimEaston-n9q]

Thank you! at 72 I some time ago decided to limit myself to one body and 2 lenses for any given outing. I think the way you explained your intent to tell a more personal story by limiting focus (no pun intended), is a little different approach. I'll be more mindful of decluttering my compositions going forward. At least I'll try. Thanks again. (new subscriber)

[@chriswright.photography]

Thanks Tim, it seemed to me that I was assembling a large number of unconnected photographs. My own focus was on creating the best possible image. Once I had realised that in a story, not every image needs to be prize winning it opened up opportunities quite a lot. I guess in some ways it’s like writing, even Martin Amis used connecting sentences from time to time!

[@JeremyHaslam-j8v]

So true. When cooking who concentrates on the saucepans?

[@DudleyRose]

Very nice. Your comment about moving beyond the shots that almost every photographer would take is an especially great reminder to me. Your idea of focusing on one type of photography at a time is helpful for moving in that direction.

[@chriswright.photography]

Glad you enjoyed it!

[@ianyorke2617]

Excellent and interesting video

[@chriswright.photography]

Thanks, I'm really pleased to hear that. There are more sharing these views than I had imagined!

[@chrisgrylls9132]

A great video Chris. I can certainly agree with your approach. Like you, I shoot just about everything but people. I have just turned 75 and a couple of years ago I went on a shoot and took everything I thought I could possibly need including the kitchen sink and struggled to get it all back up the steep climb from the beach to the car. I realised this was somewhat stupid and resolved to always take less. Now, I think long and hard about the shoot I am undertaking and take the bare minimum I think I will need - sometimes just one body and lens; sometimes two bodies and lenses attached as I hate changing lenses in the field. This generally works very well and has not limited my photography, but effectively makes me think more about what I am taking and become more creative. I also have the 11-24mm F/4 lens which is a great lens, although probably a little niche. I also use DXO PhotoLab 8 and enjoy your videos.

[@chriswright.photography]

Thank you. Like you I had a beach incident. About ten years ago I was shooting in a very steep sided cove in north wales. Until I noticed the water lapping around the feet of my tripod. Strained a ligament in my foot climbing out. Two lessons learned that day. Check the tide and carry less!

[@davidselby8115]

All pure sense for oldies

[@jeffkogler1170]

Hello Chris. Thank you for the ideas in the video. I have had a similar approach on occasions but you offered a perspective which is very useful. I was actually attracted to the video by the title so I thought it was about camera bags. I may have missed it in the video but I was curious about what size bag you carry your lightweight kit in. (As an experienced professional you have some goals which I, as an pure amateur, don't have. So I tend to use zooms (mostly one zoom, the Tamron 18 to 300 mm on my Fujifilm X-S10), aiming for good quality but not saleable images, not too concerned about low light situations. My main subject is landscape/seascape with a smattering of other stuff one comes across when travelling. If I think I need better quality I still use zooms to cover the same focal length range (perhaps extended down to 10mm, with my small number of primes reserved for training my eye for different perspectives.)

[@chriswright.photography]

I use an F-Stop Guru 25L bag with a medium insert. I use the spare space for food or extra clothing when I’m hiking. I won’t get a smaller bag because this one is so comfortable! I’m intrigued by the huge range that mirrorless lenses offer but I wonder if it comes at a cost of quality. The nearest I have to that sort of multipurpose range is 24-105mm which I use mostly for video. It’s a great lens though.

[@jeffkogler1170]

@@chriswright.photography Yes thanks for the information about the bag. I totally understand that with your vocation image quality is a top priority. That would be what what your clients and us more casual observers would look for from an experienced professional.

[@michgreeno1]

Makes a lot of sense, as someone who lost 3 stone (and have kept it off) I was amazed at how much strain all that weight was putting on my body, a heavy camera bag is much the same so no more than two lenses, the laptop compartment contains a scarf, gloves and hand warmers, never a laptop.

[@chriswright.photography]

Thank you and well done! It's true, even with good weight distribution a heavy bag is burdensome. And totally agree about laptops, I used to use a laptop on client shoots, but they have no place in the wilderness!

[@RonK]

love the thought process, love your style of video. Referring to the weight you used to carry around, I'd like to add my personal two cents: shooting mostly Sony with half a dozen lenses I had an absolute epiphany when I bought myself additionally a used Leica M10-R with two (also used) lenses (a 35mm and 50mm for me, but would be same result with e.g. 24 and 75 or so), coming in now under 2 kg in total, including bag, extra batteries, filters and even a small table tripod - and said bag is sooo tiny. Still having full frame, high resolution and superb colors, but the difference in weight and size almost felt like switching to taking images with a phone.

[@chriswright.photography]

Thank you! I do like the Leica cameras. Expense is off-putting though there may yet come a time..

[@christophermason7735]

Nice video Chris.

[@chriswright.photography]

Thanks!

[@SeaAngMo23]

68! God Bless!! how useful is the 11-24 lens? i've thought about buying one, is it worth it? ok, next video should answer my question I'm guessing.

[@chriswright.photography]

I think it’s an amazing lens, very sharp, minimal distortion. I will use it for architecture mainly. On the downside, it’s big and heavy so not one to take on 10 mile hikes!

[@brianmckeever5280]

Interesting. I feel much better about my 5 unused camera bags! My FOMO won't let me _not_ take a 14-400mm equivalent almost everywhere I go. It drives me crazy to stumble across something in the field having left just the right lens at home. It is probably a good exercise though!

[@chriswright.photography]

Thank you. I walk regularly in the mountains with a wildlife photographer and while I can get horses, bulls and Ibex ok, eagles and vultures elude me. I’m thinking Canon 7d and 70-300mm lens as a starting point. But completely different task.

[@ToyoteroMundial]

Va a la Región de Valencia para documentar las consecuencias de la Dana?

[@chriswright.photography]

Estaba planeando ir dentro de dos semanas a fotografiar arquitectura, pero ahora eso no me parece apropiado. Estoy en contacto con gente de allí, así que veré cómo progresan las cosas la próxima semana.

[@oneeyedphotographer]

When I was your age, I could carry all the Canon gear I could want including four TS-E lenses., my 5Ds, maybe my Sigma 180mm macro lens. Eventually I sold the 5Ds, replacing it with a Lumix S1R. It's a better camera, I use my TS-E lenses with an adaptor. An I have a remarkably light 14-28 with a 67mm filter thread. Panasonic likes 67mm filter threads. 47.3 Mpx, 187 high res option. I've been using M43 cameras for most of my recent photography, all have focus bracketting, all have 80 Mpx high res modes and some other tricks your Canon cameras do not. My Olympus 60mm macro lens is tiny. I was diagnosed with AML Leukaemia last April, that's slowed me down a bit. A 6 Kg camera bag is the most I can sensibly carry. In July I bought an OM-5 and 12-45 F4. For anything lighter, you're down into compact phones. It can make photos your Canon cameras cannot, it has four stops of live ND, does focus bracketting, shoots at a decent framerate (but nothing like the OM-1 II), lots of stabilisation. I'm autistic, one of my difficulties is with loud noises such as your music. I was going to subscribe, until I heard that .Look up sensory dysfunction.

[@chriswright.photography]

I'm sorry to hear about your diagnosis, that's tough. Sorry about the music too, I do try to choose gentle, reflective sounds to suit the photography and my delivery. I've never got on with the OM range, I know thousands love them, but I don't suit them. A camera has to feel good in my hands and I love the ergonomics of Canon cameras, for my size hands they just fit.

[@oneeyedphotographer]

@@chriswright.photography My hands are quite big, 25cm handspan. There's also the Lumix G9 II Same body as the S5 II.

[@kirklaws-chapman7281]

Very good Chris. Getting away from photography as some sort of competetive process (other than with oneself!) is a very liberating approach. On some days I take myself back to my roots as an archaeological site photographer in the pre-autofocus days. My shots had to be correct and publication ready first time round since the subjects were excavated away almost immediately after I’d captured them, and I had no opportunity to see the results until the films were developed. My method for replicating this is to treat my camera as though it were an old school one without the benefit of instant review and only check what I’ve captured at the end of the day, away from the location. This allows me to become more familiar with the amazing controls I have to hand in my camera and the confidence in my technique so that I can capture good (occasionally better than good) shots without the distraction of checking and reviewing after every exposure.

[@chriswright.photography]

That’s a good thought, and requires a degree of confidence to pull off. I’m about half way there. Will check the first couple of exposures then adjust if necessary. You’re absolutely right about the sophistication of modern cameras, so much to experiment with.