The Phoblographer

The staff at The Phoblographer adore their Fujifilm camera. Three of us own products for the system. Two others are considering switching over. And for the past decade, I’ve basically bought new Fujifilm lenses or cameras each year. I’ve accumulated a lot. Over the past year, I decided it was time to pare down. We all do it! We all end up buying a new lens or sometimes a new camera that we don’t use often. So, I got rid of them. Well, I didn’t get rid of everything; I paired it down to just the necessities.

This is a sponsored blog post by Adorama. Trade-in camera gear you’re no longer using. Want to upgrade to a weather-sealed lens? Or do you want to get the latest GFX series camera and trade in an older one? Well, eBay can be a bit of a pain, but Adorama makes it pretty convenient for you to sell to them. Just tell them about the equipment you’re selling to get a quote.

Let’s go through this first. Here’s everything I used to own from Fujifilm:

Fujifilm XT2

Fujifilm XH1: One of the best cameras for documentary photography. It was used to shoot the 2020 World Press Photos Award Winner.

Fujifilm X Pro 1: The image quality is still, even to this day, very unique.

Fujifilm X Pro 3: Probably my favorite camera of the past decade.

Fujifilm 23mm f1.4 R: A very versatile lens

Fujifilm 16mm f1.4 R WR: A staple for many photojournalists

Fujifilm 35mm f1.4 R: Come on, the character from this lens is wonderful

Fujifilm 50mm f2 R WR: This lens survived some serious rainfall a few years ago when we tested it

Fujifilm 56mm f1.2 R: A favorite of many photograpehrs.

Let’s be honest; that’s a lot of Fujifilm gear! And I realized that I wasn’t using a good bunch of it. To be honest, some of it just didn’t bring me joy. I know photographers who adore some of these lenses, but they just didn’t do much for me. I like getting unique image quality from a lens and not needing to do any post-production. Arguably, it’s the reason why you buy into Fujifilm to begin with. So, I got rid of the gear that didn’t serve me.

Fujifilm XT2: I got rid of it because I realized more and more that I’m not a fan of SLR-style camera bodies. And if Fujifilm does anything well, it’s rangefinder style cameras.

Fujifilm XH1: The biggest reason to have the XH1 is the image stabilization. However, I’m a photographer trained to handhold a camera to super slow shutter speeds. And with the X Pro 3, I rarely get blurry photos. That, and of any Fujifilm camera, it has the strangest ergonomics.

Fujifilm 56mm f1.2 R: I’ve always been in awe of the images photographers shoot with this lens. But it never worked for me. If you shoot photojournalism, you’ll understand.

Fujifilm 50mm f2 R WR: This is a beautiful, small lens. It’s great for portraits and street photography at a distance. But Fujifilm has better lenses for street photography.

Look in your camera bag. Are you truly a minimalist? If you’ve shot for a long time, there are probably items that you rarely ever use. This is a thought process that’s changed over the years. Your grandparents still probably have old film cameras sitting around somewhere. But those continue to work almost like the day they got them. Digital is different. Unlike what your grandparents did, it doesn’t make sense to hold onto most digital cameras for that long. There’s no point in storing a bunch of those cameras in your closet in camera bags. I say this because it’s literally become the case for me. Why should I hold onto a camera that I don’t use anymore? Unlike something like a Sony a7, it doesn’t really make sense to repurpose a Fuji camera. By that, I mean to do something like convert it to infrared. The X Trans sensor and the processor are so unique to begin with. Why would you mess with something completely unique?

This year, pretty much our entire staff switched over to using Fujifilm cameras. One of our writers is considering an upgrade to the GFX system from her aging Canon DSLR. In her mind, the Fujifilm GFX 50S II is around the same si...

“My creative work helps me to express my inner feelings,” says Yekaterinburg-based Russian graphic designer and visual artist Ruslan Khasanov. Creative experimentation comes naturally to this Cannes Lions Gold winner (2018). He spotted a rainbow pattern in a discarded CD one day, and that inspired him to create his ‘Burn’ series of images, a part of his larger Disctortion project

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Storage mediums, especially those that are used for audio and video media, tend to become collectibles. My father has a massive collection of audio cassettes from the 70s to the 90s. I have a fair amount of audio CDs and an above-average collection of BluRay steelbooks (if you’re a movie buff, you can get addicted to these). These days NFTs are all the rage with insane amounts of money being spent on their acquisition. Ruslan’s work involves a lot of bright colors and designs and liquids. For his Burn series, he wanted to create an abstract look with compact discs. By burning, deforming, and dipping them in bleach, he prepped a bunch of CDs before photographing them up close with a macro lens.

The Essential Photo Gear Used by Ruslan Khasanov

Ruslan told us

Sony α7R IV

Sigma AF 105mm f2.8

LED lights

I don’t have a lot of equipment; I only keep what I need. Currently, I have one camera: Sony α7R IV, one lens: Sigma AF 105mm f2.8 and a few Led lights.

The Phoblographer: Please tell us about yourself and how you got into photography.

Ruslan Khasanov: I specialize in abstract photography, abstract music videos, and experimental typography.I started my career in 2007 with logo designing and drawing illustrations. I’ve dedicated a lot of time to studying various software and artistic techniques. While drawing illustrations, I tried to find my own unique style. I loved to experiment combining vector graphics with 3D. But one day, I got tired of working at the computer and focused my attention on photography.

The Phoblographer: How did you come up with the idea for this project? Was it just something that came out of a lot of unused CDs lying around?

Ruslan Khasanov: I was walking around the city one day when I noticed a glint of sunlight reflecting off a damaged CD lying on the road, which was shimmering with all the colors of the rainbow. And this inspired me to create a series of abstract photos, videos and typography using CDs.

The Phoblographer: Most projects involving CDs that I’ve seen are macro photos where people photograph droplets of water or oil on their surface. Why did you decide to shoot these differently?

Ruslan Khasanov: As soon as I had this idea, I immediately began to check the information about whether someone had similar ideas before. I found a lot of photos of CDs, but no one else had anything similar to my idea. If someone has already made this idea before me, then I leave it and look for a new idea because I see no reason for myself to follow in someone’s footsteps.

The Phoblographer: The process of ripping apart the CDs sounds painful. Is this you letting out some repressed emotions?

Ruslan Khasanov: Yes, my creative work helps me to express my inner feelings. I just turn on the music, forget about everything that worries me and go with the flow, experimenting with graphics.

The Phoblographer: These disks appear to float in some of these images. Tell our readers how you achieve this effect, please.

Ruslan Khasanov: In the process of shooting, there are a lot of technical subtleties. Many visual effects I get by playing the lighting.

The Phoblographer: What techniques do you use to light the discs evenly? How tough is it to photograph them when having to deal with the reflections?

Ruslan Khasanov: I don’t have a lighting scheme; I always set up my equipment differently during shooting. Sometimes I shoot in direct sunlight. In creativity, I’m acting on a hunch.

The Phoblographer: Do you think CDs will experience a resurgence in usage in some years, much like 35mm film is undergoing...

Every now and again, we’re told by photographers about problems their cameras have. Sometimes, these problems lead to class action lawsuits. A few companies have suffered this. And the latest issue we’ve been told about has to do with the Fujifilm X Pro 3. The word is that the eInk Fujifilm X Pro 3 sub-monitor becomes faulty and stops working after a while. So we did some investigation.

What’s Wrong with the Fujifilm X Pro 3 Sub-Monitor?

To explain this further, Fujifilm did one of the most brilliant moves we’ve seen in years. The Fujifilm X Pro 3 has a hidden LCD screen and an eInk display. The latter is what’s called the Fujifilm X Pro 3 sub-monitor. This eInk display is for anyone that’s shot film or has worked in photography for a long time. A lot of folks complained about it. But in my eyes, the folks who complain don’t truly know how to shoot. (That’s a whole other story though.)

For the record, I own and love the Fujifilm X Pro 3. Yes, my relationship with the camera isn’t perfect. They give it the most meager of firmware updates that are a slap in the face to any long-time Fuji fan. I use mine weekly. And of any of my cameras, this is the digital camera that’s my absolute favorite. The big draw to the camera is this specific eInk monitor. It helps me really stay in tune with what’s happening. I’ve worked with the camera so much that I can often predict what it’s going to give me. Otherwise, you can customize the viewfinder to do just that. The eInk display is just a constant reminder to myself not to worry about the images immediately. And more often than not, I’ve never edited images from the camera. It’s nice to just be able to shoot, like the look, and move on with my life. I’ll usually beam the images to my phone, upload them to a platform, and call it a day. Sometimes I’ll edit in Capture One, but I don’t usually need to.

I only end up bringing out the LCD screen when I need to switch menus or I want to shoot in a different way.

That’s a very long way from saying that if this eInk Fujifilm X Pro 3 sub-monitor weren’t working, I’d be heartbroken. I use it to display my film simulation usually.

So when we were sent an email by a reader about the Fujifilm X Pro 3 having an issue like this, I was personally a bit shocked and confused. But just because I’m not personally experiencing the problem doesn’t mean that others aren’t. We were sent the video below. It shows how the eInk screen isn’t reflecting the settings on the camera. The user even goes deeper to change settings. But it doesn’t work.

“What happens is the sub monitor would go blank and then a little time after the rear LCD flip down monitor follows the same fate,” says Jett, who sent us the email. Jett explained that this also happened to his friends. But this isn’t the only problem to happen though. According to a Fred Mirana forum, the problem is more varied. Sometimes it can go completely black or gray out. Again, this is all quite sad since the camera already doesn’t receive the best firmware updates. One could say that it adds insult to injury. Oh right, and it’s also Fujifilm’s most expensive X-series camera. But again, we rated it very highly.

So What’s the Word?

As you can see in the chat, they speak about a class action lawsuit. But that’s not really how these things work. Sometimes there’s an issue with a recall and manufacturers refusing to do repairs to a known fault. However, Fujifilm America says that the problem is limited. “Fujifilm is committed to providing creators with best-in-class service and technology when it comes to our digital cameras,” says Victor Ha, Senior Director of Marketing and Product Management, Electronic Imaging Division & Cinema and Broadcast Products, FUJIFILM North America Corporation. “The number of sub monitor and LCD repairs for the X-Pro 3 within Fujifilm’s camera repair center is limited. If users are experiencing this issue, they can reach out to our repair center here.” Victor’s quote came to us via email whe...

A modern camera can have all the AI, megapixels, autofocus points, and weather sealing in the world and still not work for you. It can be the most expensive one on the market and still not be that sweet serenade to your heart. The best camera can be loved by so many photographers in groups, but not have any chemistry with you. The best camera shouldn’t ever get in the way of making pictures. And most importantly, it shouldn’t get in the way of letting you fully enjoy life.

A conversation I had with Arts and Culture Editor Dan Ginn for an upcoming episode of Inside the Photographer’s Mind really got me thinking. Dan asked if film is it for me. He wondered if digital just isn’t there for me. It took me some time to think about it. I was silent not because I was trying to ensure that manufacturers weren’t going to get angry. I was silent because I needed to reach deep down into my own emotions and experiences.

Let’s stop talking about good photography; let’s discuss the rarely reviewed idea of enjoyable photography. You might think that this is highly debatable, but in my years of working with cameras testers there’s a lot that is commonplace.

The more steps you have to take to get your photo, the more annoying the process is. We’re not talking about it being difficult. Anyone with a bit of know-how can use a camera. Instead, it’s all about the tedious nature. We’re told that we have to shoot in manual all the time. And then sometimes the cameras aren’t smart enough to lock onto faces or your dog running around. Getting to do all this with little to no work is fun. It helps you stay in the moment. More importantly, getting to do this while also not needing to edit a whole lot lets you continue making more of those moments.

We shouldn’t need to grind away when using the best camera to have a great and enjoyable photography experience. Similarly, no one should have to shoot for a few hours only to edit in post-production software for even longer.

Thing all brings me back to the conversation I had with Dan. Film cameras are wonderful. The Fujifilm Natura S lets me always stay in the moment. I can shoot a photo, accept that I won’t see it until the film develops, and just stick to enjoying and going about life. Turning off the LCD screen doesn’t do the same thing. We live in a society of addiction. It’s social media, the news, vices, etc. If you spend all day scrolling through images on a phone, you’re probably going to look at your camera’s LCD screen. If you shoot primarily with the LCD screen, you’re also probably going to do the same.

Certain cameras for me let me truly enjoy photography. There’s the X Pro 3, with its hidden LCD screen that forces me to just shoot and live in the moment. The Leica M10D always did something similar. Canon’s autofocus really helps me stay connected to the moment with creating. The other night I photographed some rambutans using the Canon EOS R5 and the Elinchrom One. Neither of those got in the way of creating.

Instead of megapixels, autofocus, etc., I think there isn’t enough emphasis put on how cameras can capture the moment and help us stay in it. If the pandemic taught us anything, it’s that everything can be gone tomorrow. So why not revel in it?

My name is Tarryn Goldman. Proud mother. Passionate photographer. Deep base devotee. Avid bookworm. Information collector. Internet addict. Bourbon-loving sunset junkie. Unofficial graphic designer. Cloud observing dreamer and people watcher of note. That’s me in a nutshell. Photography, to me, is so much more than a job, or just a way to make money. I live, eat, and breathe it. When I am there, camera in hand, borrowing snippets of time, the world becomes such a beautiful place, and it is through my photography that I hope to share my view of the world. So thank you for allowing me into your world, and I hope you enjoy the view from mine.

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When I turned 30 (pretty late in life I know) my father passed away.

I was devastated. I am an only child and he was the hippy creative in my family who showed me that fairies were real and let me know that there was a big, exciting world out there with so much to discover. He was a giant of a man, coming in at just under 6.3 feet and weighing around 130 kg, and I felt his loss by the absence of his huge frame grabbing me for bear hugs on a regular basis.

He had a best friend. They had been best friends since they were 13 years old. His name was Nigel. Nigel walked like my dad and talked like my dad, and when I decided to move from Cape Town in South Africa, where I had grown up, to Johannesburg, Nigel was the only person I knew up there and so we started hanging out. I wanted to be around him as much as possible because he reminded me of my father.

It just so happens that Nigel had been a very successful cameraman and producer for the BBC for a number of years, so it was with great love and affection that, one day, he offered me an old Nikon D100 that he had lying around, just to take some snaps and see if I liked it.

I have always been extremely creative, loving all visual crafts from painting to jewelry making, so I was thrilled at the thought of discovering this new art.

The bug bit, and I fell in love with the medium. After about two weeks, I quit my very stable job in publishing to “become a photographer” and I’ve been trying to figure it out for the last 11 years.

I really love photography. I absolutely adore that it’s half technical skill and half creative trial and error. I love the fact that it is so immediate. I don’t have to wait for paint to dry or for clay to set. I have this desire to create the most beautiful images in the world. I love that I see more now than I ever did before and I understand people more than I ever thought possible. I love that the scope for learning is never-ending and I will always be trying to improve and grow.

The Essential Photography Gear of Tarryn Goldman

Fujifilm XT2

50mm Prime

10-24mm fuji lens

2 x Godox AD 200

My biggest influences are:

Bella Kotak

Gregory Crewdson

Kate Woodman

Clay Cook

Miss Aniela

Melissa Rodwell

Joel Grimes

Karl Taylor

Sue Bryce

Gemma Woud-Binnendijk

Jennifer B Hudson

Jingna Zhang

Kirsty Mitchell

Lillian Lu

Annie Lebowitz

Cheryl Walsh

Platon

Rose Hardy

Anya Anti

Richard Avedon

Helmut Newton

David Bailey

Peter Lindbergh

Slim Aaron

Alexa Sinclair

All of these photographers excel in their craft. They have all created images that make me stop and stare, and that, to me, is a sign of a wonderful image.

That is what I aspire to. The above photographers push me to be better. I am not extremely detail-oriented, which is a terrible flaw I have. The work produced by all of these photographers always makes me stop, take a breath, and actually think about what I am doing. To be present in the moment of where I am.

They have taught me that thinking differently about things is what makes me unique and no one else can do me like me.

I have been shooting for 11 years and I feel so different now than when I started. I have learned to slow down. To trust myself far more than I trust the equipment. I have learned that “my style” is not an actual, tangible thing, it is the way I see the world and p...

“.I have learned to not dwell on the images I may or may not be making and instead just enjoy the process of making them,” explains photographer Zeb Andrews. He adds, “it is a lot of fun.” For most folks, Zeb doesn’t need an introduction. We’ve featured him on our site a few times. The Bruce Wayne persona of Zeb is one of the folks in charge of Blue Moon camera: undeniably one of the best vintage and analog photography stores. I speak with him weekly for our Rare Camera Store initiative. And when the night hits, Zeb dons a metaphorical photo vest and ventures out to make exciting photos. Below are just some of them.

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Zeb didn’t go analog for this shoot. Instead, he went all digital. This shocked even me, as I thought this wunderkind of a man did it all on film. When I stared at Zeb’s photos, I was in awe. We’re not typically the type to feature photos where photographers mindlessly capture things in front of them. And for sure, that’s not the case here. Zeb’s images are stunning, and the story behind what’s happening is also really cool!

The Essential Photo Gear of Zeb Andrews

Canon 5D Mk II

Canon 24-105mm f4 L

Canon 17-35mm f2.8 L

Zeb Andrews on this gear:

“Ha! My long-in-the-tooth Canon 5DII. I’ve had that camera for years now and it is a relic by DSLR standards, but for my own photography, which is mostly film-based, I have not hit a great enough need yet to replace it. Plus I have had it long enough now that it has grown on me and we have developed a relationship similar to the connection I feel with my 30-50 year old film cameras. I had two lenses with me: the 24-105mm f4 L and the 17-35mm f2.8 L. I ended up using the wide angle zoom for all these images though both because I needed that wider angle field of view and that faster max aperture.”

Phoblographer: So you captured the Aurora star trails and bioluminescence at the same time? In real life, how difficult was this to shoot?

Zeb Andrews: Kind of difficult, kind of not. The most difficult technical aspect was how dark it was. This made exposure times pretty long, even with higher ISO settings. But that is one of the nice things about digital photography: the quick feedback. I made one or two film exposures, and I still have not seen those negatives since they had to wait for me to finish the rest of the roll. Thankfully with my DSLR, I only had to way a few minutes, then I could gauge the results and make adjustments. Exposure times were still two to five minutes, so the process wasn’t terribly fast, but it worked. There were other minor technical issues as well, such as focusing AF lenses in scenes that dark. That can be a bit of a trick because you cannot rely on the AF mechanism and instead have to focus manually, but AF lenses don’t manually stop at infinity either. I was able to use some bright stars and zoom in on them to get sharp focus, then recompose my scene.

Also, the illumination from the back of the camera, or the occasions where I had to turn on my phone’s flashlight to see something interfered with my own night vision, so I had to use those things sparingly otherwise, I wasn’t able to see the view well with my own eyes.

Phoblographer: How dark was it out there? Were you actually able to see these things with your own naked eyes?

Zeb Andrews: After a fashion, yes. It took about 15-20 minutes for my eyes to adjust. At one point, I set my film camera up for a 40-minute exposure and just went and sat in the dark, not looking at either my digital camera or phone. After doing that, I could really see the bioluminescence in the crashing waves. It could be pretty spectacular when a big wave crested because you’d get a slowly unfurling line of line across the ocean below you. I wasn’t able to see the blue in the illumination very well at all, but I could certainly see the spots of light lighting up. I did not notice the aurora at all, but I am not sure if that was because it was too dim to see or because I was not even...

Camera bags are a dime a dozen these days, with most promising to be the only one you need. It’s a marketing ploy. Most will choose functionality over comfort. Other bags are comfortable and skimp on the looks department. Some nail design and comfort but negate functionality. It really shouldn’t be that difficult to find a functional, comfortable, and attractive bag. That’s the gap the Morally Toxic Wraith 20L bag hopes to bridge.

It’s one of four new designs by the company aimed to check all three boxes. Even more, Morally Toxic uses environmentally conscious materials and has created a fair work environment. The Wraith is a comfortable bag with textured material and thoughtfully placed pockets. The textured materials are contrasted with a smooth, suede-like material, and the pairing feels a bit edgier. However, the cool aesthetic is also met with a few odd design flaws.

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The Morally Toxic Wraith 20L is a comfortable messenger bag that offers quick access to your gear. It is loaded with strategically placed pockets. Some of the pockets would be greatly benefited by more flexibility, and not all of the zippers are weather-sealed.

Pros And Cons

Pros

Comfortable padded strap

Integrated pockets on internal dividers

Lots of organization options

The following was provided by Morally Toxic.

Luggage pass through

Accessible

Durable Materials

Zipper on laptop compartment is weather-sealed

Cons

Main compartment zipper isn’t weather-sealed

Internal dividers are very stiff

Strap is too long to wear as a sling

Dual front-organiser pockets are really snug

Gear Used

I tested the Morally Toxic Wraith 20L with several different configurations to see what gear would work. The Fujifilm X-T4 with a Fujifilm 18mm f1.4 lens and a Leica SL2-S with a Leica 20mm f2 APO Summicron lens both fit. I also tested it with my Canon 5D Mark III with the Canon 50mm 1.2L lens and the 85mm f1.2L II lens. My 16” MacBook pro also slides in the laptop pocket.

Innovations

There are only so many options for a messenger bag. Morally Toxic designed the Wraith 20L with materials that stand up to conformity. I appreciate the side pockets on the internal dividers. The bag will most likely appeal to those who like street or casual designs.

Tech Specs

The following was provided by Morally Toxic:

Constructed with tough fabrics that are treated to repel liquids

Padded main storage for camera gear with movable dividers

Laptop pocket with two-side opening for easy access.

The Morally Toxic Wraith 20L bag has a great variety of pockets. The large front pocket can fit a large tablet, notebook, or a sketch pad. The front flap unsnaps at the bottom to reveal two pockets. Underneath the flap is a hidden pocket intended for smaller personal items such as a wallet, passport, and cell phone.

Unique “Frog” pocket for stowage of wet items, with collapsable divider, accessible

from bag exterior to avoid contact with electronics

Dual front organiser pockets with inward access to prevent side access

Protective front flap with zipped access to tablet stowage

The main compartment of the Wraith 20L is accessed through the middle zipper and is rather large. It comes with two removable dividers that each have pockets on the sides. At first these dividers are very stiff. After a break-in period of a few days, I found the three compartments easily housed mirrorless cameras and lenses. When shooting a larger DSLR, I found it best to remove one of the dividers and essentially split the bag into two. It was easiest to store my camera gear with the lenses up in both configurations.

Secret pocket for cash and passport security

Internal dividers with integrated pockets – ideal for cables, filters and lens cloths

Stowage strap for connecting to roller-cases

Woven nylon adjustable shoulder strap with detachable padded shoulder strap, and dual strap attachment points for use messenger or sling style

Dual carry handle on top with connecting pad

Smart use of fabrics in...

I have previously written about the possibilities of photography being addictive. It’s certainly plausible that street photography is addictive—the hunt, the catch, the shot, the endorphins! It’s the reason so many street photographers go out in search of the rush that comes with “getting the shot.” The reality is, however, you’re not going to get a great shot all the time. And I know many street photographers get disheartened with that. You shouldn’t, and here’s why.

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Street Photography Home Run!

My relationship with street photography has intensified over the past couple of months. It’s the first time since the pandemic began that I am back to always carrying my camera with me. I constantly want to shoot and create; it feels amazing.

Beyond my passion returning, I also feel sharper than ever in terms of spotting the scenes. I am consistently seeing compelling frames, and I am missing nothing. It’s the level of awareness I had two to three years ago when I felt at my peak. Because of this, I hit a little run where I was getting great images. The kind of images that you make and think, “I can’t wait to get home and load them on the computer.” For a certain amount of time, creating street photographs felt like hitting the jackpot on the fruit machines. Day after day, those shots would line up; it was thrilling.

Then one day, I roamed for hours. I was searching for “the shot,” waiting for the frame. Nothing came. I went out the next day. Again, nothing came. “Where is my jackpot?” I said. And then I reminded myself that street photography is seldom about winning.

Street Photography and Consistency

Street photography, in my opinion, is one of the most challenging genres to shoot (check out the easiest genres of photography). The reason it’s so hard is because we have no control over what happens on the streets. With that in mind, it’s logical to expect that you won’t always get great shots when out shooting. But I know a lot of street photographers struggle with this reality. When the shots don’t come in, they sulk. Sometimes they stop shooting and go months without heading out with their cameras.

If you’re reading this and thinking, “that sounds like me,” I have news for you: it’s okay for your street photographs to suck sometimes.

As Alex Webb put it:

Alex Webb

“Luck, or perhaps serendipity, play a big role. But you never know what is going to happen. And what is most exciting is when the utterly unexpected happens, and you manage to be there at the right place at the right time, and push the shutter at the right moment. Most of the time it doesn’t work out that way. Street photography is 99.9% about failure.”

Even the best, most celebrated street photographers fail. They know they won’t get great shots all the time, but they remain consistent. They’re at peace with their failure and happy to patiently wait for their success. So, if you’re hoping to one day be considered a master of street photography, you need to be able to push through the rough spots. If you can’t accept that you won’t hit the jackpot every day, this game isn’t for you.

How to Keep Shooting Street Photography During a Drought

There are several benefits to shooting street photography. It’s not all about the final image. Firstly, I believe street photography makes you a better person because of the virtues developed while practicing it.

Secondly, the process of walking around is extremely meditative. It keeps you focused, centers your mind, and can be relaxing, despite the amount of walking you do.

There’s also the community that comes with street photography. Shooting street is a good way to make friends and discuss the genre of photography you love. Socializing enriches the mind, especially when you do it with like-minded people.

Things You Can Do to Overcome a Drought

Taking a conscious break from street photography can help you get back to where you were. Don’t shoot for a few days, maybe even a week....

On this episode of Inside The Photographer’s Mind I am joined with The Phoblographer’s EIC, Chris Gampat. We discuss the hottest gear on the photography market right now. It’s all worth your attention and we will share why each piece is worthy of your investment.

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Gear discussed

Fujifilm X-T2: https://amzn.to/2WNKgrq

Leica SL2-S: https://amzn.to/3mq5HaN

Profoto B10: https://amzn.to/2YoRhPF

Nikon ZFC: https://amzn.to/3lcO5zG

Fujifilm 18mm F1.4 R LM WR: https://amzn.to/3iAC0CN

Mitakon 50mm 0.95: https://amzn.to/3iwmAPZ

Sony A1: https://amzn.to/2WJ3v5i

Fujifilm GFX100S: https://amzn.to/3Bl3OSY

Links:

https://www.thephoblographer.com/

From the shed (as they like to call it) of UK-based camera bag and tripod brand 3LeggedThing comes an all-new backpack series – the Morally Toxic Valkyrie. 3LeggedThing is well known in the industry for its bold colors and innovative designs, and the new Morally Toxic brand is no deviation from this. Say hello to some shiny exteriors with not-so-subtle patterns. There are some fabulous functional additions in their first series of backpacks (called Valkyrie). Available in three colors and two sizes, the Morally Toxic Valkyrie bags aim to challenge conventional camera bag design by weaving in premium quality and extraordinary style. I spent a few days testing the 20L Blue Valkyrie, and I was pleasantly impressed with what it has to offer.

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The Valkyrie is a confident move into the camera bag segment of the photography industry by accessories manufacturer 3LeggedThing. The exterior fabric of the Valkyrie model is made of premium material (and every single bag manufactured has an outer pattern that is unique). Zippers are all YKK, the shoulder straps are comfortably padded, and the 3-point air-flow back support means it fits well while you’re traveling. In addition to the standard tripod holding straps and elastic straps to hold your water bottle, there are also a few hidden surprises.

There’s a Secret Stash pocket in the back to hold cash and travel documents. In addition to the super-rigid internal dividers with strong velcro sides, they also incorporate a sleeve/pocket on one side to store small accessories like cables or lens caps. There’s also what 3LeggedThing calls a Frog pocket. This is a large, separate compartment on the back where you can safely keep wet or damp clothing (or even an underwater camera) without it damaging the gear in the main bag. The exterior material is the real star though. Sure to turn heads in public thanks to its reflective material, the Morally Toxic Valkyrie comes in 20L and 25L sizes in Onyx, Emerald, and Sapphire (seen below).

Pros and Cons

Pros

Eye catching, stylish, and individually patterned exterior design

Internal dividers with strong velcro and inbuilt sleeves/pockets

Water resistant ‘Frog pocket’ to store damp or wet items safely

Liquid and stain repellent exterior fabric

Laptop storage compartment is reinforced by YKK Aquagard zippers

Comfortable to wear and walk with. Shoulder straps don’t slip off

Rain cover tucked away out of sight

5 year global warranty!

Cons

Why exactly isn’t the main compartment also reinforced with the same Aquagard zipper as the laptop compartment?

Innovations

Check out the design on the exterior of the 20L Sapphire Valkyrie backpack I received. It’s a one of a kind design, but it’s also unique to this backpack alone. That’s because Morally Toxic creates these fabric panels by combining a map of their hometown Stagsden with an alligator print. No two bags get the exact same design.

I’ve owned a fair number of camera bags over the last decade, and the only variations I’ve seen in the dividers they’ve had has been in the thickness of each divider. The Morally Toxic Valkyrie series backpack internal dividers have inbuilt sleeves, such as the one seen here. Plus, the velcro sides are super strong and really grab onto the interior of the bag.

Gear Used

I tested out the Morally Toxic Valkyrie 20L backpack using the below gear:

Nikon FM2 with Nikkor 50mm f1.4 (sometimes replaced with my Z6 II and Nikon 50mm 1.8s lens)

Yashica Electro 35 GN

Nikon 105mm f2.8 lens

Nikon 24-70 f4 S lens

Laowa 10-18mm Z mount lens

Syrp Genie Mini

Freewell VND Magnetic filters

JOBY GorillaPod Focus with Ballhead X

Godox A1 flash

Giottos small blower

You could easily fit in a gripped DSLR with a 70-200 lens attached if you wanted to. The dividers are strong enough to hold the weight of this combo when you hoist the bag onto your shoulders.

Specs

As provided by Morally Toxic in their Information sheet:

The ultimate backpack for photographers who are t...