Bare Essentials

Four professional photographers share how they travel light in the field

By Ibarionex R. Perello

Getting the image sometimes involves leaving equipment back home. When you're hiking six miles into the wilderness or climbing up to a higher elevation, the weight of the gear you carry makes a big difference. All the best equipment in the world means little if you're too physically spent to hold the camera steady. Some of these items weigh only a few ounces individually, but all this gear combined can result in photographers carrying pounds of gear on their backs or over their shoulders. Although the romantic image of photography may often include a bag full of all the best photographic gear, there are times when working with a minimum of equipment not only may be necessary, but also helps ensure that you get the shot. We asked four professional photographers to discuss when and how they travel light. Although each has thousands of dollars of photographic gear at his or her disposal, he or she often finds occasions when less is definitely more.

[ James Kay ]

Kay's Light Gear >>
• Nikon N90s
• 24mm ƒ/2.8D AF Nikkor
• 35-70mm ƒ/2.8D AF Zoom-Nikkor
• 105mm ƒ/2.8D AF Micro-Nikkor
• Gitzo G1228 MK2 Mountaineer Reporter tripod
• Acratech Ultimate ballhead
• Pentax 67 6x7 SLR
• Pentax smcp 67 45mm ƒ/4
• Pentax smcp 67 75mm ƒ/4 shift
• Pentax smcp 67 105mm ƒ/2.4
• Fujichrome Velvia
• Lee filte

"Whenever I travel into the backcountry on overnight backpacking trips, whether it's three days or three weeks, the first items I leave behind are the big, clunky camera bodies and the long, heavy telephoto lenses," says James Kay, who works with both 35mm and medium-format film. "I'll grab my small Nikon N90s body, with its built-in motordrive. If I'm going to an important assignment for an extended period of time, I'll also pack a backup lightweight body, such as my old FM2. "When it comes to the importance of traveling light in the big mountains, every ounce counts," he says.

"Since these types of trips already require carrying so much gear, I take a very hard look at my camera gear and decide what I'll really need to get the job done, period. Nothing redundant gets packed, just the bare essentials."

For his sports photography, his gear includes the N90s and 24mm, 35-70mm and 105mm lenses. His landscape work is done with a Pentax 67 with three lenses ranging between 45mm and 105mm. "When weight is really an issue, you need to take a long, hard look at your gear pile. I've been on trips before where I've carried too much gear and was miserable whenever I had to hoist my hulking pack onto myback," says Kay. "You want just enough gear to get the job done. Try to determine what gear you'll need to capture, for example, 80 to 90 percent of the potential photographs."

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