This question rolls through my brain as I pack for every trip. The obvious answer should be, “as many as I need.” However, I often find myself packing a lot of stuff I want to play with but will never have a reasonable chance to use. So here it goes – my effort to cut down on the number of cameras, lenses, and other gear I pack for a one-week trip. The first thing I do is consider the destination and what we plan on doing on the trip. Next, I look to my “What’s in My Bag” page (film and digital list is on my sister site, My Irie…
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This was our 7th trip to Anguilla, and our third stay at what was known as the CuisinArt Resort, now Aurora Anguilla. For more on our stay at Aurora Anguilla, see the full post on our Caribbean travel site, My Irie Time, with loads more pictures and details. Here are a few of the film images from around the resort and along the beach.
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I love medium format, but medium format cameras and travel are not generally a good combination. The cameras and lenses are large and heavy. About a year ago, I determined that I was giving up on taking my Mamiya 645 Pro TL on long trips. The system is modular and breaks down nicely, but each lens adds about a pound of weight. I took it with me to San Francisco, limiting myself only to the 80mm lens, but for trips to the Caribbean where small planes and weight limitations are common, it has to be left behind. The good thing is that I have a compact alternative for shooting medium format…
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When I first heard the expression, the “Holy Trinity” of lenses, it was in reference to three Canon L prime lenses, the 35mm f/1.4, the 85mm f/1.2, and the 135mm f/2. After Googling the phrase, I see that everyone’s “Holy Trinity” is different. Some use the term to describe a series of zoom lenses, and some use it to refer to three different prime lenses. So I guess everyone has their own spin, but for me, it’s the Canon 35mm f/1.4, 50mm f/1.2, and 135mm f/2, and I’ve found it to be perfect for travel. What makes this the perfect threesome for me? First, I have new love for the…
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Since returning to film photography a few years ago, I make a point of taking at least one film camera on each trip. Part of the reason is that I love the look of film. I also love playing with my old cameras and trying different techniques. Traveling to Nevis, I packed two film cameras, the Canon 1v, which uses all the same lenses as my DSLR, and the Mamiya 645 Pro TL with the 80mm f/1.9 and the 45mm f/2.8 lenses. I decided to try some slide film, so I packed a few rolls of Fuji Velvia 100 RVP, along with my trusted stocks, Kodak Ektar 100, Fuji 400H,…
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Our first stop on our 2011 trip to Nevis was Sunshine’s, a Nevis institution and home to the famous “Killer Bee.” This trip would be no different, except this time I would avoid the sting that follows consuming three of those delicious rum concoctions. After a long day of traveling, beginning at 2:00 a.m. Nevis time, there was no question as to what we would be doing that evening. Things have changed a bit in the six years since our last visit, but Sunshine’s hospitality and the great food and drink have not. For first timers, I would recommend that you definitely try the jerk chicken and the ribs. If…
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“I’ve never been to a place where the palm fronds clack together,” my husband said while sitting back in his beach chair facing the calm of Kamalame Cay. Coconut palms surrounded our chairs on what seemed to be our own personal beach. “You have,” I replied. “You have just never heard them before.” We have been to quite a few private beaches and luxury resorts in the Caribbean, but Kamalame Cay was distinctive from the rest. It was like nothing we had ever seen, or heard, before. Mamiya 6, Mamiya 75mm f/3.5, Fuji 400H There are no televisions. We thought we would miss that, particularly with the NBA Finals going…
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Last November, on our first trip with film in eight years (#filmroadtrip: Road Test – Anguilla), we learned a lot of lessons. One of my missions on this trip was to correct at least some of the mistakes I made. So on this #FilmRoadTrip: Road Test – Barbuda & Antigua, I tweaked a few things, shot more film, and was pretty pleased with the results. As always, though, there is still room for improvement. The Film Kit Traveling with a lot of gear is not easy. I wanted to shoot both medium format and 35mm, along with my digital, but I wanted to watch the weight. I knew that on…
