How often do you take your camera out with you?

Lorica

Lorica

Suspended / Banned
Messages
107
Name
sarah
Edit My Images
No
So, reading some interesting websites tonight, often higlighting how important it is to take your camera with you wherever you go to catch 'that' shot that you would have missed if you left your kit at home.
But how practical is that really?

How often do you take out your camera? Do you go out planning where your going to take shots, or do you just go with the flow of whatever happens to you?

That and I'm nosey :D lol
 
In the last few months, since my interest and enjoyment of photography has grown, my camera comes virtually everywhere with me when I go out in the car, and often when I go out on foot or by bike. I don't always take it out of the car (not yet into street photography!), but it is reassuring to have it with me. When I didn't recently I happened to see a very brightly coloured fox in a rural field, and was pretty fed up :bonk: - my 8 yr old son crawled up close to it before it scarpered, and that could have been me with my long lens :'(

What has changed with me as well, which I'm sure many others have found, is that everywhere I go I am looking for opportunities, either at that moment, or for the future when I either have more time, or the conditions are better.

I guess a lot of people with SLRs have a second smaller camera for convenience and easier portability, which makes good sense.

There you go...that's how it is for me!!
 
Got a mono pod in the car,and a nikon D70s with a sigma 28-200 on it,old kit but don't want to leave the good stuff in the boot.

But I now try to carry a compact in my pocket when I go out as the other week was walking the dog (usually carry the DSLR ) without a camera when the only flying Vulcan Delta wing bomber still flying passed over my head at around 200 feet.:eek:

To say I was severely pi@@ed off would be the understatement of the year.:bang:
 
Last edited:
Lorica said:
So, reading some interesting websites tonight, often higlighting how important it is to take your camera with you wherever you go to catch 'that' shot that you would have missed if you left your kit at home.
But how practical is that really?

How often do you take out your camera? Do you go out planning where your going to take shots, or do you just go with the flow of whatever happens to you?

That and I'm nosey :D lol
Click to expand...

I keep an advanced compact with me most times, I only take a DSLR or EVIL if I'm planning something. There are some excellent compacts available and I've yet to feel I've missed a shot.

C
 
Can't leave home without it, I start having panic attacks if I do, so every morning it goes from the house to the car and back home again in the evening.

Lens wise just the two, 17-40 and 70-200, tripod and monopod live in the car boot.
 
I commute by train, so I don't have the luxury of carting my tripod round in the boot.

Panny G2 with at least one (usually FD) lens lives in my work bag most days though.
 
I usually have at least a point and shoot and usually the 550D with me everyday. I am doing a One Photo Per Day project though so that'd probably fail pretty quickly if I didn't take the camera. :lol:

As others have said though, there is always that feeling that I'll see something great and miss out on a good shot if I don't have the camera with me!
 
My D700 and 50mm are actually with me 90% of the time. I walk to and from work with it everyday, and use it for street photography on my lunch break. Then it's with me if we go out in the evening too. I probably take on average 80 photos a day maybe.

I would have missed out on quite a few of my personal favourites if i didn't have it with me...
 
80 photos a day? too many imho, if I was you I would consider setting yourself a lower limit, it'll make you think more about the photos.

On topic, unless I've just done a wedding and the gear is in the office my D700+24-70 2.8, my 70-200 and an sb900 go everywhere with me.
 
Never, unless I intend to use it. I enjoy photography, but I have other interests and it's just something I do to support them, not for it's own sake.
 
Rarely have my slr with me unless I'm out specifcally to take photos. it's a short, drive to work mainly along bypass or urban roads with little possibility for stopping and I'm either in factory, office or car all day, so little or no photographic opportunities. I do have a decent camera phone with me at all times, although i can count on one finger how many times I've thought 'glad i had a camera on me'.
 
About 90% of the time it is with me, not counting me actually being inside the office mainly as that is a secure environment mostly where even mobile phones have to go in a lockup. But it is in my car.

A lot of the time I see it as practise and set myself a challenge.
 
I take my tz10 everywhere with me as it's so portable. My 550d comes out with me if i'm going out specifically to take pictures.
 
When working it's just my iPhone. Walkabout and photo days it's the D700. Really want a X100 though for portability when I want to be more discrete.
 
Harvey_nikon said:
80 photos a day? too many imho, if I was you I would consider setting yourself a lower limit, it'll make you think more about the photos.....
Click to expand...

He said he does street photography in his lunch hour so 80 shots is quite a small number really. This type of shooting typically has a low keeper rate compared with say shooting landscape or architecture as it's about capturing split second moments which is not easy!

Ps this link gives an idea how people typically shoot street http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cFY4kfqXl2Q
 
Last edited:
When I had a Nikon D90 it would only ever go out with me if I was specifically intending to shoot something (such as a motorsport event), so at most one per week.

Now I have a Micro 4/3s setup the Olympus Pen literally goes everywhere with me (the G3 is reserved for motorsport etc), even just popping down the shop the E-PL2 + 20mm 1.7 combo will be in my pocket.

The only frustrating thing for me is wondering why I never made the switch sooner, it's completely kick-started what was a stuttering photography hobby.
 
take my camera out with me about 90% of the time ....even when i go to work (i work nights so its great for night shots)
also got the phone with me all the time and the camera on that gets well used :)
 
Harvey_nikon said:
80 photos a day? too many imho, if I was you I would consider setting yourself a lower limit, it'll make you think more about the photos.

On topic, unless I've just done a wedding and the gear is in the office my D700+24-70 2.8, my 70-200 and an sb900 go everywhere with me.
Click to expand...

I probably take 80 or so, it depends on the day, but I certainly don't keep them all. I figure the more you shoot, the more you learn, so that's what I do.

I can't imagine taking a 70-200 and speedlight with me everywhere, that would be too heavy for me!

Ive had those moments where I wished I had a camera, but never a moment where I though "darn, I really wish I had a pro grade telephoto and a speedlight"

I guess we are all different. :)
 
iamchrisphoto said:
I probably take 80 or so, it depends on the day, but I certainly don't keep them all. I figure the more you shoot, the more you learn, so that's what I do.

I can't imagine taking a 70-200 and speedlight with me everywhere, that would be too heavy for me!

Ive had those moments where I wished I had a camera, but never a moment where I though "darn, I really wish I had a pro grade telephoto and a speedlight"

I guess we are all different. :)
Click to expand...

I use my 70 200 for street pics now
 
I only take my SLR out on specific photo outings. I usually have an Oly Trip 35 loaded with a 400iso film of some sort in my bag. My M6 also frequently comes out too.
 
iamchrisphoto said:
I probably take 80 or so, it depends on the day, but I certainly don't keep them all. I figure the more you shoot, the more you learn, so that's what I do.

I can't imagine taking a 70-200 and speedlight with me everywhere, that would be too heavy for me!

Ive had those moments where I wished I had a camera, but never a moment where I though "darn, I really wish I had a pro grade telephoto and a speedlight"

I guess we are all different. :)
Click to expand...

I understand what you are saying, however the curse of digital is we all think "well I will take a load and just delete the bad ones". Back in the days of film you were limited to the number of shots you could take, it really made you think about exactly what you were photographing. People often do it as a challenge with digital, limit yourself, people do the same by just using a prime lens. It really pushes you and you can learn more by taking fewer pics :)

as for the 70-200 and speedlight, you don't really notice it tbh. Usually have the 70-200 attached to the d700 on a quickstrap at my side, flash isn't very heavy and neither is the 24-70. Had a couple of jobs via work with no warning either where it came in handy :D
 
I take the M9 out most days, it's light and discrete compared to a DSLR.
 
Harvey is right. Well of course, it's a matter of opinion but you don't get better by taking 100 photos and having good ones. Take your time, get your exposures right and composition perfect then take the shot. You'll soon find yourself saving a **** load of time and taking 10 photos and keeping 5. One of the projects we started with when moving from film to digital was we were given a small CF card (can't even remember the size) which could hold about 20-30 raw images, sent out with a time limit of 3 hours and not allowed to delete any shots. This really limits you and pushes your ability when using a camera.

On topic, I carry my 40D gripped, 24-105L and 50mm pretty much everywhere, although it doesn't come out as often as I'd hope.
 
towershot said:
Got a mono pod in the car,and a nikon D70s with a sigma 18-200 on it,old kit but don't want to leave the good stuff in the boot.

But I now try to carry a compact in my pocket when I go out as the other week was walking the dog (usually carry the DSLR ) without a camera when the only flying Vulcan Delta wing bomber still flying passed over my head at around 200 feet.:eek:

To say I was severely pi@@ed off would be the understatement of the year.:bang:
Click to expand...

Old Kit?? my best and only kit is a D70s & Tamron 70/200
 
The Greek said:
Can't leave home without it, I start having panic attacks if I do, so every morning it goes from the house to the car and back home again in the evening.

Lens wise just the two, 17-40 and 70-200, tripod and monopod live in the car boot.
Click to expand...

You sound as bad as me,my only problem is no car,so everything has to be humped about over my shoulder :D

Kit is one compact a DSLR,puls 2 lens.
 
My 1d is with me about 9 hours a day 4 days a week on a backpack, then sitting next to me the rest of the time when I'm at home :D

I basicly lug it around everywhere with two primes (135mm and 50mm) and my speedlight with two diffusers, radio triggers and some filters.
 
I almost always have one of my cameras with me. I tend to have my x100 with me most days, but often take my 7D out too, if I know I'm going to be somewhere potentially visually interesting.
 
I only take my camera out, when I'm going out with the purpose of taking pictures.

My job isn't photography, & completely banned at work - so no way i'll be leaving it in the car.

But when on holiday, I always have one with me.
 
Since my last birthday in Feb I carry a Lumix LX5 in my briefcase and in my pocket if travelling for pleasure.

Got some awesome shots in Canary Wharf recently as well as Ankara airport. Made me wish I'd done it sooner particularly when flying.
 
Viv. said:
I only take my camera out, when I'm going out with the purpose of taking pictures.

My job isn't photography, & completely banned at work - so no way i'll be leaving it in the car.

But when on holiday, I always have one with me.
Click to expand...

Wow, are employees even banned from having a phone with a built in camera?
 
I only tend to take my kit out with me if I am going to take photos, or if I am visiting family. If I am going shopping it stays at home (it is hard work carrying bags full of shoes as well as camera kit! :D)


Viv. said:
If they could yes !

But you try and find a phone with no camera .................
Click to expand...

lol! I have one - I bought it new a few months ago, it is a Nokia something or other - cost £20 PAYG with vodafone. (I am one of those strange people who only use their phones to actually phone people or text them. I think I am a dying breed though! :lol:)
 
I hardly ever take my camera gear out with me now. I dont know if its other pressures in my life or if I'm just getting frustrated by it but I dont seem to have an ounce of inspiration in me at the moment...

I've actually considered selling all my gear :'( but I know I'll regret it if I do.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top