Carrying a Camera Painlessly (Two Skillsets to Work On and Memorize)

I can't find the comment, but Kye Wood suggested a topic for discussion the other day: How do you carry a camera with you at all times painlessly?

There are two things I think are worth working out to a fare-the-well, and (even) practicing till you have them down pat. The first is camera-handling. When you have a main axe—a camera you use most of the time—I think it's important to work out exactly how you're going to hold it and how you're going to operate each of your commonly used controls. Don't think this isn't true for your smartphone too. As an example, many people hold the smartphone when photographing as if the entire back of the phone has to be clear of their hands. But it doesn't. You can wrap your hand all the way around the back of the phone as long as the len(es) are clear. On the other hand, if you have a phone with a superwide lens option, you have to make sure your hand is not visible in the field of the superwide, or else work out a different placement for your hand for when you're using the widest lens. With a larger camera, work out how your grip and position might change with different lenses mounted—a long heavy tele makes the camera handle differently than a pancake prime—or in different shooting situations. For instance, I have a particular stance for handholding in low light; I spread my feet apart, bring my elbows in and brace them against the front of my torso, and hold my breath. I also look around for anything handy I can brace my hips or my shoulder against. A tripod is preferable, of course, but sometimes you don't have time to set it up.

Anyway, then you do things exactly the same way every time. In that way, working the controls becomes natural and habitual after a while, and you stop having to think about it consciously. With my current camera, I can find every button and dial I ever need entirely by feel, such that I can even do it in the dark*.

The other thing you can work out for yourself is how you manage your camera kit in terms of transporting it and having access to it. I use only one non-smartphone camera with one lens, so I have a bag that fits it perfectly. I load the camera into the bag the same way every time so I always know how it's situated when I go to take it out. The tripod plate is always attached to it. I changed out the strap of the bag for an UpStrap which won't slip off my shoulder. There's always a card and a charged battery in it. Then, in the pockets at either end of the bag, I carry one extra charged battery and a small case with two extra cards. The camera lives in a certain place in the house, so I can grab it on the way out. The tripod lives in the trunk, which is moderately a pain when I want it in the house, but that works for me better than the alternatives.

I don't leave the camera in the car because I don't want it to freeze or bake, and because there are times I don't want it with me. Like when I'm headed to a doctor's appointment and have to be on time. What I will do if I have the camera with me and the light is good is this: I'll see something, think "I have time for just one shot," and then I'll use twice as much time as I thought I would and then see another shot and talk myself into taking that one too. Before you know it I'm late for my appointment.

Because the camera has a home in the house, I always know right where it is if I want to shoot anything in the house, yard, or neighborhood. And it's ready to go.

So, to review:

1. Camera handling: Work out every detail of your hand positions on the camera, how you work each control you use, how you reset when things get all flummoxed and SNAFU'd, and your stance for various situations. Notice the times when you're out shooting when you have to pause, hesitate, or break your concentration to look at the controls or for any other reason. When that happens, note the cause, and take remedial measures at your leisure later.
2. Kit or bag management: Work out, in detail, how, where, and in what state you keep your camera ready to go, how you rotate cards and batteries (or film or whatever), and how you manage to have the camera handy when you want it and not when you don't. Again, notice any occasions when your sloppiness or disorganization frustrates you, causes you to search, or (St. Ansel forbid!) leaves you stranded without having what you need for a shot you want to take.

If I haven't shot for a while, I'll get the camera out every week or two and just go over all the controls again. It refreshes my habits. It's amazing how quickly I can forget something I previously worked out how to do. Plus, simply holding the camera can motivate me to go shoot more. Lee Friedlander, back when he used a Leica, once said that he often started photographing because he felt like getting the camera out and playing with it. I think that's in the Portraits book. Or possibly I saw it on a wall placard at a museum show at the Corcoran. (One or the other; my memory is being indecisive with me.) Keep these skills sharp like you would keep the edge on a good knife.

One thing I keep meaning to do and haven't yet is to write down all the details of my protocols. I did this in the old days—I kept a notebook of all my methods and all the experiments I did and all my settings and so forth. These days, I always think I'll never forget the details of my procedures with the computer and conversion and uploading to Flickr and so forth, but then sometimes I do forget. Or sometimes they change the tools on me without warning, destroying my "muscle memory" for no good reason.

However you arrange things for yourself, and whatever your preferred habits might be, I would urge you to work out your own particular methods, habits and skills thoroughly and not be sloppy about it. Ideally, you should always be able to put your hands on the camera you want quickly and surely, and you should never waste any time futzing with settings—most especially when there's a person standing there waiting for you to take their picture, but even when there isn't. You should have practiced enough, and worked everything out thoroughly enough, that you are smooth and fluent with your camera. Take as much time as you want to; just don't put yourself in a position where you waste time because you have to. I experience that a lot because I try out different cameras to write about them. I've always disliked the feeling. Enough that I can still recall specific instances. In my idealistic youth, my policy was to use a test camera for three months before writing about it. That way I really settled in to the "feel of the wheel" before passing judgement.

Tyros, dabblers, and fanboys futz and fumble, get lost, get confused, and do things like rummage around trying to find the right lens while a picture waits. (Bah, as Oren might say.) Or carry a huge bag or backpack with everything they own carefully packed away where they can't get at it. Don't be them. People who are more dedicated handle the camera enough that they're easy with it, ready to shoot efficiently and with a minimum of fuss. These are skills worth working to keep sharp.

Thanks to Kye for the topic.

Mike

*Five life points if you remember the bumper sticker "Photographers Do It in the Dark."

Original contents copyright 2023 by Michael C. Johnston and/or the bylined author. All Rights Reserved. Links in this post may be to our affiliates; sales through affiliate links may benefit this site. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. (To see all the comments, click on the "Comments" link below or on the title of this post.)

Featured Comments from:

jeffdmontgomery: "I like to call it my Go Bag. I have two. One has a Nikon D500 with a 16–80mm zoom and a 60mm Macro. This could handle 90 percent of any job I am called to do on the spur of the moment. I also have an after hours Go Bag that is a little Domke bag with a Fuji X100s in it and two cards and four batteries. Quality enough, and if you can't get it with a 35mm lens, well, I am just out of luck. Both of those bags produce solid for me every semester as a University Photographer."

Dogman: "When faced with the confusion of not being able to locate the right lens, filter, or other piece of gear, you can always remember that Garry Winogrand said, 'Pictures don't happen while I'm changing film.' See. You feel better already."

John Krumm: "Sometimes discomfort increases productivity, at least for short periods. My wrist strap is nice, but it means when I use it with my Nikon Z7, I'm always cradling the camera or holding it in one hand, never relaxed. If I take a photo walk using the wrist strap, I always take more photos than if I use the neck strap. I suppose I might be able to walk longer with the neck strap. But I focus better with the wrist strap, bringing the camera to my eye much more frequently."

Mike replies: I know what you mean. I used a camera for seven or eight months that I didn't have a strap for, because the strap was proprietary and I couldn't afford one ($80 in about 1986 or '87). I would go on long walks around DC simply carrying the camera (medium format) in my hand. I didn't take more shots, because each shot was expensive, but I looked through the camera whole lot more. It was good practice for my eye.

Kye Wood: "We live in the middle of a dry rain forest. When it rains, it's a rainforest. When it doesn't, it's lush bushland. So we're constantly surrounded and surprised by every strange and beautiful creature that exists. So there are cameras peppered near all exits and windows. Because sometimes you only have seconds to grab the camera to make the shot. And in my original post, I recommend a cyclists cloth shoulder sachel as a carry all for all seasons."

John Abee: "Of all the topics discussed on the photoblogs, none interest me more than how we assure ourselves that we have our camera of choice at hand and set up as we need it when we need it. Whether its a discussion of bags/straps (or lack thereof), settings, utilization of custom modes, et cetera. For me, IMO few things more directly contribute to the enjoyment of this hobby than being comfortable with the camera and having it reliably at the ready."

ASW: "Outside of photography, my primary hobby is long-distance trail running (up to 100 mile races; weekend training runs of 20–30 miles). Very good for seeing new landscapes and loads of wildlife, but despite reading that it's possible (e.g., Thom Hogan's descriptions of himself and Galen Rowell) I've never figured out how I can combine the two. My gear (Nikon D700 or Nikon D300, various mid-level lenses) isn't that big or that heavy, but I can't imagine trying to run with a D300 + even my small 35mm ƒ/1.8 lens, let alone a telephoto zoom or ultra-wide angle.

"On top of that, pretty much everywhere I have lived and run over the past decade is hot and humid, so even if I could figure out a way to securely attach a camera to my person so that it wasn't swinging and beating me to death, I fear that the sweat running off of me would not be great for the gear.

"The final kicker is perhaps a personal issue, but running over and through water, mud, rocks, and roots regularly leads to falling down. I can tell you that falling on the ground hurts plenty, so I don't want to imagine what it feels like (for my body or heart) to smash your camera gear between your falling body and the mud or rocks.

"The obvious answer is a small camera or smartphone, but I'm that one luddite who's never owned a cell phone and I didn't have an interest in photography until affordable DSLRs became available. I suppose it's possible to find many smaller cameras that match or exceed my geriatric DSLRs, so perhaps I need to return to camera research and acquisition. My wife will love to hear it.

"Glad to have you back Mike."

Comments

[Paul Judice]

I really like having a camera with me. It makes you see things a little more intensely and gives you a sense of purpose when just running a simple errand. I travel light and prefer just a camera and no other passengers. I had a Leica CL ages ago and that was the perfect companion. These days I have a bigger and heavier Leica M and don't quite know how to carry it. Over my shoulder and I'm always aware of it possibly slipping off. Around my neck and I feel like a tourist or a fanboy advertising my trophy camera.

[Stan B.]

ANS: GR.

[Jeff]

I found that this strap holding technique works well for longer handheld exposures:
https://www.l-camera-forum.com/topic/111304-tripod-monopod-nothing/#comment-1209129

Further, many sources recommend shooting during the natural respiratory pause after exhalation, not inhalation.

Of course, nowadays IBIS and/or OIS can provide sufficient benefit for steady lowish light shots.

[Louis McCullagh]

Recommendations for shoulder strap for camera please. The UPSTRAP is not sold in UK.

[Chris Kern]

Mike: The other thing you can work out for yourself is how you manage your camera kit in terms of transporting it and having access to it.

Canon G5X Mark II in the pocket of my jacket. If I’m not wearing a jacket, on a wrist strap.

[Howard Sandler]

This is sound advice for shooting with primarily one camera. For those of us who collect and shoot film cameras, it doesn't work. We want to shoot all of them. They are all different formats and control schemes, not to mention the individual quirks about what functions work or don't on particular old copies of models. They all need to be stuffed differently into the bag. Here's a gratuitous photo of three models from the same manufacturer with very different control layouts, because well, yours is a photo blog.

[That's very nice. --Mike]

[Richard G]

I carry my camera in the right hand with the strap wound twice around my wrist, just long enough to do that and I half carry the camera and half dangle it from my wrist. If it’s digital I check battery level and base ISO is set. Film I test rewind to see there’s film in the camera, annd then frame counter. With digital I check that the camera knows the current lens. Sometimes with film I have a moment where I want check that lens setting, then even shorter moment of panic not knowing how to do that, and rapid relief/private embarrassment, again, that it is a non-issue. Usually no bag. Two similar small bags, one colour, one black and white. One or two lenses extra. Both next to the piano. Usually just take the camera from the central compartment.

[DavidB]

I have several cameras for different types of shooting.

* Phone camera when I don't plan on shooting but want something just in case. Fits in a pocket.

* Small Sony RX100v (24-70mm) that fits in my hydration waist pack when I am trail running.

* Sony RX10 (24-200mm) that fits in my day pack that I use when mountain biking or hiking. It has a shoulder strap so is often already deployed.

* Full-frame Nikon DSLR that has its own backpack that can hold a few lenses. I have very specific goals and locations when I go out with this setup and I can often drive to my destination.

On the FF I can find anything in the dark because I often shoot in the dark (e.g., astrophotography). The Sony RX10 is almost as easy to use because of the external controls. The Sony RX100 is more menu driven and often frustrates me because I can't find what I want as easily as on the RX10. The iPhone? I just shoot and don't worry.

[Moose]

A lot of good stuff here. Thoughts about things that may be, or are, dated:

"I have a particular stance for handholding in low light; I spread my feet apart, bring my elbows in and brace them against the front of my torso, and hold my breath."

I certainly did this sort of thing for years. I wonder if it's best now. If the latest IBIS uses deep learning AI to optimize hand holding in a more casual way, might it not work more poorly with the fuss? I have no answer. I do know that IBIS, at least on my Oly bodies, is just astonishingly good, and fuss much less than in the past

". . . you should never waste any time futzing with settings—most especially when there's a person standing there waiting for you to take their picture, but even when there isn't."

Most contemporary cameras have saved sets of settings. Leave the camera on A, S, M, etc, turn it off, and it comes back on however you left it. That means paying close attention to settings before off, or, worse yet, before shooting. Leave it on 1, C1, whatever your camera calls the first set of saved settings, and it comes up in a known state, ready to go instantly.

Changed some settings? Rotate off C1, then back, to reset.

". . . do things like rummage around trying to find the right lens while a picture waits."

Level of seriousness anticipated:
1. iPhone 13, 13, 26, 77 mm eq.
2. Panny TZ200, 24-360 mm eq.
3. OM-1, 12-200 mm (24-400 mm eq.)
4. OM-1, 12-200 mm, 140-560 mm (24-1120 mm eq.)

"The tripod lives in the trunk,"
One tripod?? ROTFLOL! The tripods live mostly in a couple of places in the house*, which is about the only place I use them. Put a tripod in checked luggage — and it gets opened and pawed through — every time. Recent years seven to nine week trips to New England and overseas - no tripod. When we spent 10 days self quarantined in Maine with COVID, I could have used one, maybe. Otherwise, no loss. Road trip, tripod in the trunk.

"Or carry a huge bag or backpack . . ."

Bags, no matter how carefully chosen and packed, and I do that, are for getting the cameras to the start of taking photos. Then, around my neck and/or on my belt. Backpacks are for a fixed venue, where all may be unpacked and set up. Otherwise, worse than useless. (Yes, I have a nice one; haven't used it in years.)

And last, I'll see something, think "I have time for just one shot," and then I'll use twice as much time as I thought . . . and I'm late for my appointment."

Not everyone has this problem. \;~)>

* Are they breeding? Sure are a lot of them. And yes, different tripods do different things well. Uni-Lock, anyone?

[Tom Burke]

Just back from a short holiday to get away from the English winter, and I took both my cameras - the iPhone, and a Canon mirrorless plus one lens. The results confirmed what I've recognised in recent years - the iPhone is just so much easier to carry and handle that I get better images from it. It's always just there.

What has been as important for me is to develop a workflow that allows me to maximise the quality of the output from the iPhone and hold the images efficiently. I shoot ProRAW on the iPhone; export the images as .dng files into LightRoom; do any processing I want there; delete the originals from Photos; and then import jpg copies from LR back into Photos.

[Christer Almqvist]

I only have one camera. All my lenses, from 14 to 85 mm are one size and one design. I shoot every day, often mundane things, just to keep my reflexes well lubricated.

[Sean]

Joe Macnally's 'Da Grip' almost seems like quaint advice from another era, largely due to the phone I’m using to make this post. I remember trying to copy his stance when I first saw this video, but I’m struggling to remember the last time I needed to.

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=EDsx3-FWfwk

[Michael]

As you occasionally write,"Off-topic". This comment is such.

Very glad to hear that your procedure was a success. May you continue to improve at a good pace (pun intended). Having had five surgeries in the past four years, non-elective, I learned a very practical mantra from one of the Vanderbilt UMC rehab therapists and I use it whenever I am asked "How are you doing?". The response is "Stronger than yesterday". May that apply to you Mike and your future health.

Also, as a half-German, half-Croation, you used a word in today's article that was frequentlty heard around my home, mostly from me German grandparents. "Futzing"...German/Yiddish origin, "arumfartzen"...Oxford Dictionary translation: "farting-around"

Note second example in Oxford definition;

https://www.google.com/search?q=futzing+definition&oq=futzing&gs_lcrp=EgZjaHJvbWUqBwgCEAAYgAQyCQgAEEUYORiABDIHCAEQABiABDIHCAIQABiABDIHCAMQABiABDIHCAQQABiABDIHCAUQABiABDIHCAYQABiABDIHCAcQABiABDIHCAgQABiABDIHCAkQABiABNIBCTgzMjdqMGoxNagCALACAA&sourceid=chrome&ie=UTF-8

[John Krill]

I'm fast approaching 80 and carrying heavy anything can be tiring. I actually found the perfect carry-anywhere camera by accident. I needed a backup camera and decided to get the Fujifilm X-E4. To my delight it was the perfect camera for me. So now it's my primary camera and the X-Pro2 is the backup.

I should note that I paid $850 for a NEW X-E4 and now that it is no longer sold a used X-E4 can go for over $1300. Maybe more.

Go figure.

[That might be the result of low but steady demand. Not high enough demand to warrant offering a new version of the camera, but high enough so that there's a consistent market for used ones. This is a particular problem with books. Low but steady demand doesn't justify a new edition, but makes used prices steadily rise. --Mike]

[C.R. Marshall]

Point one reads like the benefits of touch-typing.