It’s starting to get cold here in the City of Brotherly Love. I mean will still have lots of warm weather but the fall brings with it, the fall ing light. There’s a noticeable change in the general attitude of people. I notice a change in my mindset also. I try to sort things out before I have to see my shrink at the VA. Ok, time for me to fess up……

I am an addict. I been since I was in my early 20’s. Yes, true and I hide it really well. Oh no, no, no my friends…not Smack, known as heroin, no no, no alcohol, and not maryhoonie even the medical kind. My addiction is for camera bags. Camera bags of all kinds, all types, colors, sizes, makes any camera bag has the potential to satisfy my addiction…well for a little bit.

Ok here goes…… this time of year is exciting for me but not only because of the delicious light and shadows, but because of the fact I wear a jacket. Wearing a jacket is like having a very nice camera bag all over you. Pockets baby. I love pockets. I love the freedom of having a camera, extra battery and a lens pen and that’s it.

Of course this does not take into conssideration how the cameras in the cabinet feel. They start to get itchy about getting out in the Fall light. This starts the Camera Bag Carrying Syndrome. Yeah, c’mon, if your a shooter, you get this and don’t hide behind the door and pretend you don’t. I recently did a survey and it seems that most shooters between the age of 16 and 90 have more camera bags then lenses. What does this tell us, not much I suppose but it’s interesting to do surveys like this.

See, during the cooler months a good camera bag is essential. I tell myself this because I want to justify having all these nice bags. I also want to justify having all these nice cameras. It’s Fall and time to get a bag together and get some cameras off the shelf into that bag.

The thing for me is, that when I use a bag, I want to carry more then I need to make photos. Oh yeah, don’t kid yourself, that’s an issue. For decades I used an M camera with a 35mm lens. I traveled and never felt inadequate with just one lens. That’s the reason for the Fuji X100s. One lens, 35mm, perfect with 3 methods of seeing. How does all this camera switching stuff affect vision. Well, it has a great effect on the finished image. It’s not just perspective that changes as the camera moves, it’s the idea of the image and the emotional impact that is changing also. I don’t believe what others say about not rattling the cage. I believe that our cages need to be rattled as much as possible.

          EP-5

I think changing cameras, lenses BAGS etc is all very healthy and creative. We as shooters need the challenge of defeating complacency on a daily basis. We don’t always win but we must continue to struggle and fight so that we survive the vast desert of boredom and complacency. Changing a lens, camera whatever open the heart and mind to a new way of thinking. The eye starts to see differently and this is all good for the common cause of creativity. A camera bag is crucial. It is your best friend for new vision. It makes you want to fill it and use different things in your quest for the next photo.

Yeah sure, it’s great to be free of the extra stuff and just use a camera and a lens. I did it for most of my 66 years but! The truth is that when I get to a point that I’d rather paint the bathroom, that’s the time to load the bag with some cameras, hit the streets and open my Eye, Heart and Mind.

……………shooter out……………………………………………….