Are you Practical or Philosophical about photo trips?

[rdenney]

Of course, Adams famously responded to the question of his preferred camera with "The biggest one I can carry." That included medium format, and he was obviously happy to point out his Hasselblad equipment on the old FilmAmerica bio of him.

For me, the camera I take depends on two things: The purpose of the trip and the means of getting there. If I'm flying, I will usually restrict what I take to digital small format unless the sole purpose of the trip is photography (which it never is). It's just MUCH easier to get through airports with digital equipment. My last trip to Alaska saw all my images made with my Pentax 6x7 ruined by security X-rays.

If I'm driving, and the trip is a vacation, I will always take at least medium format stuff. I take large format when the purpose of the trip is to make large-format images, which it will be from time to time. So far, though, I have zillions of worthy subjects as yet untapped within a few miles of where I live.

If I did it professionally, everything would be different.

Philosophically, I'm with Adams. I take the biggest camera I can carry, and live with the results. He would never print his picture of Georgia O'Keeffe, which he shot off the hip with a Leica, larger than 8x10. But that picture is still a famous part of his oeuvre. If the Canon 5D is the best I can do on a given trip, then I make the best images I can with it.

Rick "who takes the view camera when doing so will be fun and not seem like work" Denney

[Bill_1856]

He would never print his picture of Georgia O'Keeffe, which he shot off the hip with a Leica, larger than 8x10.

It was a Contax, not a Leica.

[rdenney]

It was a Contax, not a Leica.

Yeah, he always preferred the Zeiss stuff, heh, heh.

Rick "recalling some early Contarex SLRs, too" Denney

[Heroique]

[...] When I travel to a "rich" landscape area I try to walk the territory a couple of times without a camera but with a framing card. Often I mark exact camera locations with a stone or stray branch. And I write notes about the time of day, best light, cloud backgrounds, filter options, etc. [...]

[...] My photo trips tend to consist of two basic categories of photography. The first is the initial exploration of an area. [...] For me, the initial exploration stage is the most fun. [...]

The scouting quest – an approach I should try more often, pencil and pad in hand.

Not all photo trips provide the time and leisure for it, but it seems an effective way to discover unanticipated scenes, and to capture them – a little later – with the equipment you have, under conditions you prefer.

[Turner Reich]

I have grown into a one-lens kind of gal. For me it is both practical and philosophical to see my visions this way.

For many years I was a one lens kind of person too, I hope that in the end I can be that person again.

[Michael Wynd]

I have no choice but to be a one lens, one camera (8x10) person. And all of my gear goes in one backpack. I don't carry it all the time, only when I have a photo trip planned. If I could afford the film, then I'd probably carry it al the time, just in case.
Mike