What’s In My Bag When I’m Traveling and Shooting Street Photography

by Eric Kim on May 13, 2012

I am currently in Berlin, and about to head out to Amsterdam tomorrow to teach a street photography workshop with Thomas Leuthard. A week afterwards, I will be teaching a 4-day street photography workshop for the Stockholm Photography Week with Fotografiska (the Swedish Photography Museum).

I always try to travel light- and typically carry just my messenger bag and my North Face Recon Backpack. Considering I blog while traveling, I carry more stuff in my messenger bag than I’d like. But to me, it is still relatively light (still trying to find ways to cut down). For those of you streettogs who travel a lot- hopefully my bag shot can help give you some insight on what I just packed for my trip!

Timbuk 2 Commute 2.0 Messenger Bag
Kodak Portra 400 Color Film (45 rolls)
Leica MP with .72 finder (not pictured above)+ Leica 35mm Summicron f/2 ASPH
Leica M6
Leica SF 20 Flash
Ricoh GR1s
Olympus EPM-1
GoPro HD2 (not shown)
Custom SLR Glidestrap
New iPad 32GB (wifi)
13” Macbook Air
Western Digital Passport (1TB) + Western Digital Passport (500GB) + Western Digital Nomad Hard Case
Bukkake film case from Japan Camera Hunter (sold out)
Klean Kanteen Stainless Steel Water Bottle

Check out more cool bag shots at Japan Camera Hunter.

Any questions about packing to travel for street photography? If so, leave your questions in the comments below!

Tagged as: bag, eric kim, street photography, travel

Moki

Eric, Have you tried the camera bag insert for the Timbuk-2? Jim Lemmons
- corygrunk
  
  What is your film workflow while traveling?
  - http://erickimphotography.com/blog Eric Kim
    
    Shoot 40 rolls of film when traveling a month, and developing it all at home
    - Guest
      
      40 rolls of film HCB would have burned through within 2 days. With a single roll per day or two, You’ll never get used to film photography. You ought to shoot at least 5 rolls p.d., better still 10. Join MAGNUM for simplified processing…
      
      When I went off for holiday, I shot 75 to 100 rolls per month.
      Holiday.
      A working pro should have a much busier schedule.
      
      Pro’s never counted their film rolls, the estimated number of keepers was the paycheck. Then they had to worry about original slides, duplicates, or they just exposed multiple shots of a rewarding scene, which further increased the number of rolls.
- http://erickimphotography.com/blog Eric Kim
  
  Haven’t- I just use some cheapo Domke one I found online. I have a friend with the photo insert for Timbuk 2 – he loves it (But its expensive)
Scottalanphoto

Hey Eric… I remember you doing a review on the Think Tank Messenger bag 30 I think it was. Do you use that or did you just do a review on it?
- http://erickimphotography.com/blog Eric Kim
  
  I reviewed it- use the Timbuk 2 Commute 2.0 for most of my traveling. Prefer the Thinktank Retro 5 for just street shooting though!
William Reeves

DUDE! Love what’s in the bag, but man that seems like a good deal of stuff! I don’t think I carry 1/4 of that!
- http://erickimphotography.com/blog Eric Kim
  
  That’s why I am getting old and getting back pain!
Jim Donahue

Icamera with one lens and possibly a small flash = Street photography. You carry way to much stuff.
- Steven
  
  It says he carries this while he’s traveling not shooting.
http://jaredk.ca/ Jared987

Wow. I’m pretty sure the whole “small cameras are portable” argument goes out the window when you’re carrying 5 of them at a time and 45 rolls of film.

Nice to see you finally got yourself the MP.
waffle

Wait a second, Bukkake film case?
Paul Richardson

travelling light??!?!?!? You dont need 5 cameras, 2 hdd’s and 2 computers…
- http://erickimphotography.com/blog Eric Kim
  
  Yeah – trying to figure out how to travel lighter!
Erik

I’d def drop the iPad for travelling light, unless you can make do with just the iPad. I just don’t see anything you’d need it for when you’ve got the laptop too.
Jerren

I would guess he doesn’t actually carry all of this stuff on the street. When he is traveling he has all of these things. But once he’s actually out on the street shooting, he’s just carrying one or 2 cameras.
Cristiawan

May i know. If an epm1 would be great for taking a shot for street photography?
- http://erickimphotography.com/blog Eric Kim
  
  Its a good camera- but a bit dumbed down. Might opt for the EP-3 which has more controls!
Nicolas

Hello, I see that you use SF20 with your MP :
I tried to use flash in the night with my M6 classic, 35mm and sf20 : (400asa 1/30 don’t remember the flash power)
My photos are underexposed…..any tips?
I thought trying new settings : triX pushed to 800 asa, F11, 1/15, flash 1/2 power : so I have 3,5 meters max to flash my subject and a hyperfocal from 1,7m to infinity, am I right?

THX!
Colin Corneau

Can I assume your bukkake film case wipes clean..?
http://devinmjones.wordpress.com/ Devin Jones

Bukkake film case? Spunky.

Sorry, just had to. What’s with the name?
AlexCoghe

Hey mate, you forgot your toothbrush…LOL Have nice days in Europe.
Lp

no lens filters using film?
RossBaquir

I think you mean Bikkuri film case. haha Cause that case would be pretty gross…
Mvreal

No offense, but I’m just not seeing anything in your work the qualifies you to teach. So far all I see is pictures “taken on the street”…a far cry from traditional street photography.

The work I saw in a recent guest post by Luca Napoli is more like it.

Perhaps you need to slow down, observe more, look for the juxtaposition, the unusual, the contrast or the humor. Shots of fat people or people making funny faces doesn’t cut it.

Again, I don’t mean to offend. It’s just that I’ve been a big fan of this genre for over 40 years, and the so-called “street photography” that I often see is disheartening.

Take care & travel safe.

Oh…lose half the equipment.
- PesoAdecuado
  
  Hi, I’m new to this street photography genre. Which street photographers are you a fan of? Thanks for the tip.
Dacoit

Is all that film for you, or your workshop attendees? If for you, it really brings home expensive film shooting can get. At $5 to develop a roll (36 exposures), that’s $2250 in development costs.
- Dacoit
  
  Oops. Serious math error. Going back to school now.
http://profile.yahoo.com/RYBJDGU3AO3JYANFJLUXLZ7ID4 ioldanach

hi eric I’ve read that you mentioned that if you could start over you would start with the ricoh gr3. so between the ricoh grs and gr3 which would you prefer?
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