{"id":217391,"date":"2025-10-16T13:40:07","date_gmt":"2025-10-16T13:40:07","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/217391\/"},"modified":"2025-10-16T13:40:07","modified_gmt":"2025-10-16T13:40:07","slug":"a-war-photographer-reveals-whats-in-his-camera-bag","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/217391\/","title":{"rendered":"A War Photographer Reveals What’s In His Camera Bag"},"content":{"rendered":"<\/p>\n

War photojournalist Jonathan Alpeyrie<\/a> has revealed what he packs in his camera bag before going to cover conflicts like Afghanistan, Iraq, Syria, Ukraine, and Gaza.<\/p>\n

Alpeyrie recently sat down with the Daily Mail<\/a> and revealed that he\u2019s been bringing the same equipment with him for the past 20 years: camera, flak jacket, phone, bag, and computer. The French photographer describes himself as a \u201cminimalist.\u201d <\/p>\n

Alpeyrie says that he started out on Nikon but moved over to Canon \u201cabout seven years ago\u201d because he prefers the format. He carries a spare body and a prime Canon 50mm f\/1.2 in his Domke camera bag. The 50mm is the only lens he uses. <\/p>\n

\u201cIt captures light like no other, especially in a dark circumstance, which I love,\u201d he says. \u201cI never use flash, always natural light.\u201d He says he used to own a 35mm f\/1.2, but that was destroyed \u201cin a war zone.\u201d <\/p>\n

\u201cI don\u2019t want to be carrying around a bunch of lenses,\u201d Alpeyrie adds. \u201cI don\u2019t like that, I\u2019ve had 200mm, 300mm, but I didn\u2019t like it; they\u2019re quite heavy\u2026 You have to hit the ground because there\u2019s artillery fire, and it gets busted. It\u2019s not practical.\u201d Alpeyrie advises photographers to spend their money on lenses and not bodies. <\/p>\n

Protection <\/p>\n

Alpeyrie has one item in his bag that most photographers do not have: a bulletproof vest. Apleyrie\u2019s flak jacket was made in Colombia and protects him from gunfire, \u201cbut not artillery fire.\u201d He says the jacket is light enough so he can run quickly when needed, but that means the vest has no side protection. <\/p>\n

\u201cI also don\u2019t wear a helmet,\u201d he says. \u201cI find it very distracting. It stops me from taking the right photos.\u201d Once, while covering a Ukrainian offensive against Russia, Alpeyrie\u2019s position took a direct artillery hit and he suffered a severe concussion. \u201cI had memory loss for six months after that,\u201d he adds. <\/p>\n

Analog <\/p>\n

Alpeyrie also shoots on film cameras. He has a Nikon F100 and a Rolleicord, which he likes because the 24 or 36 exposure limit forces him to think carefully about each frame. <\/p>\n

\u201cFor any photographers who are working with film, it gives them an edge on how they see the world, how their eye connects with their cameras,\u201d he says. <\/p>\n

The Paris-born shooter also owns a 1956 6\u00d76 medium format Rolleicord. \u201cThe quality of the film of this camera is unprecedented,\u201d he says. \u201cBetter than any digital camera.\u201d <\/p>\n

The Rolleicord only has 12 exposures per roll of film, forcing Alpeyrie to slow down even more. \u201cThey\u2019re expensive to buy, and expensive to develop,\u201d he adds, emphasizing that each frame must be carefully thought through. <\/p>\n