MAY 2025: DENNIS LINDEN
PHOTOGRAPH: GEAR
THE ASSIGNMENT BRIEF
From Dennis Linden: “I was thinking of that satirical Fujifilm t-shirt where ‘neanderthal man’ was pictured carrying heavy camera gear, morphing into a photographer carrying an X100V or something similarly lightweight. I think a lot of us have been through a process of gear expansion and contraction, and where I am now with my physical problems*, I need a small, light, but competent camera to record the documents I want to create. And I think others are in the same place.
I take photographs, coincidentally, of my gear in specific settings, or gear that I have evolved or chosen for a particular task. And so, I’d like you to take a creative picture of your gear or the minimum amount of gear that you can get away with in a setting. I'd like to see what kit other people use in anger on a regular basis.
In terms of the right kit for the right project, for my heart diary* some of it was shot with an Olympus, some on a Nikon and parts with a Ricoh. The vast majority of it was actually shot with an iPhone because you can't exactly carry a lot of camera gear around in a hospital room and get away with it.”
* Dennis Linden appeared on the Extra Mile in editions 129 and 130, talking about his extraordinary personal photo diary, featuring scenes, journaling and proceedings surrounding his heart transplant.
HOW TO ENTER. IMPORTANT NOTES ON FILE SIZE AND ENTRIES
Send your entry to stories@photowalk.show. Your picture should be 2,500 pixels wide, if possible, for online optimisation. Or send the full-resolution photo, which we will optimise. Feel free to provide text as well if you think it will help explain the location, context, etc. Please don’t add borders or watermarks, and be sure to send FULL URL links to your websites and socials so that we can link to your work on this assignment page. We’ll use a selection of photos you submit on our Photowalk Instagram to showcase your work to our community and help build connections.
Entries are shown below. Good luck!
Neale
DENNIS LINDEN
Gear includes hands, a brain, a reflection, fairy dust and a camera.
TOM CAVNESS
Here's my first assignment submission to this wonderful show. A collodion glass plate, made on the side of the road.
“To Make an Image”
As a traveling historic process photographer in Texas it goes without saying that I require a lot of gear to do the minimum. I mainly shoot the historic size of “whole plate” (6.5” x 8.5”) as well as 8” x 10” glass plates so I do carry more than others might.
I’ve been shooting collodion for around a decade now. I love its aesthetic, and the never-ending opportunities to have the title of “Problem Solver” added to your duties for the day. Although I’ve organized my rig to be able to set up and tear down as quickly as possible, the shortest amount of time that I’ve been able to make one wet plate collodion image (from the time I shut off the engine until I start it up again) is 30 minutes. But having the Photowalk on in between stops makes the travel go by fast and entertaining, not to mention greatly inspiring.
See more of Tom’s work on his website.
AMANDA WOOD
Such a hard assignment this month. I call this, “Forgotten”.
See more of Amanda’s work on her two Instagram channels: @amandalouisewood and @amandawood14
PAUL FRIDAY
Attached is my kit getting a bath after a hard day in the depths at South Shields diving on HMS Mollusc, an oddly-named submarine-hunter once owned by the Guinness family. And having written this, I'd really like to hear Sean Connery do the voice-over. The full story of how Wally (the camera) came to be in my bucket can be found through this link. It's the culmination of many years of drowning cameras for fun and the opposite of profit.
GLENN SOWERBY
Here's my entry for the Gear assignment as set by Dennis Linden. I appreciate what Dennis said about the gear we currently use, and as the image was taken with my Canon R7 mirrorless, which I switched to for its weight reduction, compact size, and enhanced image stabilisation, I hope it still counts.
My entry weaves together my journey into photography, which began with cameras gifted by my parents at different points during my teenage years in the 80s. As neither of my parents had an interest in photography, it was definitely a learn-on-the-fly experience without guidance but certainly appreciative of the camera gear I had received.
My first "proper" camera was the Zenit EM, but before that, I started out with the obligatory Polaroid. In my mind, the narrative of the image comes full circle. The Polaroid captures my dad, in a familiar pose, trying to tune in the radio for the local football commentary, while the other camera is the Zenit EM and the image taken with the R7.
In all honesty, I didn't use the Zenit as much as I should have, and over time, I put it down and drifted away from photography for a long while. My uncle was given the gear, and it was long forgotten until the "Zenit with an h" debate trended on the Photowalk. This conversation piece resurfaced over 40 years after I had passed the camera on. To my surprise, when I raised the question with him about Zenit/Zenith he said "give me a minute and I will find out" - he still had the camera in the garage!
Fast forward a few weeks, and the camera was back with me in its original brown leather case, complete with the two additional lenses, flash gun, and original paperwork. It has now become a cherished ornament, a tangible link to times gone by, as my dad has long since passed. Since getting it back I'm a bit wary of getting back out in the field with it, but I'm sure that day will come.
See more of Glenn’s work on his Instagram.
VICTORIA ROBB
For this one on 'gear' I thought I'd share a photo of a page of entries of the 365 I completed in March this year, with a Fuji Instax Mini Evo (originally inspired by a Tatiana Hopper You Tube short). It is a great piece of gear for taking the perfect out of photography and allowed me to relax and have fun taking the images for it. As well as having a physical set of pictures of memories over that year. This page with days I'd spent with my parents, my godmother and friends.
EWAN MCNEILL
ONDU 6x9 rise pinhole camera: this has three pin holes in the front so I can just level the camera using the built-in BubbleLevel and then open over the top, bottom or middle pinhole, depending on if I want to look up or down.
I'm just using a tripod plate with no head (Berlebach quick-release coupling 130) on a Gorilla Pod, or sometimes a Dinkum Systems ActionPod PRO. No big tripod. I have a small filter case which lets me carry red, yellow and orange Cokin filters. Metering is using a smartphone app or a small Fuji Finepix camera with the Cokin filter held over the camera lens.
I have not yet perfected digitising my film, but here's a link to some rough versions of my first couple of films. A much more mindful process, not only is there no chimping, but no viewfinder either, just approximate viewing angles carved into the edge of the wooden camera.
I was lucky to get one of the penultimate batches of ONDU pinhole cameras. Their last batch of cameras is selling out.
ERIC DELORME
I hope you’ll indulge me in a bit of a gear selfie, dust and all. I firmly believe that dust is an integral part of our gear, whether we like it or not. It’s all around us, it’s inescapable, and getting rid of it is a losing battle. I thought putting filters on my lenses would help… but all they seem to do is attract dust! I guess it’s better on the outside of our gear than inside.
I’ve been shooting Fujifilm almost exclusively since 2014 when I got my X100S. At the present, my gear of choice is the X-T5 (with a panoply of lenses depending on need and circumstance) and the X100VI for when I want to travel lighter.
JEFF SMERALDO
When I thought about the assignment, I started thinking about where I’ve been and where I am now and all the points in between with my gear. I am showing all of you the very first camera I ever used, which is the Roy Rogers model 620 film camera that was my Dad’s when he was a boy. When I was 7 or 8, my Grandfather found it at his house and passed it on to me and started the adventure. Fast forward I still use my DSLRs and mirrorless for sports and studio work and I have now started using older good point and shoots when I hit the streets (all the cameras I have bought have been used or refurbished). I am also showing prints of some of my work on the table along with some photo books of those that have inspired me. I think reviewing your own work from time to time and looking at photo books of others are invaluable gear that go along with the cameras and lenses. I appreciate that the Photowalk is not a gear-centric podcast, and I hope this one fits the bill this month.
BOB SHONKOFF
My favorite Fuji X100v, framing up my very first SLR: Nikkormat FTN, anchored with a patronizing background of some podcast telling me that I needed to make this photograph.
See more of Bob’s work on his website.
LARS HEGAARD
Like so many others, my photographic evolution began with a Pentax K1000 – a birthday gift from my brother and the start of a wonderful hobby. Later, I upgraded to a Chinon CE-4 – my first real case of GAS.
University life didn’t leave much room for a relatively expensive hobby like photography, so I mostly stuck to the usual family snapshots for quite a few years.
I picked up photography again in the late 2000s, when my job required me to spend many nights away from home. A Lumix LX5—and later the LX7—got me out of the hotel room and onto the streets of Copenhagen. That led to my first Fujifilm camera, the X100T – which was love at first sight.
Eventually, I added an X-T3. I sold the X100T to fund an X-Pro3, and later sold the X-Pro3 and the X-T3 to get an X-T5.
At the time, I felt my talent-to-gear-investment ratio didn’t justify owning two top-tier bodies. A decision I’ve since come to regret. Not because the X-T5 is a bad camera – far from it – but because there’s just something special about a rangefinder.
The photo submitted shows my current street setup: the X-T5 with a 27mm pancake lens. Essentially, my attempt at building an X100VI – just a bit heavier :-(
As fate would have it, I’ll now work three days a week in Germany for the next few months. Who knows—maybe an X100VI will find its way into my bag.
…After all, it is smaller …and lighter …and a rangefinder …and fits right into my computer bag …and …and… and …G A S !!
All the best, Lars
PS The photo was actually taken with my Lumix LX7. By all standards, it's a digital fossil, but its brilliant Leica lens still earns it a spin now and then.
KELLY MITCHELL
I think you know me well enough that coffee is an important part of my photo gear. I found myself in a little hole in the wall coffee shop in Victoria when the assignment came on. And I thought, how perfect is that. The light in this little shop was beautiful and the background with a few folk milling around just made the image.
The Coffee was really rather good, I can see why the place was really busy spot. The good places at always the one the locals know about, isn’t it!!
MIKE MILLER
I've had this Rolleicord Camera for about 30 years. Like me, it too is a senior citizen. I don't pull it out much anymore, but I may image a roll of film on it once a year. It has its little quirks. As long as I don't shoot wide open, the camera works fine. I thought that I would do a close-up, with focus stacking, to show off its sleek, dark and very analog look. It's almost Darth Vader-like in appearance, which is probably appropriate since May is Star Wars month. (May the Fourth be with you!)
MARILYN DAVIES
The assignment this month isn't as easy as it sounds. I have taken so many shots of gear over time, but this time I wanted to submit something a little different. This is an image ("Fly Past") of my husband and two of my grandsons at an air show. I love encouraging my grandchildren with their photography.
See more of Marilyn’s work on her website.
KEVIN REEVES
Thanks for a great podcast! I love the simplicity and easy demeanour of your walk and talk with guests. I am a new listener but I look forward to learning more through your podcast.
JOSHUA SHAEVITZ
While I love my Canon setup (currently an R6ii) and the accompanying bag full of large lenses, I tend to reserve that for events and dedicated trips. For everyday use, I need something that slips into my thin briefcase and comes with me wherever I go. For that, nothing beats Fuji. Here’s my x100VI nestled in its usual resting place, ready to be pulled out at a moment’s notice.
SOJI IROKO
Attached is my gear. Camera Body: Nikon D5100. Lens: 50 mm f1.8d, 35mm f1.8G, 18-70mm f3.5-4.5
