Sometimes it’s better to look like a tourist than a photographer, and Fabien Voileau has figured out which camera will act as the perfect guise.
Words and Photography by Fabien Voileau
Much like photojournalism, street photography requires great effort to blend into the background, to tread lightly enough not to disturb any element of a scene. Here, French photographer Fabien Voileau shares which camera he uses for street work to go unnoticed by pedestrians, as well as the other pieces of gear he packs to nail the perfect shot.
The Packing List
5D Mark IV
Contax G2
Yashica T5
DxO One
24mm f1.4
35mm f1.4
70-200mm f2.8
Urth’s The Duet 67mm
Urth’s The Collection 67mm
Urth’s The Duet 77mm
Extra Batteries
Pelican’s memory card underwater case
Kodak 35mm roll films
“Being able to walk around and work unnoticed has a lot of benefits.”
Canon 5D Mark IV
This is the camera I use for most things work related, from the street to the ocean.
Contax G2
My main camera for both personal and everyday use. Whether it’s on the road or at home with my family.
Yashica T5
This one I use mostly for low light environments and I use it with the flash too. Mostly for street work. Its shape and amateur looks are perfect for my needs, meaning most of the time you are not taken too seriously (except by connoisseurs). Being able to walk around and work unnoticed has a lot of benefits.
DxO One
This camera allows me to do things my other cameras won’t. I can get really close to the subject or what I want to highlight, like close headshots on the streets and such.
“The Urth CPL 2 Peak never leaves my 35mm.”
24mm f1.4 Lens
It’s impossible not to have it. It provides a large frame without altering the subject geometry. Useful in so many situations.
35mm f1.4 Lens
35mm is my thing. It took me years to polish my style and work on my approach. 80% of the time, this is what I use.
70-200mm f2.8 Lens
Very useful for close ups on subjects and long-distance shots.
Urth The Duet 67mm
The Urth CPL 2 Peak never leaves my 35mm.
Urth The Collection 67mm
Always very cool to have with me, it brings added creativity. The purple filter (FLD) is definitely my favourite.
“I always have at least two dozen rolls of Portra 400 with me, plus a few extra of TX or TMAX.”
Urth The Duet 77mm
I rotate between different filters depending on my needs. From basic light projection with the URTH UV to the ND1000 for a different approach.
Pelican Memory Cards Underwater Case
Safety first! Waterproof, tough and very user friendly.
I always have at least two-dozen rolls of Portra 400 with me, plus a few extra of TX or Tmax.
Extra Batteries
I’m often on the road and sometimes in places where finding a power source can be a challenge. Or in cold places where batteries die quickly and running out of batteries isn’t an option.
Thanks for taking a peek into Fabien’s camera bag. You can enjoy the rest of the stories in this series here.
