Top five: photographer essentials
photographer: Joe Salmon
Joe Salmon is a 20 year old photographer from Vancouver BC.
As your studio burns up around you and your invincibility starts to wear off, you've got a minute fifteen left—what’s the one lighting tool you’re grabbing?
My strobes! Whether I’m on location or happen to be in a studio, I always bring my own with me. I pretty much always use and would be completely stuck without my lighting kit.
You’ve battled countless photo shoots with various camera bodies. Which one consistently emerges victorious and why?
My Sony A7Riii! Mirrorless full-frame is a no-brainer and the ultra hi-res sensor is so much fun to work with. Vertical grip is a must-have too unless I’m shooting a party. I also use a Canon PowerShot S95 for a lot of the more impromptu photos.
Have you ever had a lens that felt more like a cursed artifact? Which one and what happened?
Hmmmmm. I don’t actually really keep a lot of lenses - I prefer to have one or two that I know really well. I actually only have 1 for my A7Riii which is a Zeiss 16-35 F/4. The only reason I have that one is because before I switched to mirrorless the only lens I had for my Canon 6D was a 17-40 f/4. LOL. I used to have a Canon EF 75-300mm f/4-5.6 III for my 6D that made the worst grinding noise whenever it focused and made terrible images. I think I only ever actually used it once.
What’s the essential item in your camera bag that feels like an old friend?
I have a little Yoshida Porter pouch that holds all my triggers and batteries. It used to be a bag but I think I threw away the strap. It’s come with me to every shoot and it always has everything I need.
Which bonus item is your secret weapon, the one thing you can’t do without?
Coconut water! I drink about a litre a day and even more when I’m on set.