Rob Detoyato: What's in Your Bag?

Revealing the contents of your bag is like revealing the deepest corners of your soul, one could argue. Today, it’s Lomography’s Staff Photographer Rob Detoyato who shares his essential everyday items with us.

Hi Rob. What’s in your bag?

I have a Lomography Belair X 6-12 Jetsetter with a Belairgon 114mm Lens and customized viewfinder which I assembled myself from the viewfinders provided when I bought the camera. A Leica M8 (the only digital camera I own), a Voigtländer 75mm Heliar, a novel by Haruki Murakami, which I am re-reading, and two mini journals.

Two journals, what do you use each one for?

The plain black journal is where I put down my exposure notes, like Sunny 16 and its variations, and other photography notes. The journal with the “Star Wars” cover is where I write down ideas and concepts for new photographic projects.

How come you’re re-reading “The Wind-Up Bird Chronicle” by Murakami?

I’m actually just reading this until I get a copy of “Ready Player One”. I love novels written by Haruki Murakami, I actually own a few. The first time I read “The Wind-up Bird Chronicle” was back in college when a friend of mine lent it to me. Now that I have my own copy of the book, I’m reading it again. I would definitely recommend it.

Tell us a little bit more about your two cameras.

I have owned the Belair X 6-12 Jetsetter for almost four years now. I ordered it upon its release, and I have loved using it the moment I took it out of the box. I like how it looks, and more importantly, I like the way my photos look when taken with the Belair. I admit, using the Belair takes a lot of getting used to, for one thing, it’s really tough to get things in focus but with a little measuring tape and a lot of patience, the results are worth it.

My Leica M8, being the only digital camera I own, I take with me almost everywhere I go. I like its simplicity and how it allows me total control over my exposures. Again, it’s not a perfect digital camera. In fact, it has alot of flaws, but I love the images it allows me to create. I guess I have an affinity for imperfect tools, but they help contribute the authenticity of my personal work. So that’s a good thing!

Thanks, Rob, for sharing this with us.

To see some of the perfect photographs Rob takes with his imperfect tools, head over to his LomoHome.

2016-06-23 #people #lifestyle #book #journal #reading #analogue-photography #photographer #star-wars #belair #what-s-in-your-bag