Interviews with Photographers – Gary Arndt

Interviews with Photographers – Gary Arndt on Photo Gear and Tech 2018

Gary Arndt is a world traveller who has visited all 7 continents (Africa, Asia, Antarctica, Australia/Oceania, Europe, North America and South America), and over 180 countries and territories, with camera in hand.

This is the start of some quick interviews with photographers to get feedback and thinking on what’s changed tech-wise for 2018.

Many of us have lightened our (carryable) load by moving from MacBooks to iPads (ahem), DSLRs to mirrorless digital cameras and also reduced the stuff we need to carry.

Who really wants to carry around 30KG of gear anymore?

I know it gets cold in Japan but how much stuff do YOU really need?

Of course, it really depends on WHERE you’re travelling, and what the environment / temperature is at that location.

Cold climates, like being in Japan in January or February means you need super warm toasty gear whereas in South East Asia you might get away with quick-drying, lightweight gear. And a good travel umbrella.

Right now in February I’m exploring Japan so I need thermals, trekking gear, and warm toilet seats go down well too. 🙂

I also noticed that when I had WIFI access (in Japan) planning was EASY. But WIFI wasn’t always available. Which means pulling out my hair up photos on the iPad or using paper maps (they still work) and so forth.

But anyhow, here’s one of the first interviews with photographers starting with Gary Arndt. (The questions are mine, the answers from Gary):

Everyone needs a classic Gary Arndt photo in their home!

Q) With technology / gadgets becoming better and easier to travel with, (iPhones, iPads, Mavic Pro drones etc) what gear / equipment do you now travel overseas with? (What do you pack in comparison to years ago?)

A) I’ve never traveled with a lot of gear. That hasn’t really changed.

– 15″ Macbook Pro
– iPhone 7 Plus
– Sony a7rii
– Sony a6000
– Sony 24-240mm lens
– Sony 16-35mm lens
– Really Right Stuff carbon fiber tripod and ball head.

Q) What tools or marketplace do you use for your travel / images? (Ie Blog, website, stock photo sites etc)

A) I host my website on WordPress and I use Smugmug for all my photo hosting.

Can’t help wondering how you find yourself in a location like this!

Q) How do you go about planning your adventures / travel? (i.e. online tools, apps, research destination etc).

A) There is no single answer to the question. Much of it is Google searches and just asking other well-traveled people that I know.

Q) How do you find the balance in life between your mission (your photography / creativity etc) and everything else?

A) It is easier now that I’ve got an apartment that I can visit between trips. Prior to that, I was nomadic for 9 years.

I was getting really burned out by the end of my nomadic days. Now I have a proper workspace and I don’t have to work out of hotel rooms all the time.

Another Gary Arndt classic. Stay tuned for more interviews with photographers!

Q) If you could take your art / photography in any direction without fear of rejection or failure, where would it lead? What new thing/s would you try?

A) I’m not really worried about failure. My photography only gets better over time. The great part about photography is that for the most part, people don’t see your failures. You can delete those. 🙂

Hope you enjoyed this series of interviews with photographers. Let me know in the comments below ok!

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