David Ellis

I shoot with Fujifilm and Olympus cameras and lenses for their stealthy small size, advanced features and excellent IQ. How much I bring depends on the goals of the assignment or the project. For street shooting, I travel extremely light, with either a Fuji X100V or an Olympus PEN-F, both with 35mm equivalent lenses. They are rangefinder-style cameras that are not intimidating to people on the street. For more expansive assignments, I’ll bring three fast, mirrorless bodies and 5-6 lenses ranging from 15mm-600mm (35mm equivalencies). I primarily shoot with available light, no flash, no lighting or reflectors.

I shoot RAW and always post-process my images. I’m definitely “old school,” having learned in a wet darkroom. I use Lightroom to improve photos mostly within the limitations of what can be done with paper, an enlarger and chemicals. I do not composite images, substitute skies and colors or reshape people’s faces. I use Photoshop mostly for removing distracting objects and occasionally use Curves for problematic exposures and color balance issues. 

That said, for the past few years, I’ve experimented with using iOS photo apps instead of Photoshop or Lightroom to process full frame and APS-C images. It’s important to stay current and see how the art is evolving. The capabilities are overwhelming, but my goals are the same. For me, the treatment has to serve some conceptual purpose, not just establish a “look.”

Because I’m usually shooting in the moment, five to ten, maximum per setup or situation. I don’t “spray and pray” and almost always shoot in single-shot mode—even for fast-moving sports. I find that when I shoot in continuous mode, the shot I really want is often lost between the images the camera has taken. So, I prefer to control the timing, even if I risk missing the shot. As for the number of “keepers” in a given assignment, it can vary, but it is usually less than 5% of the total number of images shot.

Avoid the temptation of shooting for Instagram likes and avoid advice from camera bloggers who obsess over gear or post-production techniques to the point that they forget why they made photographs. To me, photography is connection. It’s about people’s lives and unique moments. It’s artistic and intellectual expression, not pixel peeping, resolution or Lightroom presets. My advice is to give yourself permission. Trust your instincts and never, ever question your right to shoot what you want, the way you want it.

Authenticity and surprise. Given the sheer number of great post-production tools, AI and computerized processing, it’s almost impossible to capture an image someone hasn’t seen before or develop a look that isn’t familiar. I’m attracted to concept, a fresh look at a familiar subject or a pivotal moment in time or history versus pure technical precision or photo pyrotechnics.