PHLEARN Magazine

For celebrity portrait photographer Will Bremridge, the most important thing about choosing gear is to not put too much emphasis on it. Choose what’s right for you, not the latest trend. Here’s what Will considers the essentials for his unique needs.

Does this hotel look familiar to you? Steven Helmis explains how he got this shot of the now abandoned, iconic Belvédère Hotel, the location of a scene in the James Bond film, “Goldfinger” and one of Sean Connery’s favorite destinations.

Elke Vogelsang’s unique dog portraiture shows us just how funny man’s best friend can be, and capture genuine emotions that will make you laugh and fall in love with each dog. The photographer shares what gear she uses to get these hilarious shots.

Chung Hu explains how he precisely mapped out and timed the perfect landscape scene. Knowing when the Milky Way would be at its most vibrant, he chose a unique local landmark and was able to get this awesome panorama of the perfect night sky.

Surrealist still life photographer García de Marina works in a studio but doesn’t use lighting equipment, and he barely does any photo editing in post. We find out what gear he uses to shoot his minimalistic photos that make everyday objects come to life.

Most of us have never heard of sleep paralysis before, but it is a terrifying condition Nicolas Bruno has had to live with since he was 15. The artist talks about the affliction and how bringing his nightmares to life through photography is therapeutic.

What’s needed to capture the different elements that will ultimately make up an artistic, realistic composite? Mario Olvera Molinar, a true master of the composite, gives us a breakdown of what’s in his camera bag and how he uses each piece of gear.

Christopher Soukup creates images with a distinct cinematic quality, particularly his dark and moody night shots. He looks for nostalgic scenes and often shoots on film. Here, he explains how he captured this soft, moody vintage shot.

These photos cover a variety of historical incidents and required the ideal timing, perfect composition, iconic and stirring moments that could just have easily been missed if a vigilant photographer wasn’t present. They each tell a powerful story that continues to have meaning well into the present.

How much equipment is too much? How much is not enough? For this special In the Bag feature, commercial and ad photographer Lisa Saad gives us an in-depth breakdown of the wide range of gear she uses and explains the benefits of each.