Weightless light

Street photography in Rome, 2007.

Weightless light

That morning, as I was walking out of the hotel, I immediately made an about-turn. My bag felt too heavy after just twenty steps. I got rid of almost everything: my second camera body, the different lenses, the thick notepad, the sweatshirt, the bag itself. All I kept was a single camera slung over my shoulder, two rolls of film and a ballpoint pen in my jeans’ pocket. Done. We carry around too much stuff because we’re scared. Scared of running out, scared of getting cold, thirsty, hungry, scared of the rain. But, feeling light, agile, without useless weight, that’s exhilarating. Working with a single camera body and a fixed lens allows you to concentrate, to know what you’re doing, without distraction or hesitation; in short, to see more clearly. That’s bright. Weightless Light.