82. The Night Camera

Straps

For as long as I have used cameras, I have almost always had a strap attached. A strap gives me the confidence to carry a camera everywhere without worrying about dropping it.

Camera aesthetics are important to me. The more I enjoy the way a camera looks and feels, the more likely I am to use it. When a strap fits both me and the camera, the camera feels complete.

It took me a while to find straps I love. The ones I use are simple, thin leather straps in plain brown or black. Surprisingly, well-made simple straps are hard to find. I especially like the 595strapco Classic Leather Camera Neck Strap—if you’re looking for a strap, check them out. They have a lot of options.

Going Strapless

But recently, I’ve been trying to go strapless.

I wanted the freedom of having nothing attached to the camera. No neck strap. No wrist strap. No empty metal rings clicking against the body. No Peak Design Anchors—the little round plastic discs—dangling from short cords.

So I took the strap off one of my cameras. I also removed the small metal rings and other pieces used to attach it.

To keep the camera feeling secure in my hand, I added a small thumb grip that slides into the hot shoe. It makes the camera easy to pick up with one hand without feeling as if I’m about to drop it.

The Night Camera

Recently, I left the camera on a shelf near the entry to our kitchen and family-room area. I kept it set to some basic “walk-around settings” that I knew would work in many situations.

When I came downstairs at night to take the dog outside or grab a snack, I started picking it up. I got shots I would not have seen without a camera right there.

I photographed the string lights reflected on the barbecue grill. The horizontal siding on the garage. A succulent lit by the outdoor lights. A hydrangea holding on to the last of its summer color.

Back inside, I photographed the kitchen pendant lights and their reflections in the countertop. A shelf beautifully arranged by my wife. Another camera sitting in my office waiting for the next photo walk.

This one has become “the night camera”—not because there is anything particularly special about it, but because it is there and ready when I notice something at night.

Here are some of the photographs from the night camera.

Do you leave a camera somewhere you can grab it? What else helps you make photographs when you’re not on a photo walk?