Hey everyone! My name is Bryan Minear and I’m a landscape photographer based in Michigan.
Yea… I know, it’s not exactly known for it’s epic landscape scenery, but i make due with what I have and travel when I’m not working my full time design job or spending time with my family.
In a lot of ways, learning to photograph landscapes in a place as mundane as the midwest has forced me to become more creative with my compositions as well as the way that I approach color in my work.
I’ve been a Fujifilm X-Photographer (fancy for ambassador) since 2015. But I would be shooting with the Fujifilm system regardless of any official affiliation.
Cameras
Fujifilm GFX100S
This is the camera that I coined the “Landscape photography camera of my dreams” and i don’t say that lightly. The depth of color information and dynamic range of the massive 102mp sensor has quite literally changed the way that i shoot and edit images. All while sharing batteries with my backup X-T4 which make it the perfect primary body for the way that I shoot.
Fujifilm X-T4
Before the GFX entered the picture for me, Fujifilm’s X-T line was my goto primary body beginning with the X-T1. Even though it’s got about 1/4 the megapixel count of my primary body, i can always count on this as my speedy little companion shooter.
Most often used when I want to shoot astrophotography without a tracker, or i need to pair it with my XF70-300mm lens + 1.4X teleconverter for some crispy detailed moon shots.
Fujifilm X-T2
(Full spectrum sensor mod by Kolari Vision)
I’ve been shooting with this X-T2 since it came out in 2017. It was the first camera that i worked directly with Fujifilm on the launch so it holds a very special place in my heart. I had it modified for full spectrum shooting so that I could continue using it regularly. My favorite filters to use are the Kolari Vision IR Chrome that simulates the look of Aerochrome film directly in camera, but I also enjoy shooting 850nm and 720nm infrared. This is my “it’s way too green in Michigan during the summer” goto camera!
Fujifilm X100V
The chosen one. The original X100 was my gateway into the Fujifilm system and has led me down a career path that I never could have expected. I love these cameras so much that i now have one tattooed right on my wrist. This is my do-all documentary camera. Either when I’m out with family, or with friends at an epic location; I’ve found that even the “in-between” moments are worthy of capturing, and this is the PERFECT camera to do it.
Lenses
I am very particular about the lenses that I own. They have to serve a unique purpose or i can’t justify the added “paradox of choice” that i get when I am carrying too much gear.
Fujifilm GF100-200mm f/5.6
This is my absolute favorite lens. There is nothing better to me than a well-composed and compressed landscape scene from a telephoto lens and this one has just the right amount of range. The OIS + IBIS of the GFX100S always knock my socks off with how well they perform together handheld.
Fujifilm GF30mm f/3.5
Because a landscape photographer always needs a wide option. I’ve come to find that my preferred wide focal length has skewed from 15-16mm when i first started, all the way to 24mm equivalent which is exactly where the 30 hits. I know most people see f/3.5 and scoff, but let me tell you that wide open this thing also has some sneaky falloff and beautiful bokeh.
Fujifilm GF80mm f/1.7
The lens that i never knew i needed. For the longest time in my bag I had a huge gap from 24mm (equivalent) all the way to 85mm (equivalent). I just never needed those in-betweens for the way that I shoot. Then i tried the 80… and my life was forever changed. I still do a fair amount of commercial work for clients and this tends to be the perfect field of view for that kind of work. Paired with the absolute insanity of f/1.7 on a medium format sensor and you have yourself a recipe for success.
Fujifilm XF70-300mm
For a long time the XF50-140mm f/2.8 lens was my workhorse, but last year when the 70-300 entered my life with more range in a smaller size, i didn’t even think twice. Pair this with the XF1.4x teleconverter and my everlasting love of photographing the moon, and you’ll understand why it’s become a staple in my bag.
Fujifilm XF16mm f/1.4
I call this the unicorn rainbow lens of the Fujifilm lens lineup. It’s amazing for astrophotography, but also has a close-focus distance that is about the same length of the lens hood. A wide angle lens at f/1.4 can give you some WILD results. You just have to try it and see for yourself.
Fujifilm XF16-80mm f/4
This is the lens that basically lives on my Full Spectrum X-T2. It’s such an awesome range that means i don’t have to change lenses and filters all the time, and the OIS is great for shooting handheld.
Fujifilm XF10-24mm f/4 WR – I tend not to shoot ultra-wide so much anymore, but if i ever find myself near a waterfall, this is THE guy!
Bags ’n junk
12.9” M1 iPad Pro
my goto field editor and graphic design machine.
H&Y K series magnetic filter holder
w/ 10-stop, 4-stop, and 3-stop ND grad – for those moments when f/32 just sint enough to slow things down.
Sandisk Extreme Pro 2TB SSD
gotta dump those photos somewhere, might as well be here.
Wandrd PRVKE 31
this bag has been my favorite camera bag since 2018. I’m onto my second colorway. I know the perfect bag doesn’t exist for most people, but it does for me and this is it. The “Gobi Tan” color which looks enough like stormtrooper white to make me feel extra special is a whole vibe.
Leofoto LP-324C Poseidon Series Tripod with a Colorado Tripod Co. Aspen ballhead
sturdy and light. I had enough Death Valley sand inside my last legs to fill one of those wedding jars, so I upgraded to something with weather sealing.
Last thoughts:
Gear is fun… but it took me a very long time to decide what was right for the way that I shoot. There’s so much arrogance online nowadays about what gear is best, but that’s all a bunch of crap. Just buy what you can afford and GO SHOOT. That’s it. My first digital camera was a silver Canon Rebel XT that felt like it came out of a .25 cent machine in the vestibule of K-Mart. I’ve come a LONG way since then, but everyone starts at square one. Experiment often and go have fun finding YOUR OWN creative voice. Never let some talking head on YouTube define your artistic vision.