My minimalistic approach to photography
I remember my first trip to Portugal, staying in the countryside, years ago. I’m a runner, so I enjoyed seeing the locals running along the coast. Turns out, what they needed to run was - yes - legs.
No quick-drying, high-tech, thermoregulating outfits. No sport watches measuring heart rate, pulse, or blood pressure. No shoes for every terrain, phone armbands, energy gels, protein bars, compression socks, gadgets, apps, GPS, or AI.
Just legs. Dressed in running shoes and sweatpants. And the act of going out to run.
Gear minimalism
So, another lens made it to “to be sold” shelf. This time, it’s the Sony 24-105mm f/4.0 going under the hammer, a one and only zoom I own at the moment. A great all-rounder that helped me make a few solid images, but lately, it spends more time on the shelf than mounted on the camera.
It will end up just like several other lenses, heading to the same place as Sony A6400, a drone and some other accessories I’ve sold lately.
I will keep the 35mm and 55mm only, which I use on the Sony A7III. And of course, the Fujifilm X100V.
Since getting the X100V, my Sony - once the main camera - has basically been demoted to backup. A luxury backup. It just turned out that in photography - just like in life - less is more.
While prepping the lens for sale, I did a bit of cleaning up in my photography cabinet. I'm also listing a few filters, a backpack clip, a wrist strap, a tripod, and other small accessories. Everything I don’t use on a daily basis goes away.
What’s left: a couple of cloths and lens wipes, a shoulder strap. Extra cards and batteries - those are non-negotiable.
At this point, I don’t even have a dedicated camera bag anymore. My regular shoulder bag is enough.
Most of the time, the camera is either in my hand or hanging from my neck anyway.
Less is more
Let me say this again: the X100V meets all my current requirements for what a camera should do. It works. It takes pictures. And holding it in my hands brings me real joy and pleasure.
If you want to know more about my relation with this amazing little camera, read the full review here.
I’ve also come to appreciate its limitations (like the slower handling due to its build and menu structure). They’ve forced me to slow down and really nurture what brings me the most satisfaction in photography: presence, the here and now, curiosity, observation.
That - and good light - is, in my opinion, the only recipe for making meaningful images and enjoying the process.
Not piles of gear that break your back, clutter your home, and eat away at the budget you could put toward more important things.
Minimalism in photos
In one of the hallways of the Art Institute at the university where I studied, someone once hung a poster. Since there were many of them, I tore one down and kept it. It stayed with me for many years, moving with me from apartment to apartment, eventually ending up on the wall of my home. I loved that thing.
It showed a pistachio with the caption: “Minimal art for maximum love.”
I’m noticing an increasingly minimalist approach to form in my photography.
My search for a style that would feel genuine and truly my own couldn’t have ended any other way than with a serious reevaluation of what I want - and don’t want - to include in my images.
In the end, my photos come closest to my personal definition of ideal image when nothing interferes with the viewer’s perception of the subject, when the image is almost unbearably obvious and straight to the point.
Minimum art for maximum storytelling.
If you want to learn how to create minimalist photos, check out my free guide to minimalist photography. It covers all the essentials: subject, colour, composition and negative space.
With examples and simple exercises, you'll be able to put everything into practice right away.
Minimalism online
I’m applying minimalism to other aspects of photography - those that go beyond gear and style.
Since I’ve been trying to seriously reduce my screen time lately, I had to take care of the form and quality of my online presence.
First of all, I’ve limited the number of platforms and profiles I show up on. I deleted an account on that new photography app (the one with the red logo), I stopped regularly posting on my “second” Instagram account, and I gave up publishing on Substack, at least for now.
What’s left is my “main” Instagram and Threads accounts - into which I now put a minimal amount of energy and time.
And ever since I noticed destructive power of social media and its influence on my work, I’ve been more intentional about the content I consume.
To change my relationship with my online presence, I had to first understand my purpose. I had to realize and stick to the fact that I don’t want to share my photos for validation or applause.
That’s why this website - and especially the blog - remains my main online space. It’s something I dedicate a good deal of time and energy to, and to my satisfaction, it’s slowly growing and going right way.
More than sharing just photos, I want to share the joy of making them, and motivate and inspire others to engage in any kind of creative work.
I want to act and do more in line with the motto I share here and there: create more than you consume.
It’s no longer just a golden rule - it’s a necessity if you want to function healthily at the intersection of the real world and the web.
Let me repeat: minimalism is a new luxury. And freedom, comfort, and ease.
