A War Photographer Reveals What's In His Camera Bag

War photojournalist Jonathan Alpeyrie has revealed what he packs in his camera bag before going to cover conflicts like Afghanistan, Iraq, Syria, Ukraine, and Gaza.

Alpeyrie recently sat down with the Daily Mail and revealed that he’s been bringing the same equipment with him for the past 20 years: camera, flak jacket, phone, bag, and computer. The French photographer describes himself as a “minimalist.”

Alpeyrie says that he started out on Nikon but moved over to Canon “about seven years ago” because he prefers the format. He carries a spare body and a prime Canon 50mm f/1.2 in his Domke camera bag. The 50mm is the only lens he uses.

“It captures light like no other, especially in a dark circumstance, which I love,” he says. “I never use flash, always natural light.” He says he used to own a 35mm f/1.2, but that was destroyed “in a war zone.”

“I don’t want to be carrying around a bunch of lenses,” Alpeyrie adds. “I don’t like that, I’ve had 200mm, 300mm, but I didn’t like it; they’re quite heavy… You have to hit the ground because there’s artillery fire, and it gets busted. It’s not practical.” Alpeyrie advises photographers to spend their money on lenses and not bodies.

Alpeyrie has one item in his bag that most photographers do not have: a bulletproof vest. Apleyrie’s flak jacket was made in Colombia and protects him from gunfire, “but not artillery fire.” He says the jacket is light enough so he can run quickly when needed, but that means the vest has no side protection.

“I also don’t wear a helmet,” he says. “I find it very distracting. It stops me from taking the right photos.” Once, while covering a Ukrainian offensive against Russia, Alpeyrie’s position took a direct artillery hit and he suffered a severe concussion. “I had memory loss for six months after that,” he adds.

Alpeyrie also shoots on film cameras. He has a Nikon F100 and a Rolleicord, which he likes because the 24 or 36 exposure limit forces him to think carefully about each frame.

“For any photographers who are working with film, it gives them an edge on how they see the world, how their eye connects with their cameras,” he says.

The Paris-born shooter also owns a 1956 6×6 medium format Rolleicord. “The quality of the film of this camera is unprecedented,” he says. “Better than any digital camera.”

The Rolleicord only has 12 exposures per roll of film, forcing Alpeyrie to slow down even more. “They’re expensive to buy, and expensive to develop,” he adds, emphasizing that each frame must be carefully thought through.