One Backpack, Two Cameras, Three hours, and Four lenses.
How OM SYSTEM powers my creativity.
I used to MOSTLY talk about gear, and lately I’ve been trying to get away from that a bit… but man, I took some photos in a three-hour time period that I love.
The photos speak to me, and reminded me of why I appreciate OM SYSTEM cameras and lenses. (Note: this isn’t a sponsored post!)
Check out how this gear ALL FITS INTO ONE BACKPACK:
Inside is the OM SYSTEM OM-3, the OM-1 MarkII, the 20mm f/1.4, the 12-45mm f/4 PRO, the 50-200mm f/2.8 IS PRO (the lens I call MEGATRON), and the venerable 300mm f/4 PRO fitted with the 1.4 teleconverter. That gives me a range of 12 - 840mm (full frame terms) in a package so small it all LITERALLY fits in a normal-sized backpack.
None of it matters unless we take some photos, so let’s head out from Omaha to our first stop in Fortescue, Missouri:
HOUR ONE: THE OLD SCHOOL
I can find almost nothing about this old school, but it’s been a pin on my Google Maps for years.
It’s located in Fortescue, Missouri - a tiny town with only four blocks that operated with a post office for almost 90 years, but never had more than 51 people. This school’s size and stature seems to have been a statement: our children deserve this. The future is worth it.
Here, I chose the OM-3 with the 12-45 f/4 PRO using the creative dial to dial-in new settings for many of my shots based on mood and experimentation. (ALMOST all the photos on this page are SOOC jpegs, although slight cropping and quick edits were done in Lightroom.)
I was intent on experimenting with the OM-3’s extensive Monochrome settings (easily accessible with the Creative Dial) and taking some cool, moody shots.
These three illustrate just a few different monochrome looks that I can change in the scene using the creative dial:
The outhouse near the school was a lot of fun to photograph.
These two old trees perfectly framed the outhouse, and the contrast between the dark shadows and distinct bright paint was beautiful.
(From my sparse research, the moon carvings were the symbol used to mark women’s outhouses. It transformed at some point to become a symbol for all outhouses.)
The outhouse was fun to frame up and find a monochrome profile that would work with all the highlights and shadows in the scene.
I did try out some color profiles as well (grain added later since the OM-3 doesn’t, unfortunately, allow us to add grain to color jpegs).
HOUR TWO: THE CEMETERY
Next up, I’m back to my favorite little town of Corning, Missouri. Miraculously, I was able to control myself and only shot two photos in the town, both with the OM-3.
This one, of the old post office and jail:
And this one, showing how overgrown the town is since the last time I visited:
(And this is from a few weeks ago:)
This time I was just passing through as I was interested in the town’s cemetery, across the interstate and built into a hill (to avoid floods).
In the past, the place was so overgrown (and full of ticks) that it was hard to navigate. This is from a few years back:
I drove by and saw that someone had done a controlled burn here, so I could see much more of the cemetery than ever before.
I decided to use the 20mm f/1.4 PRO for these shots, mostly all wide-open.
Walking through a place like this can be humbling and a good reminder of our mortality.
I used the OM-3’s creative dial this time to add a border and Art Filter 16 to the JPEGs. Together, they give me a cohesive, interesting look to tie together the cemetery photos into a unit.
I happened to make a video about the experience here:
HOUR THREE: WILDLIFE REFUGE
I thought I’d just go home at this point, but a wonderful wildlife reserve (Loess Bluffs in Missouri) was only minutes away. Since I had the 50-200 f/2.8 and 300mm f/4 in the bag - why not head out there for an hour?
I’m pretty happy I did because I saw even MORE amazing things.
These White-faced Ibis were circling overhead the entire time. I couldn’t get any details, so I switched to monochrome and leaned into the silhouettes.
This time, the 300mm f/4 PRO (with the 1.4 TC) on the OM-1 MarkII took center stage.
The 300mm with the 1/4 TC gave me an 840mm focal length (full frame equivalent) for these birds that always stay JUST out of reach.
But soon I grabbed the OM-3 with the 50-200mm f/2.8 IS PRO as well and shot with both of these lenses.
The 50-200 f/2.8 IS PRO is, hands down, the best lens I’ve ever used. These are jpegs without an ounce of editing (warmth added in-camera).
I can’t stress that enough - OM SYSTEM has the best JPEGs in the biz. No doubt. These are incredibly rich, vibrant, contrasty and natural. The colors are incredible.
A shot with the 50-200, which is on my left shoulder with the OM-3:
A quick switch to my right shoulder and the OM-1 MarkII with the 300 f/4 PRO and 1/4 TC:
This post isn’t about me trying to convince you to buy OM SYSTEM stuff. It’s about the power finding the “right” camera system is for YOU. I just personally believe too many people pass on this system after hearing people who don’t know better tell other photographers that full frame is is everything. It’s not! OM SYSTEM is like a cheat code for photography.
For me (a guy who loves to eat), OM SYSTEM is like the best all-you-can-eat buffet ever. It has EVERYTHING I need in one small package, with image quality that astounds me.
The pipeline from my brain, to my eyes, to the camera and out to the world as a print is perfect.
OM SYSTEM matches my vision and can keep up with my needs for both creative (the schoolhouse and cemetery), and professional work (the nature reserve).
I’ve had over 10 Fujifilm X-Series cameras (including all their new 40 megapixel ones). Recently, I owned the Z8 and Z9 and a bunch of lenses for more than a year. I had had the Sony A7iv and A7RV and some G Master lenses. At one point, I also owned three medium format Fujifilm GFX cameras and seven giant lenses.
I’m so happy I switched.
All I need is a normal-sized backpack to tackle any adventure the world might throw at me, from in-the-field to on-the-wall.
NOTE: This post is not sponsored by OM SYSTEM, and I have no affiliate links to share. IF you are interested in an OM-3, however, see if your local camera store can get you one.
OR, use my local camera store, Rockbrook Camera (who has the OM-3 in stock and ships quickly!)
Let’s forget Amazon and buy local!
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Comments? Leave them below or email me: jerredz@gmail.com
Excellent article Jerred! I agree with you on everything. Every day is a gift!
You got more in 3 hours than I will in 3 months. Great work. Cannot wait to try the OM system out. I know this isn’t sponsored but it should be. Thanks Jerred.