Matthew Wylie: What's In Your Bag?

Curious about his daily carry, we got back in touch with Matthew Wylie for a follow up feature. This time, we take a look at what he brings with him on regular days and talk to him about some of his items.

Hi Matthew! Welcome back to the Magazine! What’s in your everyday carry bag?

A mophie, a Ricoh GRII, an iPhone, a pencil, a pair of sunglasses, and whatever book I happen to be reading at the time. My metro-pass should be in there too, but that’s always in my pocket. It’s the gold.

What do you use as your everyday shooter?

The Richoh GR II or my iPhone SE.

How do you prepare for a day’s worth of shooting?

I don’t really. Doing so sounds tedious and distracting. I just make sure I am fully charged the night before, have my metro pass and bag ready, and will travel to different parts of the city each time – trying to keep a variety of locale rotations going in my travels. Toronto is an incredibly diverse city in terms of neighborhoods and architecture – the most multicultural city in North America and, by many, the world.

Do you have some unforgettable encounters during your daily commute? Mind sharing them with us?

No. I don’t have a bizarre story to tell about this, but throughout the years of my commute I have come to “know” strangers as fellow travelers without ever speaking to them. There is a sense of both familiarity and something undiscovered each time, though the nuances of the familiar I find comforting and interesting. The routine does this. The glances we exchange with each other after years of encountering one another on similar routes are welcome glances, unspoken “hellos” or pats-on-the-back.

There is an elderly man for example, probably 75 or so, whom I only see on Sundays between the hours of 3-6 p.m. He always wears the same teal blue suit and has a Bible in his hand with several toothpicks that serve as bookmarks, I assume. There is a Russian woman of 50 or so who wears sundresses even in the winter. She walks her dog on this particular intersection every Saturday between 9:30-9:55 a.m., when I happen to be traveling in the same location to one of my classes. Her hair is fluorescent-red like the red patterns of her sundress and her dog always looks very anti-social. There is a bell that rings on the hour at North York Centre, which I frequent. It is a perfect pitch – not too loud or alarming. There are countless others – too many to list. These types of things though I find memorable during my commute. Time will tell if they are “unforgettable.”

What are the top five things you can’t leave home without?

Metro-pass – as it allows me to hop-off and on subways, buses, streetcars, easily and without hassle.

Whatever book I am reading at the time. The subway transit times give me this added bonus of being able to pleasure-read while being transported around the city and is a pleasant break from the photography, or walking, on any given day.

My camera and phone obviously.

A cup of coffee!

That’s all I need.

What's the book you just have to read over and over again?

Lolita, The Master and Margarita, Swann’s Way, and Moby Dick – these are on rotation when the re-read is inevitable.

Tell us a bit about your gear. How long have you carried them?

My gear is straightforward and meant literally as point and shoot type gear. My iPhone has been the primary camera for over five years and within the last three years, I’ve added the Richoh GR II as simply a better (and certainly different) point-and-shoot camera for my roamings.

How long have you had your bag? Any special memories with it?

No story to tell about my bag. It’s a bag. My memories are in the pictures and the travels it took to find them.

Lastly, what’s your gear wish list?

I never really think about this question. I am not much of a “gear guy.” What I have serves my purposes, aesthetically and practically. I need a new book though! Eyeing the original Le avventure di Pinocchio by Carlo Collodi.

Check out our feature on Matthew's work and our recent interview with him. You can also see more of his work on his website and Instagram.

Take a peek into other photographers' essentials. Check out the rest of What's In Your Bag? series!

written by cheeo on 2017-08-29 #gear #gear #bag #carry #what-s-in-your-bag #wiyb #matthew-wylie