What’s in my camera bag – Tilo Riemer

I’m Tilo Riemer, a German photographer living in the beautiful Ore Mountains in Saxony. My journey began with an old Praktica camera from East Germany and some darkroom equipment that a retired bookbinder no longer needed.

I no longer clearly remember the very first image that slowly appeared in the developer tray, but I do remember the feeling. It was pure euphoria.

Photography has never really let me go since then. Sometimes it played a bigger role in my life, sometimes a smaller one, but over time, it has grown into a true passion.

Every image is unique in its own way—a moment captured and preserved in digital form, perhaps not forever, but long enough to matter. A photograph can say so much, and it can mean something different to everyone who looks at it. When people or moments are gone, the image remains.

I started photographing people in 2017. Working with models and creating images together feels like a journey into myself. Meeting people—often for the first time—is always fascinating. In the beginning, it was quite challenging, as I tend to be rather introverted.

What I love most is the process of reducing an image to what really matters: shaping light with intention, letting shadows define form, and creating a quiet, intimate atmosphere. My work has become more minimal over time, less about adding, more about removing.

My portrait work started with a simple Micro Four Thirds camera, the Olympus OM-D E-M10 Mark I, before upgrading to the Lumix G9. At one point, I was tempted to switch to full frame, expecting better image quality. However, after some time, I returned to Micro Four Thirds. The Nikon Z5 gave way to the Olympus E-M1X, which I later replaced with the OM-1. Eventually, I also added the Lumix G9 II to my kit.

My Current Camera Bag (for Portrait Work)

• A 30-year-old Vanguard camera bag
• OM-1 and/or Lumix G9 II
• OM System 45mm/1.2 PRO
• Sigma 30mm/1.4
• OM System 17mm/1.8
• K&F Concept Black Diffusion 1
• Spare batteries
• Two V60 memory cards per camera

When shooting in my studio, I use Godox strobes with a Godox XPro transmitter for Micro Four Thirds.

About 90% of my portraits are shot with the excellent OM System 45mm f/1.2 PRO, ideal focal length and awesome bokeh. But if I had to keep only one lens, it would be the Sigma 30mm f/1.4—more flexible, especially indoors, where the 45mm is often too long.

I returned to Micro Four Thirds because cameras like the OM-1 are incredibly powerful, yet lightweight and relatively affordable compared to comparable full-frame systems. I also shoot wildlife and enjoy traveling. This combination makes Micro Four Thirds a perfect fit for me.

Many photographers consider Micro Four Thirds insufficient for portrait photography, mainly due to less pronounced background blur. But bokeh is not just about sensor size, it also depends heavily on the distance between camera, subject, and background. With lenses like the Sigma 30mm f/1.4 and especially the 45mm f/1.2, I’ve never had any issues achieving pleasing bokeh. On the contrary, when shooting on location, I often had to stop down the aperture to preserve the atmosphere of the environment.

The image quality of both the OM-1 and the G9 II is outstanding. In my experience, image quality depends far more on light than on sensor size. Not a single model has ever complained about the results, or even noticed that I was using a smaller sensor.

In the end, great images are about light and shadow, mood and emotion, and the personality of the person in front of the camera, almost never about the gear. That’s why I keep my kit simple and focus on what really matters.

You can find me here on Instagram: www.instagram.com/tilo_in_space.people/