Article
How I Fit Four Cameras and a Studio Into One Carry-On
Oveth Martinez
6.15.26
There I was, standing in my office, wondering how the hell I was going to fit my Profotos, Sony A7R V, Fujifilm GFX 100S, and an FX3 into a carry-on for a quick flight to Scottsdale.
The original plan was simple: load everything into the big Pelican Profoto case and check it in. But I hate checking gear unless I absolutely have to. So I grabbed the smaller Pelican, the one my Sony FX3 usually lives in, and stripped out the inner dividers to make room for the Profotos. And just like that, they both fit like a glove, with space left over for four batteries and a charger. I even slid my large umbrella diffuser in, and it ended up working as a cushion for the batteries and the Profoto heads. Sometimes the best solutions are the ones you stumble into.
Next problem: I needed to fire the Profotos off my Fujifilm, and I hadn't ordered a Profoto trigger in time. Lucky for me, I had a set of Pocket Wizards and a sync cord sitting around. I mounted one Pocket Wizard on the Fujifilm, the other on the Profoto head, and clicked the shutter. Flash. It worked. I mean, I knew it would work, but seeing it actually fire still felt great.
I really want to shoot this one on the Fujifilm. The WMP Eyewear Fall 2026 Campaign deserves it. I just want to watch that glorious medium format detail and those Fuji colors explode across the frame. And honestly, I want to blow my friends over at WMP away. Those are my homies. We've been working together for the better part of seven or eight years now, and they're a group of rad people. When you shoot for people you actually care about, you want to bring your absolute best.
With the trigger sorted, I had to figure out how to carry three camera bodies. Is that overkill? Yeah, probably. Do I care? Not even a little. I dug my old Peter McKinnon bag out of the closet, a 45-liter, give or take, and loaded in the Sony FX3, the Sony A7R V, the Fujifilm GFX 100S, and five lenses. Overkill again, I know. But I want all my tools with me.
Since I was only in Scottsdale for a day, I packed light on the personal side: a fresh pair of underwear, a t-shirt, and shorts, because Arizona is hot. Oh, and of course my toothbrush and body spray. And no, it's not Axe. I'm no jock. I'm a Dove Ocean Breeze kind of guy.
The vision for this Fall shoot is classy and rustic, but modern. I'd love to show you the full moodboard, but I'm keeping that one close. Let's just say we've learned that the moment we post a concept, it has a funny way of showing up on someone else's feed a few weeks later. So this round we're playing it low key. Full BTS drops when the collection does. For now, here are a few sample frames.
Anyway, I'm writing all this from John Wayne Airport, watching the planes come in. These are the moments I thank God for. I love every single second of what I get to do. I write it down so that one day I can look back and remember these chapters of the work. The past few weeks have been packed with projects I'll tell you about when the time is right.
I've also been reading "The Magic of Thinking Big" by David J. Schwartz, and so far I'm loving it. It's a great reminder to think big no matter the goal. Like actually think fucking big. The kind of book that gets in your head in the best way and makes you want to aim higher than you'd usually let yourself.
What's been sticking with me is the idea that the size of your success is tied to the size of your belief. Most of us shrink the goal before we ever start, just to keep it safe. The book keeps nudging me to do the opposite. To picture the campaign bigger, the print bigger, the next client bigger, and then build toward that instead of toward what feels comfortable. In a way it lines up perfectly with why I lugged three camera bodies and a full lighting setup to Scottsdale for a one-day shoot. I'd rather show up over-prepared and reaching for the best version of the work than play it small and wonder later. That's the mindset I'm trying to carry into everything right now, this WMP campaign included.
But for now, here I am, on my way to Phoenix.
Salud, Oveth Martinez
