Duane Michals is known more for his inventive approach to storytelling than for a distinctive camera brand—but here’s what reliable sources confirm about his actual gear:
Camera Format & Bodies
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Michals is self‑taught and a staunch film loyalist—he still shoots 35 mm film, never switched to digital.
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He primarily works with two 35 mm Canon SLRs.
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Early on, on his 1958 USSR trip, he borrowed a basic Argus C3, which accidentally introduced him to creative double exposures—a serendipitous effect that profoundly shaped his work.
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| Argus C3 |
Film & Lighting
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For black-and-white, he shoots almost exclusively on Kodak Tri‑X; he sometimes uses color film for his Japan series.
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He relies on natural light for ~90–99 % of his work, rarely using flash or artificial setups.
Techniques & Style
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Michals creatively exploits the native capabilities of analog, such as long exposures, multiple exposures, blurring, sandwiching negatives, and hand-painting text on prints.
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His approach is deeply conceptual—using photographic methods to express memory, emotion, narrative, and metaphysical ideas.
Gear Philosophy
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Michals famously says he’s “not an equipment person”, viewing cameras like everyday tools.
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He prefers to focus on storytelling over aesthetic perfection—embracing imperfections as part of the visual narrative.
Bottom Line
Duane Michals’s setup is elegantly minimal: two Canon 35 mm film bodies, Kodak Tri‑X film, and natural light, coupled with imaginative darkroom and in-camera techniques. The innovation lies not in the equipment, but in how he uses it: to compose visual poems about memory, identity, and the unseen.
Books by Duane Michals
Storyteller : see it on Amazon
