Michael Kenna is deeply associated with a quintessential — yet minimalist — analog setup that reflects his artistic vision. Here's a breakdown of the gear he uses:
Main Camera: Hasselblad Medium Format (since the 1980s)
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Kenna primarily works with Hasselblad medium-format cameras – fully manual, mechanically reliable, and ideal for his long-exposure landscapes.
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He typically carries:
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2 bodies : from the 500 CM Series
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2 viewfinders (metered pentaprism + waist-level)
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2 film backs
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5 lenses, often Schneider Kreuznach primes: 50 mm, 80 mm, and 135 mm.
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This gear lives in his backpack (tripod excluded) as he hikes and shoots over long hours.
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| Hasselblad 500 C/M |
Exposure Style: Ultra Long Exposures
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Typical exposures range from 10–30 minutes, and he’s known for even eight-hour night shots.
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His goal: embrace unpredictability—fog, cloud movement, lens effects—as part of the image.
Toy Camera: Holga for Experimentation
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Kenna also carries Holga plastic ~medium-format cameras, using them for spontaneous, whimsical shots — and to break from his meticulously planned work.
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These yield square, soft-focus prints full of irregularities—adding a creative foil to his precision work.
Tripod & Accessories
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He uses a lightweight graphite tripod with a ball-head, cable releases, and a handheld meter—designed for the rigors of night and dawn shooting
Film & Darkroom
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He shoots square 120 film, favoring Kodak Tri‑X 400.
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All printing is done by hand in the darkroom, using variable contrast paper, dodging and burning for layered tonal control
Philosophy Behind the Gear
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Kenna believes in the power of ordinary, manual tools—“like asking a painter about their brushes,” focusing on vision over equipment.
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His choice of gear supports solitude, slow composition, and embracing chance—core elements of what he calls “the decisive 12 hours”.
Books by Michael Kenna
