Bag Raid: GLIDEPHOTOS

Welcome back to Bag Raid, our inquisitive series where we kindly ask our camera pals and community members to tip out their camera bags so we can rifle through their photo kit and personal belongings. This month, we link up with GLIDEPHOTOS to upend his Hung Supply Sidewalk Camera Sling...

GLIDEPHOTOS, aka Martynas Justinevicius, is a self-taught photographer and multimedia professional currently residing in Stockholm, Sweden. With 14 years experience behind the lens, Martynas has had his photographs featured on global billboards and spreads in Vogue. However, it was his film photography and light-bending methods that initially caught our attention.

What began as an exploration of capturing intriguing perspectives using a humble 2MP camera phone in Hawaiian tide pools turned into a profound lesson in reflection, refraction, and manipulating light as it passes through different mediums.

Martynas' pursuit of photographing captivating and unconventional visuals leads him to produce work that often feels futuristic. Yet, his equipment and techniques are sometimes less than neoteric: film cameras, plexiglass, and fishing string.

Curiosity piqued, we couldn't resist the urge to dig through the gear he uses to create his more experimental images – so we asked Martynas to turn out his Sidewalk Camera Sling so we could poke around his camera paraphernalia and light-bending tools...

BAG RAID W/ GLIDEPHOTOS

Nikon F3 - A great analog camera and even more so a joy to use.

Nikkor 50mm f1.2 - It's an f1.2... whats more to say.

PC-Nikkor 35mm f2.8 - When you need to straighten up those lines. It's also a crazy sharp lens and fun to shoot out of a plane window with.

Analogheld Case - Comes with the latest subscription pack of film. It's always nice to experience rolls of film that most of us can’t get our hands on.

Konica Big Mini HG: Point-and-shoot cameras allow for quick shots. No one really cares when you pull out the small point-and-shoot, as it's not intimidating. Plus, you can usually get off a shot before anyone even realises an image has been taken.

Filter from Prism Lens FX - It's always fun creating with a prism, especially my favourite the Colour Triangle Prism.

Random Plexiglass Filter - Some plexiglass with some coloured film on top of it that I got out of a friend's trash can. I carry it with me all of the time now.

AirPods - I need to have dem jams, always.

Chapstick - Sometimes it saves the day.

Sharpie and pen - There is always something to write on.

Keys - To leave the house and to come home with.

Phone - iPhone 14 Pro with the Quad Lock case. Perfect for when you need some crazy shots in the water.

Smoke Machine - Sometimes I throw in the Smoke Genie from PMI Gear. It’s small and works amazingly. I can create haze, dry ice effects, etc.

Small RGB Light - It’s nice to add some colour to my images, thus the Liber from Pixel can come in handy. It's a small and powerful RGB video light.

Hey Martynas, tell us who are you?

I am a light bender. I am a train spotter. I am a husband. I am spiritual. I’m a seeker, pushing my passions to new levels. I am an artist.

Where are you based?

I am currently based in Stockholm, Sweden. However, my passions take me places.

What was your first camera and how did you get into photography?

My first camera was the one on my phone at the time, a Sony Ericsson with an inbuilt 2MP camera. In my free time, on my way skating to work, I'd go down to the shoreline and find tide pools and mini waterfalls to take photos of on my phone. I'd take these snaps that looked like the end of the world; a flat earth with water running down it. That's when and where my love for capturing interesting perspectives was born.

How long have you been wielding a camera?

14 years and still going...

Describe your photography process and style?

Being able to reflect my surroundings towards the subject in front of me using a prism, or to be able to stretch out a light source across the frame, makes for a unique and interesting image. Whether it is using the OG way of fishing string or newer versions of filters, I strive to do what hasn’t been done – pushing the scope of my work, for adventure and passion.

What is your go-to camera set-up?

Even though I have my Nikon Z6 with me at all times, I would have to say my real go-to camera is the Ricoh GR2 in one pocket, and my Konica in the other. For my more professional and commercial work, I tend to use the Nikon F100 and sometimes the Nikon F5.

What's your favourite film stock?

I have a strong addiction to CineStill 800T, as it makes shooting at night a lot easier and it has that red halation on the highlights that I can’t seem to ever tire of.

What have you been pointing your lens at lately?

I have been shooting a lot of trains recently, even though I have thousands of photos of trains and subways. I'm constantly challenging myself to see new perspectives that I haven’t captured before – and it's going well!

What makes for a perfect image? What do you look for in a frame?

The definition of a perfect image is always changing for me. Sometimes, it can be as simple as capturing the emotion of your subject. Other times, it is getting that cool reflection in the frame regardless of what the subject is doing. The perfect image at the end of the day is to capture a perspective that is yet to be captured, whether others like it or not.