Mainridge Loc: NW Mich, SW Fla

As a budding photographer that really appreciates the helpful expertise of many of you on this site, I wanted to get an inkling as to how your minds work. Particularly, when you choose to go out to take photographs, do you have a specific type of photography in mind (i.e. landscape, wildlife, buildings, etc.) or do you tend to shoot at what presents itself to you? And before you walk out the door, how do you decide what lens you will have on your camera or will you tend to carry multiple cameras or lenses? So often, I go for a walk in the woods looking for interesting subjects to shoot and halfway through my walk I am saying to myself, "Boy, I wish I had brought the xx lens instead of the yy lens." Do you ever say, today on my walk I am going to concentrate on shooting wildlife, while tomorrow it will be flowers? I hope you understand the nature of my question.

UTMike Loc: South Jordan, UT

I think that I understand your concerns. Some choices are easy - when I go looking for birds I take long lenses and have cameras that will operate at high speeds and ISOs. At the same time, many of the bird refuges I visit have great landscape opportunities, so I take appropriate lenses and tripods, etc. This, of course, requires a vehicle or large pack. If I go on a walk in my neighborhood with my dogs an iPhone will do. I plan for what I will shoot.

rmalarz Loc: Tempe, Arizona

For me, the equipment I take varies based on my intent. For out-of-town photo trips, I take quite a lot of equipment.
https://static.uglyhedgehog.com/upload/nt/2022/7/30/619328-d800_2022073001_018.jpg

For walks around the neighborhood or local city locations, I tend to take one camera and one lens. The weather will help determine if I take my Leica IIIf w/ 50mm or my waterproof Nikon w/ 35mm. Other times, I'll take another 35mm film or digital with a 28~85 lens. So, I have no set selection of cameras or lenses I'll take.
--Bob

photoman43

I usually have a plan, based on sun times, etc with certain nature subjects in mind. But will usually shoot other good things based on opportunities. I try and avoid having the "other stuff" distrct me from my main goals.

rook2c4 Loc: Philadelphia, PA USA

Oftentimes I plan in advance what I want to capture and prepare accordingly. Carrying loads of equipment "just in case" isn't really my thing.

MrMophoto Loc: Rhode Island "The biggest little"

When I was teaching photography, I would tell my students, first you find something you find interesting and want to shoot, then you should try to imagine what the finished photograph will look like (that's referred to as visualization or previsualization), once you have an idea in mind it is simply choosing the right lens, camera angle, settings, and composition to achieve that goal. If you're not sure what lens, camera angle, setting, etc. then try a variety. I always told my students, You can never take too many photos!
Your question, if I understand it correctly, really is about what kind of photographer are you and what do you want of your photographs. If you just want to take photos of things, places and people to show your friends and family, sort of documenting what you see, that's fine and I wouldn't be concerned about much except what you like. Learning basic camera settings and lenses and how they affect the final image will always help. I am also a big advocate of using composition to improve an image.
However, if you want to show off your camera "work", gather accolades, awards, and develop a reputation as a photographer beyond your own circle, then that will require a lot more work and commitment. But, it's never too late to start.

chasgroh Loc: Buena Park, CA

Well, I for one am an ad hoc shooter...I go out to do one thing normally. Lately it's been working some macro, but I will go out Sunday to shoot surfing and birdies...both gigs are with one body and one lens. Yes, once in awhile I'll regret not having other equipment with me, but that feeling goes away quickly as there is ample opportunity to be busy doing what I intended to do in the first place! Haha...

dsnoke Loc: North Georgia, USA

I have a variable answer. Sometimes I take the whole kit (2 cameras, 6 lenses, two tripods, filters, etc.) because I am going where all sorts of things may show up. An example: sunrise at the lake. I may want both long exposures of the light AND shots of the ducks, herons, etc, AND abstracts of colored leaves, AND the fireball as the sun clears the horizon. So I need a lot of gear to do it all. However, most of the time I take only one or two lenses and accept some things I just can't photograph for lack of appropriate gear. Example: when hiking several miles on the Applachian Trail, I usually take only my 16-80 mm lens and my macro lens. I don't worry about not getting the bald eagle or other hawk because the long lens is just too much weight. And sometimes, just to challenge myself, I go out with only my unstabalized 35 mm prime lens

CHG_CANON Loc: the Windy City

I understand your question. I've gone from jugging multiple cameras and / or multiple lenses to trying to have just one camera and one lens for the entire day's opportunities. There's two ways to make this work:

a, Bring a zoom lens that is flexible to cover the widest range of possibilities.

b, Only shoot the subjects that fit the focal length / lens you brought.

Approach (b) is my more typical approach, with some bit of prior planning to assure the focal length fits the expected needs. Like one idea you proposed, I might plan to only shoot flowers with the macro lens I brought, ignoring the topics that don't fit that lens.

User ID

I never hafta second guess or regret decisions cuz I dont really decide. For personal work I grab a body and usually one lens, based on whim of the moment, weight, which batteries I can find, etc.

The important thing is that I dont believe in "photo opportunities". Acoarst some will arise but I dont keep count of those I might miss. I never carry my camera out of the bag "at the ready".

Longshadow Loc: Audubon, PA, United States

I/we decide we want to go someplace.
I'll decide what I want to shoot when I get there (see it).
I just take my 18-200. Filters (CPL, ND, Grad ND, Stars) are in the bag just in case.
Sometimes it's just the camera & spare batteries/cards.
I like to travel light mostly.
Depending on what & where, a tripod or monopod.
I don't go out just to shoot something (anything).

Longshadow Loc: Audubon, PA, United States

I might have an "idea" of what will be at a place, but I usually figure out what I want to shoot when I get there, when I see it. Sometimes it's a lot, sometimes very little.
Like my first trip to Acadia National Park, I knew I was going to see rocks, water, trees, harbors, and cliffs. I've LOTS of shots from Acadia and Mount Desert Island from multiple trips. We did plan about five trips to lighthouses in Maine, but even then, I didn't know what I was going to shoot until I saw it.
Sometimes I'll peruse Google Earth to see what might be there. But before Google Earth, we just went.

Architect1776 Loc: In my mind

Huge variation.
Sometimes I think of a place I saw while working and go back. I nearly always take my bag of lenses, one camera as I do not know what I will encounter.
Then I will go out with a specific location in mind like Lochabar, but then find other places of opportunity and stop and explore.
I am NEVER rigid with detailed plans as that totally destroys spontaneity and flexibility. Same in my travels, NO schedule unless there is a meeting to attend.
No concentration, There are times I walk in the woods and then I take the 100-400mm L MII as it does wildlife, small flowers or insects but never a thought of one subject. Perhaps a 10-18mm in the pocket.
Around the house, yes, catch some flowers then done or that.
But I cannot recall waking up with a plan except once but that plan took about 3 weeks to accomplish.

Cany143 Loc: SE Utah

My choice of 'kit' (of which I have several, both full-frame and crop sensor, and in each I keep a number of 'choice' lenses that range from ultra-wide to long tele) is determined by either of two things: how it 'looks' outside or 'I just want to get out'. When the time of day (or night) coincides with a conjunction of 'impressive' weather conditions that appear to have significant potential, more often than not I'll take the FF kit, regardless the fact that at least one of my crop sensor kits is capable of producing equally useful results.

Ostensibly, most would probably say 'Cany143 (who's me) mostly shoots landscape stuff but once in a while he posts some derelict or bit of 'nature' or something entirely other', but from MY perspective, I don't feel that's entirely accurate. Where ever I go, whatever I shoot, and whatever I post, my "mindset" rarely changes. I look for, and try to compose/shoot/process/post/convey what I would call 'the relationships of, between, and imagined in' the elements arrayed in front of me, and which I (or a potential viewer) may see and try to portray. When I slip away from that mindset, the results might be "pretty" (or not), but they're as useless as they are pointless.

Objects/things/places/people do not interest me. But each of the varying forms of light does. This body or lens has one set of capabilities and/or characteristics, and another body/lens has another. The processing software(s) I use have much the same. I like to believe I'm slightly better than reasonably accustomed to each of these variables, and the 'techniques' I employ have been employed times enough that --despite trying new or different possibilities from time to time-- they're essentially Zen at this point.

SteveInConverse Loc: South Texas

I have two cameras I use, but I usually only take one depending on the shooting situations. If I think I need really good autofocus for moving subjects, I'll take the 70D (I have older stuff). I have a Tamron 18-270 for a walk around lens I typically use. If I want full frame, I'll take my 5DMkiii and two lenses, Canon 24-105 F4 L or Tamron 28-300 for more reach.

When I head out to take pics, I usually have some kind of destination and I usually shoot buildings or other still subjects. I'm not much into people photography (street photography).

I find with the Tamron lenses, I'm covered for the focal lengths I might need and just take a particular body sporting whatever feature I might need e.g. video? 70D.