| Shanghai, China – Bund downtown river view
Sony a7R IV | F1.4 | 1/125 sec | ISO 1600 |
Kevin Zhang, known as fatplanediaries in the wider community, began photographing at a young age under his father’s influence, a dedicated Leica street photographer. What started as a focus on street photography evolved over time, especially after a chance moment in Shanghai, when he experimented with panoramas using only a prime lens. Since then, his work has developed into a distinctive blend of candid street scenes and highly detailed panoramic images, each discipline informing the other.
“I was far from a prodigy; it took a million photos until I considered myself to be halfway decent. I still have a long way to go, always looking at my own photography as an ever-developing thing. The style changes all the time as I try to demolish what I did previously.”
This story is part of our What’s in your bag? community spotlight series. The series showcases the diverse gear and photography of our community, and shares their stories of how that gear helped them to capture the perfect shot.
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| Love, the Neighbors – performance rehearsal photo
Sony a7R IV | F1.4 | 1/200 sec | ISO 1600 |
Meet Kevin Zhang (fatplanediaries)
Home base: New York, USA, but also Shanghai, China
Favorite camera and lens: Kevin’s go-to setup centers around the Sony a7R IV, a high-resolution full-frame camera known for its exceptional detail and well-suited to his panoramic work. He pairs it with Sony’s G Master lenses, particularly the 24–70mm f/2.8 GM II and 35mm f/1.4 GM, which provide the sharpness and consistency he prioritizes. This setup supports both his fast-paced street shooting and the precision required for high-resolution stitched panoramas.
What’s in Kevin’s bag
- Primary cameras: Sony a7R IV in a small rig cage
- Lenses:
- Sony FE 35mm F1.4 GM (soulless but sharp)
- Sony FE 50mm F1.2 GM (still a bit soulless, but f1.2 has personality)
- Sony FE 70-200mm F2.8 GM OSS II (much better than gen 1)
- Sony FE 24-70mm F2.8 GM II (probably my favorite lens of all time ever)
- Support gear: Kevin hates tripods and viewfinders, relying instead on a SmallRig cage for grip on his Sony a7R IV and custom lens-head holding techniques to shoot 20-frame panoramas in 10 seconds handheld – even against glass at observation decks or amid NYC street dance battles. He carries 4 Viltrox FZ100 USB-C batteries, dual Peak Design Captures (one for camera, one for E-mount lens kit), and a backpack-mounted DJI Osmo 360 with remote for video content.
- Camera bags: Kevin uses the Peak Design Everyday Backpack V2, which has endured alongside his a7R IV through some rather tough conditions.
“I’m rather nostalgic for when Peak Design felt cutting-edge. The bag I have comes with side-access via two captures for a camera and an E-mount lens kit.”
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| Kevin’s camera bag
Photo: Kevin Zhang |
Accessories can make or break a field trip. What does your bag have?
“DJI Osmo 360 with a jerry-rigged way of attaching it to my backpack as a 360 camera antenna (because my generation of people are encouraged to make video content about their photography to be successful), plus the remote for it.”
“2 Peak design captures on my backpack, one for my camera and one for the Peak Design e-mount lens kit, so I can change lenses easily.”
“I also carry a variety of tools, snacks, personal hygiene items, etc. This includes my trusty Macbook Pro with case on (often need to check my panos in the middle of a shoot). Some other miscellaneous supplies and trinkets of mine:
- Shokz Openrun Pro 2 (great way of listening to maps, navigation directions, while still listening to the world, plus I always listen to music while shooting)
- Apple Watch Ultra 2 (weather, humidity level, sunset time, compass, etc. Very essential to my use case)
- Technics az100 (just a tws I like and keep with me when I want to shut out the world, plus it can connect to my MacBook and my two phones at the same time)
- USB4 Zikedrive with 4TB SN850x (to backup the MacBook)
- Nampons and some Band-Aids (in case of nosebleeds or injuries)
“And to top it off, I carry two phones – an iPhone (for the Apple Watch I love and as a backup camera), and a Samsung (what I actually enjoy using).”
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| Battle 101, 3v3 NYC dance battle event
Sony a7R IV | F2.8 | 1/200 sec | ISO 4000 |
What got you started, and how long have you been a photographer?
“My dad became a Leica enthusiast shortly after I got into middle school, and it’s been downhill from there, lol. He became a really good street photographer, so I followed in his footsteps and essentially focused on street photography for the next decade or so. I only stopped for a few years when I went to film school to focus on film.”
“A few months after I graduated, I was stuck with a prime lens while at a very scenic landscape view in Shanghai, so I just winged it and gave panoramas a shot. Ever since then, my focus has been on panoramas and street photography. It’s a truly odd combination, but I like to say they complement each other and, in a weird way, my film career. So I keep doing photography even if I don’t get enough gigs in this field as I’d like.”
“I’ve been doing photography since age 10, I think? The launch day Sony a7R IV I currently own has been with me for more than a quarter of my life, which feels crazy to say, as my memory of that camera launching is still very fresh.”
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| The Jam Showcase Volume 9. Full audience panorama
Sony a7R IV | F1.4 | 1/250 sec | ISO 3200 |
What’s different about street scenes?
“I like to shoot candid street subjects, but I’m often pretty shy about approaching people to get the right shot. The best alternative is to get hired for events instead; everyone’s vying to have you shoot them in those kinds of situations. I’ve had a lot of good practice at my friends’ parties before getting to events as a photographer.”
“On the panorama end, I like detail – lots and lots of detail. Ever since the Pureview 808 launched, my dream kind of photo has been the one where you can zoom in nearly infinitely and see a very complex world. That’s been the ethos of my panoramas. They tickle that itch really well. I zoom into my own 750mp PTGui stitches all the time.”
How has your photography evolved over the years?
“I’ve always loved reading Roger Cicala’s articles, absorbing DXOMark data, and of course, content on DPReview. All the technical deep dives and teardowns that teach you technical stuff, YouTube will never teach you about. That’s always helped me out a lot I think, just being nerdy about stuff, and having a good theoretical foundation so that you never need to second guess yourself when you’re out and about shooting.”
“I really miss Barney Britton from the 2009 era. His Chris Burkard a6000 video was what got me hooked into DPReview in the first place.”
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| New York City skyline from Staten Island Ferry
Sony a7R IV | F5.6 | 1/800 sec | ISO 160 |
What unique street environments have you discovered?
“Probably the most unique environment I’ve shot at is the New York City street dance events. There’s one called Battle 101, and at the end of the year, they host a massive battle with hundreds of spectators. In that sort of situation, the subjects you’re shooting are also the background. If you shoot your handheld panos fast enough, you can also do them for people. Really. Not a lot of others have tried it but me.”
What can the community take away from your experiences?
“Be humble and be open to drastically altering your approach. Be happy to teach other people and learn from others. Both G.A.S. and the Dunning-Kruger effect are way too commonplace in photography. And please don’t be a snob.”
Kevin really enjoyed writing the content for this spotlight article and would be grateful for you to join him in discussion in the forums. Thanks, Kevin, for being featured!
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