Mattia Bidoli

I’m Mattia Bidoli, an Italian documentary photographer, humanitarian worker, and magician.

I work in active conflict zones and post-conflict environments, documenting war from within humanitarian operations and alongside civilian populations.

I’m not a gear collector. My kit has slowly evolved toward reliability, discretion, and speed.

I work in places where you can’t change lenses on the fly or explain why you need one more shot.

Gear is a tool, not a shield!

Fujifilm X-T5 – My main workhorse camera, which I have two of. Fast, solid, great files, and excellent IBIS. I use it when I need reliability and flexibility, especially during long days in the field.

Fujifilm X100V – Its always with me. It’s my in-between camera, used when photography isn’t the main reason I’m there, but I know something might happen.

I also love handing it to kids and letting them take photos themselves. It often tells me more about a place than anything I could shoot.

 Fujifilm 16–55mm f/2.8 – When I need versatility without compromising image quality. It’s the lens I rely on when situations change fast, and there’s no time to swap gear.

Fujifilm 50–140mm f/2.8 – For moments where I need distance without losing intimacy. Heavy, but incredibly reliable when access is limited.

Fujifilm 10–24mm f/4 – Used sparingly, mainly to give context and a sense of space. I try not to exaggerate perspective, but sometimes the environment is part of the story.

Lowepro ProTactic II – This is the bag I use when I need to carry everything safely and move fast. It’s modular, solid, and built to take abuse.

It’s been everywhere with me, through sand, fire, rain, and places where bags usually don’t come back looking the same.

MacBook Pro M1 – Reliable, fast, and solid. It lets me work anywhere, often in less-than-ideal conditions, without having to think too much about the machine itself.

Adobe Lightroom Classic – My main tool for editing and archiving. I keep my workflow simple and consistent, with minimal intervention. I’m not interested in heavy presets or dramatic looks. The goal is to stay faithful to what was there.

SanDisk Extreme Pro SSDs – These are the drives I trust in the field. They’re fast, lightweight, and built to survive water, sand, dust, and constant movement. When you work in rough environments, knowing your files are safe matters as much as the images themselves.

An IFAK, or an Individual First Aid Kit, is essential, but useless without training. Carrying medical gear does not mean being prepared. Knowing how to use it does.

Tourniquets, bandages, and trauma supplies only matter if there is muscle memory, training, and situational awareness. Training matters more than equipment.

Knowing what not to do is as important as knowing what to do. In war, pretending to be prepared is dangerous.

Vest and Helmet – The ballistic vest protects vital organs in the chest and abdomen. Its effectiveness depends on several factors: the level of ballistic protection, correct sizing, proper plate positioning, and correct adjustment of the carrier.

A vest worn incorrectly that is too high or too low compromises coverage of critical areas and significantly reduces protection.

Wearing ballistic protection does not mean feeling safe. It means operating with awareness of risk and respect for the reality of the environment.

Since I’m also a magician, I always carry a few magic props with me. They don’t take much space, but they help break the ice, shift the mood, and create moments of connection.

Sometimes they open doors long before the camera comes out.

Fujifilm Instax Share Sp-3 Portable Photo Printer – Photography is often a one-way act: time is taken, images are taken, stories are taken, and then you leave.

Bringing a printer means interrupting this dynamic, at least in part. It means giving something back at the very moment documentation happens.

In many of these contexts, people have lost everything, or almost everything. Homes, belongings, family archives, photographs.

Today, most memories exist only in digital form,  inside a phone, a fragile device. Lose it, break it, run out of battery or connectivity, and nothing remains.

I don’t believe in the idea of the perfect kit. I believe in tools that let you stay present and adapt to what’s happening around you.

Choose gear that disappears in your hands, leaving space for people, for listening, and for being there when something real unfolds.

In the end, the photograph is never about the camera. It’s about what you decide to stay close to.

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