Gear

What’s in my bag?

Here we take a look at some of the main tools I use to create the images I make.

Nikon D500

At the heart of my setup is the Nikon D500, known for its incredible detail and very high performance. This camera is a real work horse. With its incredible build quality and weather sealing it can go anywhere in any conditions. Image quality from its 20.9mp APS-C (crop) sensor is incredible, easily dealing with the fine details of the natural world.

Nikon 70-200mm f/2.8

When I'm focused on wildlife or capturing the essence of a distant landscape, the Nikon 70-200mm f2.8 becomes my go-to lens for its versatility and sharpness. Widely known as one of, if not THE best lens that Nikon has produced. This is a beast of a lens. It boasts an incredibly fast auto focus for those birds in flight images or the super fast sports shots and crystal clear glass for high quality images in all conditions. It really is a MUST have piece of kit.

Nikon 10-24mm f/3.5-4.5

For sweeping vistas, I reach for the Nikon 10-24mm f3.5-4.5, which allows me to capture expansive scenes with vibrant clarity. Another one of Nikon’s “Dream Team” lenses, this lens is specifically for the APS-C Camera and part of the Nikon “pro” range.

Sigma 105mm Macro

Macro photography enthusiasts will appreciate the Sigma 105mm macro lens, perfect for those detailed close-ups. When Photographing tiny fungi in the woods or capturing highly detailed images of insects this Macro lens from sigma is hard to beat.

Lee 100 Filter System

My long exposure shots benefit greatly from the Lee 100 long exposure filter system. This consists of a filter holder that attaches to the front of the lens and 6 Stop and 10 Stop neutral density filters. These block light from entering the lens which allows the shutter to be open for longer to compensate for the lost light, This allows me to capture motion in water and clouds, giving some of my images that ethereal feeling.

Lee Circular Polariser

The Lee 100 long exposure filter system above is complemented by the Lee circular polarizer, which helps manage glare and reflections from wet leaves and rocks and also gives colours a little bit of saturation that makes them “pop”. This is the most important filter in my bag and you won’t find a landscape photographer on the planet that doesn’t own one.

Kase 3 stop and reverse graduated filters

I also utilise the Kase 3-stop ND filter for when I need the exposure to be just a little bit longer than normal (normally used at the coast, just to slow down the surging swells slightly). I use a 3-stop reverse graduated filter that darkens the sky by three stops to make it easier to get the correct exposure during beautiful sunsets.

Benro Tortoise 35C

Lastly, the Benro Tortoise 35C tripod provides the stability I need for crisp images, and the long exposure shots. After my camera this is the most important part of my kit. Without a steady tripod 90% of my images wouldn’t be possible.