Packing, like every other aspect of outdoor photography, is something we learn by doing. My passion for photography was late blooming, but when properly discovered, it proved all-consuming. Waking up for sunrise, I then stayed out late under the stars. Constantly shooting, I took (mostly bad) images of everything from portraits and products to plants and pets. I created an actual Bucket List for photo locations. I would update it incessantly as I scrolled the globe via social media. Like every other creative, I researched and obsessed with our favorite manufacturers’ latest and greatest gear offerings. I think that this was the nature of me as an artist who was operating in discovery mode while my core interests coalesced and my actual ability began to catch up to my desire and drive.
As I’ve gotten further along in my career, I’ve learned to be more efficient not only with my sleep schedule but also with where I apply myself and my attention. It was important for me to go through that scattershot array of subject matter early on, to help me understand what my true interests were and how to apply my passion towards them. Just as I honed in on the photographic style that I wanted to pursue and refine, I did the same with my creative gear.
Packing Essentials for Outdoor Photography
I figured out exactly what tools I needed to help best bring my vision to life and then invested in them. As my style has changed, so has my kit. But for me, packing for outdoor photography is no longer just about always having the latest and greatest anymore. To me, it’s more about what is most useful for your creative execution and budget and what you do with it from there. So, with that said, let’s dive deeper into each piece of kit I carry and the most common application for it in my commercial and personal portfolios.
GEAR CHECKLIST:
When packing for outdoor photography, here are my essentials
- Sony a7R IV
- Sigma 14-24mm f/2.8
- Sony 24-70mm f/2.8
- Sony 100-400mm
- Sony 35mm f1.4
- Sony 50mm f/1.2
- Sony 90mm Macro f/2.8
- F-Stop Tilopa 50L Camera Bag
- MeFoto Roadtrip Tripod
- Explorer LED light panel
- Giotto Rocket Blower
- Snacks
- MacBook Pro 2021 16″
- G Drive 2TB SSD
Sony a7R IV
Since this body isn’t Sony’s latest offering, I won’t bore you with tech specs as they inevitably fall short of the most recent iteration in the a7r line of mirrorless cameras. What I can tell you is that this camera is an absolute beast for photography, with an insane amount of data per image in the range of 80-100mbs for uncompressed RAW images. After several years of use, it has become incredibly familiar. It is more than capable of any task I need to achieve. This is where the notion of not needing the latest and greatest applies to my kit. This camera was released almost 5(!) years ago, but its reliability and excellence have allowed me an additional 1-2 years of use that I did not expect. I will soon be upgrading again, but until then, I will absolutely continue to employ this dream of a camera body.
Sigma 14-24mm f/2.8
This is the only 3rd party lens in my camera bag and it has absolutely earned its place indefinitely. With a strong affinity for small subjects in grand landscapes and a background in luxury residential real estate photography, the addition of this ultra-wide zoom lens was a no-brainer. It employs remarkable sharpness at both ends of the focal range, and the autofocus is snappy and tack-sharp. Some of my favorite travel images I have ever shot are with this lens.
Sony FE 24-70 F/2.8 GM (G Master) E Mount
“If I could have one lens for the rest of my career, this would be it, plain and simple. Regardless of the manufacturer, the standard Zoom 24-70 has been revered and well-employed by many professionals and hobbyists since its introduction. I thought it would be difficult to improve on Canon’s legendary L series 24-70, but yep, was I wrong. Sony’s G Master offering is likely the most critically sharp piece of glass that I have ever been lucky enough to use.
When paired with the alpha mirrorless series, it truly astonishes with its ability to communicate with the camera body and deliver world-class sharpness and resolution time and time again. The built-in lens profile helps flatten images naturally and remove vignetting in real-time, and the focus hold button helps me nail shots in a dynamic environment while ignoring all of the other moving pieces. The bokeh at f/2.8 is creamy and very pleasing to the eye, and the sunstar generated at f/16 is sharp and really well-defined. There is nothing that I don’t trust this lens to handle, and I can’t ever envision myself removing it from my bag. Well worth every dollar spent!”.
This was a review that I wrote 3 years ago, and every word still rings true to this day. A true multipurpose workhorse that continues to add value and ability to my commercial and personal creative pursuits.
Sony FE 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6
While I am a massive fan of the Sony 70-200mm, there is just something so special and intangible about this lens that goes well beyond the extra throw from 200-400mm. Sharp enough to isolate and compress the smallest details of a mountain range while employing compression and autofocus tracking to pinpoint moving wildlife, this lens feels like a luxury and a necessity at the same time. A very special piece of glass and a wonderful recent addition to the creative kit.
Sony FE 50mm f/1.2 GM (G Master) E Mount
Simply put, it’s the best lens I’ve ever owned and an absolute personal favorite of mine. If you’ve ever shot on a nice prime, you know how much of a game-changer it is for personal and professional projects alike. The Sony 50mm f/1.2 offers a ridiculously shallow depth of field when shot anywhere near wide open, and the color rendition and bokeh are truly worth swooning over. I’ve never used a word like swoon to describe camera gear, but I’ve never used a lens like this, so here we are.
Sony FE 90mm f/2.8 Macro
This lens is a bit of an oddity and outlier for an outdoor commercial professional, but wow, is it fun to use! With an unnaturally shallow plane of focus and the fact that you need a lot of light to employ it effectively, this 90mm macro tends to be less than practical for day-to-day use. However, it more than makes up for that by being critically sharp and allowing me to pick out the smallest details in a forest or the most intimate craftsmanship of a product being asked to reliably withstand the natural elements. Absolutely an acquired taste but one that yields utterly fascinating results.
F Stop Camera Bag Tilopa 50L DuraDiamond
As you can gather from my list of lenses, I need something capable to comfortably carry all of my gear, and the F-Stop Tilopa checks every single box that I need it to. With a lightweight aluminum frame, proprietary foam inserts for the load-bearing areas, and a weather-resistant DuraDiamond construct, this backpack is a dream for me as a commercial outdoor photographer.
MeFOTO RoadTrip PRO CF Tripod
Truth be told, there isn’t anything particularly spectacular about this tripod. There are many other options available that outpace this model for a variety of reasons. Still, it has proven to be ultra-reliable, does literally everything that I ever need, and comes in at a price point that makes it feel as though it’s a useful tool rather than a piece of precious carbon fiber cargo.
Explorer LED Light Panel
A small light is not something many think of when packing for outdoor photography. However, this small but mighty LED panel has turned out to be a fantastic piece of kit that I truly enjoy using! Whether it’s mounted on a hot shoe attachment for video or handheld to provide a subtle bit of pop for low-light portraiture, I’ve recently become very fond of adjustable LED panels and the multitude of creative ways I can use them to improve the quality of my personal and professional assets.
MacBook Pro 16″ 2021 Model
Every commercial creative knows that at least half of the job seems to be admin-heavy. With organizing, editing, and file management, leading the charge of all things demanding time and attention. With all of the memory and computational power that I could ever need, this MacBook Pro is an absolute dream to use. It is top of its class for every reason imaginable. It’s safe to say that I will never switch to a different operating system or platform.
G Drive 2TB SSD External Hard Drive
If you’re like me, you can’t comfortably rest after a day of shooting without properly backing up all of the precious assets you just procured. With flawless performance and no corruption issues, this is my go-to drive for all of the right reasons.
Snacks
Protein Bar, Banana, Gummy Candy: This is pretty self-explanatory, but under no circumstances will I forget the gummy candy when packing for outdoor photography.
