My Tools

So, these are the tools that allow me to pursue my passion, and every one of them plays an important role. The phrase “necessity is the mother of invention” rings true here. There are things I want, and things I need, and I always try to equip myself with the things I need first.

Camera Body – Canon EOS R

30mp of mirrorless goodness. This was Canon’s first entry into the mirrorless market based on the fantastic 5D mk iv. It has been around a few years now, but it has never let me down and does everything I could want for landscape photography. It’s also lighter and less bulky than other models at a great price point, and importantly, gives me great results! It came with the EF adaptor for the EF lenses I had but will also take its native RF lenses if I ever upgrade to them.

Lenses – the Holy Trinity

With my landscape photography I don’t need lenses that go below f/4. This has the bonus of making them lighter to carry, cheaper to buy and with Canon’s fantastic EF L series lenses, usually image stabilisation comes with them. On the rare occasions I shoot hand held (usually when it’s really windy), this has been invaluable.

  • Canon EF 16-35mm f/4 L is usm. My wide angle lens, perfect for dramatic foregrounds or skies.
  • Canon EF 24-70mm f/2.8 L usm. My first professional quality lens, I sold all my early kit lenses when I had my Canon 700D to purchase this second hand on eBay. It was advertised as an f/4 and turned out to be f/2.8. But as I no longer had any lenses, I kept it and have had it ever since. 
  • Canon EF 70-300mm f/4-5.6 L is usm. Most have the 70-200mm version in their trinity, but the extra 100mm of reach is worth the extra weight the lens has for me.
  • Canon EF-EOS R Mount Adapter. Allows me to mount the EF lenses to my EOS R body and came with the camera.
Filters – Freewell Magnetic Filters

These are great! They pop on and off in a second and I have no problems with the build or image quality. I purchased them to fit my largest lens size along with two step down rings, so the one set fits all my lenses. The step down rings stay on the lenses and the filters fit into a small case taking very little room in my bag!

  • CPL (circular polarizer) – the must have for reducing glare, seeing through water, and helping to make colours pop. If you can only afford one filter, make sure it a CPL.

ND filters (neutral Density). Used to darken the scene, this means you can take control of the shutter speed whilst maintaining the aperture and ISO you desire. Perfect when you want to do long exposures.

  • ND8 3 F-stops of light reduction.
  • ND32 5 F-stops of light reduction.
  • ND1000. 10 F-stops of light reduction.
Tripod and Tripod Head – Go sturdy!

A flimsy tripod is useless to me, especially when I am creating long exposures. It needs to anchor to the ground and be steadfast when there is potential movement from wind, as the slightest vibrations can cause a long exposure to be blurry. Size and weight are also a consideration, but its sturdiness has to come first.

  • Tripod – 3 Legged Thing’s “Winston” model. A good sturdy tripod, my only gripe is I would like it to fold down smaller.
  • Spikes – 3 Legged Thing’s Vanz dual ball and spike. Really good when you are on soft spongy ground or rocky terrain, and they have screw on rubber ball feet for surfaces you need to protect.
  • Geared Tripod head – Sunwayfoto Geared Head GH-PRO II. Absolute game changer, one of my favourite purchases. When you are trying to fine tune a composition or level the shot it’s so much quicker and easier than a ball head.
Accessories – the bits and bobs that come in handy.
  • 3 Legged Thing L bracket – This came as a special offer with the tripod and makes life so much easier when you want to change from landscape to portrait orientation on the tripod.
  • Shutter release cable – cheap and cheerful from Amazon. Nothing fancy needed here, when you are trying to shoot waves these are great!
  • Headlamp or torch, I have both! – Essential for walking up and down rocky paths in the dark chasing sunrise or after sunset.
  • Umbrella – I find good golfing umbrellas work best.
Camera Bag – Lowepro Flipside Trek BP 450 AW

This bag fits all my camera gear in the main compartment comfortably, 3 lenses, the body, filters, cleaning cloths/tools, shutter release cable and 5 batteries. This opens from the back of the bag allowing you to keep rain cover on when you access it.

It also has a top compartment to store a packed lunch, jacket or bits and bobs that is separate from the camera gear.  There is a front pocket great for maps, a tablet or kindle and various other flatter items.

It has the 3 strap system most good bags have (shoulder/chest/waist) and has two sizeable side pockets with clips that can be used to hold tripods or water storing bottles. 

Clothing and footwear – Dress for the weather and environment
  • Down jacket – For the colder weather.
  • Mid Jacket – I have a lighter weight jacket for the days when its colder in the mornings or evenings, but won’t get to hot when I am hiking to a destination.
  • Rain jacket – Preferably Gortex, lightweight, waterproof and breathable. I never want elasticated cuffs and hems as these jackets really need to breath. I also buy a size that allows me to wear my other jackets underneath.
  • Waterproof Trousers – I have owned a pair of Galvin Green Gortex waterproof trousers for years. They have served me well, they are lined and can be worn over trousers in the colder weather, or on their own when its warmer.
  • Hiking boots – I always look for ankle support, good grip, waterproof and of course comfort. I end up in a lot of areas that are boggy or have puddles and flows of water across the paths. A day in wet uncomfortable footwear really spoils your mood!
  • Wellington boots – You will be surprised how often I end up stood in the middle of a stream.
  • Hats- Something warm for winter, something to protect you from the sun in summer.
  • Gloves – In the winter Vallerett markhof Pro V3 photography gloves allow the thumb and forefinger tips to fold back so you don’t have to remove the gloves. I also have lighter woollen gloves for when its not to cold.
My Van – 2005 Renault Trafic High Top

This is my photography lifeline. It’s getting on in years but gives me so much freedom. I gets me where I need to be and gives me somewhere to stay when I am on the road. I had this as a work van for some time, then slowly started to convert it. It has solar and leisure batteries for lighting and charging power, insulated and carpeted throughout. There is bed space and storage and the all important portaloo. It’s not as equipped as posher campervans, but it’s got what I need!

The Minds Eye – The most important tool.

Call it what you will; intuition, visualisation, creative focus, but I firmly believe you have to realize what attracted you to scene and visualize what you want the end result to be in the field. As the creator of the image, you are the first and last tool in your arsenal and the one that dictates how others are to view it.