Equipment list - Outdoor and adventure sports photography

I enjoy writing gear reviews for certain products I use. See the items in bold text below.


1. Photography equipment

Photography is not all about gear but good equipment I feel is essential and I like to use the best tools for the job I’m hired to do. The following is a list of photography-related equipment that I own and use when appropriate for outdoor adventure and mountain sports photography. I’ll hire specific equipment which I don’t keep in stock, if it suits a client’s needs.

 Camera bodies and accessories

  • Nikon D4S - Built like a tank, with 11fps and fantastic autofocus (plus great high ISO capabilities). It's ideal for shooting sports.

  • Nikon D810 - My go-to camera for portraits or landscapes, or indeed any assignment where I want to capture lots of detail

  • Sony RX100 - A high-quality compact camera I use for location scouting or personal use

  • Really Right Stuff L brackets (BD5-L & BD810-L) - I use these on both my cameras to attach them to a tripod. Simple accessories which enable me to switch quickly between shooting in portrait and landscape format, they’re indispensable, I find, and once you use them I’d argue you’d never go back. (I also attach a sling to mine which I use as a camera strap).

  • Camera batteries - Multiple EN-EL-18, EN-EL15a, NP-BX1 batteries

  • Battery charger - x2 each (D4S + D810) plus USB cable for RX100

  • Giottos Rocket Air Blower - For removing any dust or debris that makes its way into my camera, as a result of changing lenses

  • Hoodman loupe - Not needed so much in Scotland, with its common lack of sunshine, but, if it’s bright outside, this non-magnified loupe is hugely helpful as it enables me to check focus, composition, etc. on location

 Camera lenses and accessories

  • Nikon 24mm F1.4 - My favourite lens, sharp from corner to corner, with a fast aperture that’s useful for low-light shoots where the athlete is moving

  • Nikon 24-70mm F2.8 - A relatively recent purchase (January 2020) but it’s quickly became the default lens on my cameras for its multi-purpose capabilities

  • Nikon 35mm f1.4 - Perfect for panoramic landscape photography on my D810

  • Nikon 50mm F1.8 - I don't often use this but it’s very small and packable and it has a fairly fast aperture (I’d prefer the F1.4 version). The quality’s good however, even on my D810, and it's essential to have back-up equipment should I need it.

  • Nikon 85mm F1.8 - My portrait lens, for which I sometimes choose the 70-200mm but this lightweight and super-sharp telephoto is much easier to handle. (Again, I’d prefer the F1.4 version but I don't use it often enough to warrant the cost).

  • Nikon 70-200mm F2.8 VR II - Can I have a second favourite lens? If so, this would be it. I use it a lot for action and portrait shots (at wide apertures), I also love using it for landscapes, where the compression it gives to the layers in the landscape really appeals to me.

  • Hoya Pro-1 Digital UV filters - I have these on all my lenses and use them instead of lens caps, which I find fall off too easily.

  • Lee Filter Adapter Rings - Again, one for each lens. I use these to attach a Lee filter holder so I can use their top-quality graduated and neutral density filters.

  • Lee lens cap - Plastic caps that fit over the Lee adapter rings and take the place of a normal lens cap (I don't use a UV filter if I’m shooting landscapes and use these instead) .

  • Lens cleaning solutions - In the field, I’ll use a mixture of Zeiss lens wipes, micro-fibre cloths and a Lenspen LP1, all of which are essential for keeping my lenses clean.   

Rented when appropriate;

  • Nikon 14-24mm F2.8

  • Nikon 16mm F2.8 Fisheye

  • Nikon 16-35mm F4

  • Nikon 300mm F4

Memory cards and card readers

  • Lexar XQD cards - A collection of high capacity cards (x32GB, x64GB, x128GB) with very fast write speeds for use in my Nikon D4S

  • SanDisk Extreme Pro CF cards - A collection of similar cards (x16GB, x32GB, x128GB) for use in my Nikon D4S and D810

  • SanDisk Extreme Pro SD cards - As above, but for use in my Nikon D810 and Sony RX100

  • Card readers - x2 CF and x2 XQD versions. USB 3.0 for quicker transfer speeds

  • USB cables - One for each camera (a backup in case either of the card readers fail) 

Filters

  • Lee Filters filter holder - A square filter holder which enables me to add up to three filters in front of my lens. The most I’d normally use is two (either an ND filter and a Graduated ND filter or an ND filter and a Circular Polariser).

  • Lee Filters ND Graduated Filter 0.75 ND (2.5-Stop) Medium - Useful for balancing exposures between the land and the sky. With the D810 especially, I can replicate this fairly easy in post-processing but I prefer to do it in camera.

  • Lee Filters ND filter 1.8 ProGlass IRND 6-Stop - Purchased for long exposure photography when I want to display movement in clouds or water. It also enables me to use larger apertures in bright light, when I’m not using the HS head on my strobes for that instead.

  • Lee Filters 105mm adapter ring - A primary example of a purchase in the photography business that you’d think would be included with its partner product (in this case, the circular polariser)

  • Lee Filters 105mm Landscape Circular Polariser - Makes a huge difference to the quality of my images on sunny days (deepening the colour of the sky and improving definition overall). There’s a fine line between just right and too much.

Rented when appropriate;

  • Lee Filters ND filter 4.5 ProGlass IRND 15-Stop

Lighting

  • Elinchrom ELB 400 strobes (x3) - An excellent, lightweight and portable, battery-powered strobe. At 424ws, it’s more than four times the power of a single speedlight and, with the use of a sports reflector, I’m able to light subjects from a good distance away.

  • Elinchrom Action and HS heads (x6) - I use both Hi-Sync (HS) heads, which enable me to shoot at shutter speeds above 1/200s (and use my shutter speed to freeze motion) and Action heads, which I choose for shutter speeds below 1/200s (where it’s the flash that’s freezing any motion).

  • Nikon SB-910 speedlights (x3) - I prefer the more powerful strobes but these are handy to use as additional lights, e.g. to light white backgrounds or to use as rim lights. They will fire in slave mode but I prefer to control the power up and down from my camera so, if I do use them, I’ll also choose a speedlight as my fill light so I can power all my lights using my Pocketwizard TT1 and TT5 transceivers. (I can use the Pocketwizards with my strobes but I lose some functionality).

  • Sekonic L-308S light meter - A great tool which I use to help me evaluate the correct flash exposure. (It won’t work with my Elinchrom HS heads, for which I need to measure the exposure manually).

 Rented when appropriate;

  • Elinchrom ELB 1200 strobes (HS and Action To Go Kits)

Light modifiers

  • Elinchrom Deep Octa softboxes (70cm and 100cm) - 100cm for mostly all purposes but I like to take the 70cm when travelling, especially if I am working on my own.

  • Elinchrom High Performance Reflector (26cm) - Perfect for throwing light as far as I can when shooting athletes with strobes. Enables me to keep my lights out of frame and compose naturally.

  • Elinchrom Reflectors and Grids (18cm) - One size up from the included reflectors that come with Elinchrom heads. The grids are essential for controlling light.

  • Lastolite Ezybox Pro Square Softbox (60cm) - Accepts x2 speedlights or x1 Elinchrom head with a spigot adapter

  • Lastolite Fabric Grid - This attaches to the front of the Ezybox Pro Square and helps me to collimate the light so it doesn't spill onto the whole image

  • Lastolite umbrella - Useful but rarely a tool I use as it spreads light everywhere and I prefer the control you get from an Octabox or Softbox

  • Honl Grids - As for the fabric grid above but specifically for use on my speedlights. The grids attach via a Honl-branded Speed Strap, which is made of velcro and purchased separately. 

  • Rogue FlashBender - A multi-functional light shaping tool which I often take up on the hills if I want to create an on-location portrait in remote places. Also serves a variety of purposes (e.g. a very simple softbox, a snoot and a flag).

  • Westcott 5-in-1 Reflector - Useful for diffusing bright contrasty light on sunny days (if you can't get into the shade) and adding fill light for portraits when I use the Octabox (I’ll ask the athlete to hold the reflector beneath their chin)

  • Gels - I have a multitude of colours of gels, although I make minimal use of them other than a full CTG (colour temperature green) for shooting indoors under fluorescent lights or 1/4 CTO (colour temperature orange), which is generally on my lights all the time to add some warmth to skin tones outdoors

Rented when appropriate;

  • California Sunbounce

Colour management

  • Lastolite white balance card - A simple but essential tool which helps me to measure white balance on location and ensure accurate colour for products

  • X-Rite i1 monitor calibrator - Essential for printing so I can tell that what I see on my screen is what I will see in print

Remote transmitters and transceivers

  • Elinchrom Skyport Transmitter Plus - A remote transmitter for the ELB 400 strobes which enables me to adjust the power without being near a strobe. Nikon cameras simply need to be set correctly (Nikon D4S Auto FP 1/250s and D810 1/320s) and HS will kick in automatically when I go over the sync speed of my cameras.

  • Pocketwizard Flex system - Mini TT1, AC3 Zone Controller, TT5 Wireless Receivers, one for each speedlight. As above, being able to switch on and off, and adjust the power of individual lights, directly from my camera, is a huge benefit creatively, as well as being a time saver. 

  • Calumet Trigger Set - x1 Transmitter and x1 Receiver. Initially purchased to fire my speedlights (and replaced with the Pocketwizards), I keep these as they’re perfect for use as a remote camera trigger for landscape photography.

  • Rechargeable batteries - For all the above, e.g. Sanyo Eneloop Pro, plus plenty spare

  • Calumet Flash Sync Cable - A backup option in case for any reason my remote triggers fail to work

Tripods and light-stands

  • Manfrotto MT055CXPRO3 Carbon Fibre tripod - A great balance between fairly lightweight (2kg) but still very stable. (I also use Manfrotto's 055 aluminium model for my iWorkcase).

  • Kirk BH-3 ballhead - I received this by mistake when I ordered a BH-1 ballhead, but I decided to keep it as it is lighter for outside use and I’ve found it to be rock solid, from wide angle 24mm all the way up to a Nikon 300mm lens

  • Joby Gorillapod Tripod - A great lightweight tripod that’s useful for taking ‘just in case’. It’s handy to put speedlights on.

  • Manfrotto monopod - Used mainly as a portable lighting stand, with the Elinchrom head and Octabox attached, which an assistant can easily hold and move about with whilst on a shoot (without an assistant, I’d choose a light stand instead)

  • Calumet cushioned light stands - Plus sandbags for stabilisation

Bags, cases and travelling

  • Joby Ultrafit Sling Strap - A simple over the shoulder strap that keeps my camera at a useful angle for bringing it up to my eye. Wide and comfortable.

  • Zing Pro SLR neoprene case - If I want to travel really lightweight, this neoprene sleeve offers good protection. I use it along with the Joby Sling Strap.

  • F-Stop Loka - A great camera bag, which is very comfortable. At 37 litres, it holds a lot of gear but not too much

  • F-Stop Satori - A larger version of the Loka, at 62 litres, which is useful when I bring the kitchen sink (or I want to take camping equipment on top of my photography gear) 

  • F-Stop ICUs (x1 each Micro, S, M, L, XL, Gate) - Interchangeable padded camera bag inserts which fit inside my F-Stop backpacks and hold my camera and lighting equipment

  • F-Stop Gatekeepers - Ridiculously expensive straps which enable me to add a tent or other items of equipment to the outside of my backpack

  • Lowepro lens cases (various) - After my purchase of F-Stop's ICUs, I use these more on my waist belt to hold water bottles, or as a home for food that I want to access easily.

  • Lowepro Photo Sport AW200 - Very old and battered but it’s been a great solution for carrying a DSLR when I’m out on a hill, offering good balance between protection and accessibility. (I used the Toploader for my camera, see below, and put my spare lenses and other gear in the Photo Sport’s camera compartment).

  • Lowepro Toploader 75 AW - An excellent padded bag for your camera. Super comfy whichever way I wear it (over my shoulder, on my front with the harness or simply clipped to the D rings on my F-Stop backpacks), it also enables me to carry other items and have them easily accessible (e.g. food, map, compass).

  • iWorkcase On-Location Workstation - A top-quality solution for shooting tethered to your computer outdoors. Simply, it’s a waterproof Pelican 1490 case with a foam insert that’s customised for your laptop. Fits everything I need for shooting tethered on-location.

  • Pelican 1095cc laptop case - A simple but sturdy waterproof case for my laptop (which I use when I don’t want to take the iWorkcase)

  • Pocketwizard G-Wiz Trunk Case - A useful home for all my Pocketwizard Flex accessories   

Weatherproofing

  • Ewa Marine U-BXP100 underwater housing - An underwater housing for my DSLRs, which the manufacturer customised for me so it will accept a wide angle 24mm lens plus a 70-200mm lens

  • Op-Tech Rainsleeve waterproof covers - Super cheap waterproof covers for my Nikon cameras. I have the basic ones plus the ones that accommodate a speedlight.

  • Dry bags - A mixture of waterproof outdoor bags or simple sandwich bags, which I place each piece of camera gear in if the weather forecast is very poor   

  • Drying cloths - A large number of microfibre of chamois leather cloths, which I often find I go through on top of my lens cloths when the weather is wet

  • Golf umbrella - At a pinch, I could have an assistant hold this above me to keep the rain off as I shoot. Not used very often.   

Computing

  • Apple iMac - 21.5in and 12Gb RAM. Getting to the end of its days and my plan is to upgrade shortly

  • Apple Macbook Pro - Used extensively. I did consider purchasing the 15in version but I’ve found the 13in to be ideal (it fits inside my F-Stop backpacks as well as my iWorkcase) 

  • Apple iPad - Used solely with the Camranger when I wish to wirelessly transfer images to the iPad and show clients images on location

  • Apple iPhone - I’m a bit of dinosaur phone-wise and still use an iPhone 5SE. The battery life is poor and it doesn't work well in the cold. Other than emails and browsing the web, I used it mainly for the Evernote app.   

  • Chargers for desktop, laptop, iPad, iPhone - x2 each for anything that leaves the house/office

  • European/US travel plug adapter - x2 plus a multi USB adapter

  • Nitecore 10000 power bank - A lightweight power bank designed for runners which enables me to recharge my iPhone and other devices on location, more than once

  • Adobe Creative Cloud - Software I rely on for image processing (Adobe Lightroom and Photoshop) and my marketing activity (Adobe InDesign)

  • Nik Collection - The programmes I use most often I use are Sharpener Pro and Silver Efex Pro 2

  • USB cables - Other than standard USB cables for connecting cameras, hard drives, etc. I own a Tethertools USB cable for my Nikon D4S (TetherPro USB 2.0 to Mini-B 5-Pin) and one for my Nikon D810 (Tethertools TetherPro USB 3.0 to Micro-B Right Angle), both for use with my iWorkcase for tethered shooting.   

  • CamRanger - A simple solution to wirelessly transfer images from my DSLR to a computer (in my case an iPad), which is great for shoots where the client is on location and we can review each shot to ensure it meets their expectations. Includes the charger, battery & cables for my Nikon D810 and D4S.   

Mobile apps

  • Evernote - Helps me keep track of everything

  • Sunseeker / Fatmap / Google Maps - Excellent apps which I make extensive use of for location scouting

  • Easy Release - Handy app for creating model releases and having models sign them on location. I share the wording up front so people know what they are signing up to (my releases include information about the dangers on the shoot itself as well as giving me permission to use the images commercially).   

  • Squarespace - For website updates via my phone, e.g. blogging

  • Adobe Lightroom CC - For on-the-go processing and digital asset management on my phone. (I don't use this very much, preferring to download the images onto my Macbook and work on them there instead). 

  • Dropbox Pro - On-the-go file sharing capability so I can provide clients with images no matter where I am

Backup and storage

  • Western Digital hard drives - Multiple mirrored drives, on and off-site

  • Crashplan - Monitors a drive on my desktop and mirrors changes to this automatically with my account on their online server, enabling me to have a whole backup in the cloud as well as on my hard drives

  • Dropbox - An additional cloud storage solution which gives me easier access to files off-site

  • SyncMate - An easy way for me to ensure my hard drives are up-to-date (and in turn the cloud). Comes with a handy notification system that reminds me to back up my data.  

2. Clothing and equipment