The cameras, lenses and tools I take on every photo trip - the gear that's earned its place in the bag, and a brief note on why I use each piece.
Last updated: May 2026The core kit. Camera body, lenses and drone.
Full-frame 61MP body - my main camera for landscape and travel.
I’ve used Sony for many years and the R-series keeps getting better. Huge resolution gives me crop room, the dynamic range is excellent for sunrise / sunset, and the RAW files are forgiving to work with in Lightroom.
My wide zoom - sits on the camera most of the time for landscapes.
16–35mm covers most landscape compositions. The GM build is excellent, low-light performance is strong, and the sun stars at f/16 are clean. Expensive, but worth it if wide-angle is your primary range.
Versatile walkaround zoom that comes with me on every trip.
Covers wide to short telephoto, light enough to carry all day – my go-to when I’m travelling light.
Telephoto for compressed landscapes.
Compresses scenes and lets me isolate features in the landscape – especially valuable in mountainous and desert settings.
My aerial camera - some of my favourite images now come from this.
I was hesitant about drones for years. The Mavic 4 Pro is a real workhorse – the image quality, dynamic range and reach now sit comfortably alongside the main camera. It also allows me to truly maximise any location with so many different angles and perspectives.
Compact APS-C body - my second camera and part of the underwater rig.
A brilliant and compact APS-C camera. Doesn’t come with me on every trip and it’s mainly used with the Seafrog housing for underwater photography.
Pairs with the a6700 and the Seafrogs housing as my underwater setup.
Sharp across the frame, fast at f/2.8, and light enough not to add bulk to the travel kit.
The gear that makes the core setup work properly - from stable tripod shots to filters, carrying systems and underwater housing.
Everything you could possibly need in a tripod.
An excellent tripod and a worthy investment. Light enough to take on a plane, rigid enough for long exposures, robust enough for every trip.
Premium ballhead, locks fast, durable.
Pairs perfectly with the FLM tripod and worth the cost given how often I use it.
Carry-on size, fits all my gear plus more.
Versatile, durable, and crucially within carry-on dimensions. Camera insert at the bottom, clothing and other accessories at the top, tripod on the side.
Underwater housing for the Sony a6700
Underwater shots have become a bigger part of the work since doing my Scuba diving certification. The Seafrogs housing is at the affordable end of the market – build quality isn’t as solid as some other brands but it does a great job.
Makes vertical compositions on a tripod painless.
An L-bracket is a must for any tripod-based shooting. Strong, light, fits properly – that’s all you need.
Magnetic CPL + ND set, fits all my lenses with step-up rings.
One filter set across the lens lineup via step-up rings. No graduated filters – that’s a destructive workflow I’d rather handle in Lightroom. CPL for water and foliage, ND for long exposures.
Everything else that ends up in the bag.
My vlogging camera - pull it out, press record, done.
I use the GoPro a lot for vlog footage – the freedom of not worrying about settings is the value. Get it out, press record, capture the moment without breaking the experience.
Solid audio anywhere without the wires.
Replaced my old recorder + wired lav setup. Wireless, good battery life, sounds clean. Audio is half the battle for vlogs.
Capable B-roll camera and a backup option for my main camera.
A brilliant camera for video and extremely capable for stills.
A safety net for remote trips.
Two-way satellite messenger – communication and SOS when there’s no signal.
Placed in all the bags.
Not perfect, but if a bag goes missing at an airport I’d rather know where it actually is. Cheap enough to be in every checked bag.
Quick-release wrist strap - better than a permanent neck strap.
I don’t like having a permanent strap on the camera. Peak Design’s anchor system lets me attach and detach a strap in seconds.
For dust on lenses and sensors - desert and rainy days especially.
Tiny, essential. Saves you wiping a dirty lens which spreads grit. Use it before reaching for a cloth.
Keeps spare SD cards safe and findable.
Boring but essential. Loose memory cards in pockets is asking for trouble.
The editing and backup chain - where the photos actually become finished images.
Handles photo editing and 4K video comfortably.
Capable enough for 4K timelines and Lightroom catalogues. Now outdated but does the job perfectly.
4K, calibratable, accurate enough for serious colour work.
For colour-critical editing an accurate monitor is non-negotiable. This is an outdated model but does the job perfectly.
Local backup, paired with cloud for the 3-2-1 rule.
Direct-attached RAID for local archive. Combined with cloud backup gives a proper 3-2-1 strategy.
Monitor calibration - quick, repeatable, accurate.
Calibrate my monitor regularly. The Datacolor app is straightforward, results are consistent, and your edits look the same to other people as they do to you.