Photo Tips / Gear In My Bag

 “ Cameras don’t take great pictures, people do. ”

It’s true... NO amount of equipment will ever replace a patient and considered approach in photography. So, although this list exists, please don’t consider it a short-cut to great photographs. 

Practice, Perseverance and Patience will always bring you greater rewards than new lenses or cameras - they are just tools to assist the photographer.

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Whether you're just getting started or you're years into your photography journey, having the right gear—and knowing how to use it—can make a world of difference. Here are my Top 10 Photography Gear Tips, refined from decades of experience in the field and out in the wild.

1. Invest in the Best Glass You Can Afford
Lenses are where your money is best spent. High-quality, fast-aperture prime lenses (like the ones I swear by) deliver exceptional sharpness, beautiful rendering, and great low-light performance. Great glass lasts longer than cameras—and pays off every time you press the shutter.

2. Buy a Top-Quality Tripod and Head (Carbon Fibre Only)
A solid tripod is an essential part of any serious photographer’s kit. Don’t skimp here—invest in a carbon fibre tripod with a high-quality head. It’ll be lighter to carry and much more stable in the field, especially in windy or uneven environments.

3. Match Your Filters to Your Lens Quality
Using cheap filters on expensive lenses is like putting plastic hubcaps on a sports car. Get professional-grade circular polarisers (C-PL) and variable ND filters—your image quality depends on it, especially in high-contrast or long exposure scenarios.

4. Choose the Right Camera Bag(s)
Your gear deserves protection and organisation, especially if you're constantly on the move. Brands I personally recommend:
MindShift Gear / ThinkTank Photo, F-Stop Gear, Billingham, Domke, and Gura Gear. These are built for working photographers and remote adventures—don’t waste time with anything less.

5. Master Your Equipment—and Master Light
Know your gear inside and out. Learn it, then re-learn it. But more importantly: learn to see and control light. Light is everything in photography. If you understand how it works and how to shape it, you’ll take your images to the next level.

6. Always Shoot in RAW
RAW files retain the most information and give you the flexibility needed for serious post-processing. If you're still shooting JPEG, you're leaving image quality on the table—simple as that.

7. Use the Lowest ISO You Can
High ISO can introduce noise and reduce image quality. I rarely shoot above ISO 640, and most of my work is captured between ISO 64 and 100 (base ISO). You'll get cleaner, sharper images every time.

8. Get Out of Program (P) Mode
If you're serious about photography, ditch Program mode. Learn to shoot in Aperture Priority, Manual, or Shutter Priority so you have full creative control over your images. Letting the camera decide everything will limit your potential.

9. Edit on a Calibrated Monitor
What you see is what you get—if your monitor is properly calibrated. Invest in a high-quality display and keep it colour-calibrated so your edits are accurate and your prints or exports match what you intended.

10. Practice, Practice, Practice
No amount of gear will make up for lack of experience. The best way to improve your photography? Shoot constantly. Experiment. Make mistakes. Review your work. Then go out and shoot again.

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So after more than a decade and a half of trialing & testing what works well (for me) and what does not, this is the equipment I currently like to use :