Equipment

Cameras

Canon EOS 1D Mark IV body

My top-end professional body. Its weather proofing and solid build quality allows me to use it out in the toughest of environments without fear of damage. This body has accompanied me on wildlife and studio shoots alike.

This camera historically replaced a Canon 7D. While the build on the Mark IV is far superior, the sensor and AF systems feel very familiar to a prior 7D user. While the body is larger than a gripped 7D, it does not feel unfamiliar in the hand, with your fingers instantly finding the control hotspots which are in very similar locations to the 7D.

The most notable difference is the removal of the Mode Dial. I can only say that this is the best choice that could have possibly been made. While shooting with the 7D, I would find I would knock the Mode Dial with my body or other hand, forcing the camera into Bulb Exposure or Aperture Priority mode. The next few photos would then be a flurry of confusion and panic until I reset the mode.

Overall, the Canon 1D Mark IV has been the best investment in the photography world, and one that will stay with me for years to come. This camera has already seen its share of precious moments and famous shots, and it now feels like a very significant piece of what has made me the photographer I am today.

Sony Alpha NEX-5N

My every-day carry-about camera body which recently replaced a Canon Powershot G12. Sony are still relatively new to the DSLR market, however their purchase of Minolta furnished them with a whole host of camera and lens technology. The NEX-5N was purchased due to its RAW capability, excellent low-light performance (equivalent to a Canon 5D mk.II (Full Frame DSLR)), relatively low cost and compact size. This camera allows me to produce professional quality work even when I am not carrying the 1D Mark IV. Its ultra compact size and variable-angle Display allows for a more casual and less obvious shooting style. This is very notable with Street photography. Shooting from the hip does not indicate to people that you are taking a photo, giving a more natural feel to the photographs.

Sanyo Xacti CG20

Small portable carry-around video camera allowing me to record those special moments.

Glass

Canon L-Series Lenses

Canon L-Series lenses produce superior quality images over other types of lenses, and the f/2.8 gives us the largest aperture range to work with, allowing for shooting in low-light scenarios without the aid of strobes or ancillary lights.

Canon EF 24-70mm f/2.8L USM

A super lens for portraits and low-light photography. The f/2.8 aperture allows for extremely fast shots even in poor light. he weather-proofing allows this lens to be mounted to a suitable camera and carried through the wettest of shoots.

Canon EF 70-200mm f/2.8L IS II USM

This lens spends 95% of thetime attached to the 1D Mark IV – The sharpest most enjoyable lens I have ever had the privilege of using, and the weapon of choice for every-day use.

This lens is suitable for portraiture, wildlife and sports. Its f/2.8 aperture allows for a shallow depth-of-field as well low-light shooting.

Canon EF 400mm f/2.8L IS USM

Dubbed ‘Old Painless’ by myself and others I’ve worked with (in reference to the large mini-gun from Predator), this behemoth of a lens accompanies me to any wildlife photography opportunity. While far too heavy to wield hand-held, this monster finds its home atop a sturdy Gitzo monopod, or tripod and gimbol head combo.

Canon Extender EF 1.4x II

While not included in the ‘every-day carry-around’ kit, this extender finds its way into the bag when going on Wildlife shoots. The extra glass does reduce sharpness and clarity of the photos, however in the right situation can be used to great effect to capture elusive animals up close.

Sony Alpha E-Mount 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6

With the NEX range of cameras, we are starting to see some very good quality lenses being produced. This 18-55 is certainly a shining example of where Sony are going with their Compact DSLR market. While small, this lens produces excellent professional quality results while still maintaining a low price. This is why it is always attached to the Sony NEX-5N body and my every-day lens / camera combo.

Sony Alpha E-Mount 16mm f/2.8

Certainly the smallest and lightest lens I have ever used, however still very well built with its metal exterior. This 16mm Prime does not always produce the sharpest of results, however is a perfectly acceptable quality for Landscapes.

B+W Lens Filters

High quality lenses are no good if you stick a £10 piece of glass to the front of it – All that optical precision will vanish out the window. Because of this I choose B+W Filters to protect my lenses, and as creative tools for my photos. Schneider Optics produce have a long history of producing very high quality glass. Their filters are manufactured with Brass fitting rings instead of the regular alloy mounts. This reduces the likelihood of filters getting stuck to the lens or each other. While this is not a problem that plagues most photographers, when you are operating in conditions of below 0 (degC) down to -40 (degC/F), this can be a real issue.

Lighting & Studio

Canon Speedlite System

The Canon series of Flashes are excellent value and performance as portable strobe / studio lighting. While not as simple to control as the Nikon CLS (Creative Lighting System), the Speedlite range do offer a wide range of flash powers and features. The 430EX II is the most pleasing flash of the range, and certainly one of the best bang-for-your-buck deals. It does not offer any master control functionality with which to control other flashes (this feature being exclusive to the 580EX II), when combining two or more with the Pocket Wizard FlexTT wireless transceiver system produces a very powerful portable off-camera strobe setup with full E-TTL functionality.

My combination of choice is currently a pair of Canon Speedlite 430 EX II flashes.

Pocket Wizard FlexTT / MiniTT system

Pocket Wizard are already an established name in the strobe market with their range of radio triggers. They have gone one step further in their creation of one of the most useful accessories to any strobe photographer in the form of the FlexTT / MiniTT system. This radio trigger allows hotshoe flash-guns to be mounted on the FlexTT Transceiver, and fired off-camera from another FlexTT or MiniTT. The transmitter / transceiver atop the camera communicates the full E-TTL data from the camera / lens to the flashes, allowing for fully automatic strobe lighting. When combined with the AC3 Zone Controller, multiple zones of flashes can be independently controlled by setting the power in relation to the Flashes Exposure Control and E-TTL settings, or fully manually as a flash power. The units can also be used to trigger studio strobes in Trigger mode, effectively replacing the need for any other remote trigger.

This flexible and scalable system are always in the camera bag and ready to go, in the form of two FlexTT5 Transceiver’s, one MiniTT1 Transmitter and one AC3 Zone Controller.

Lencarta ElitePro Strobes

These mains-powered studio strobes are used when mains power permits, and / or when the Canon Speedlite system just wont cut it. Two 300w Strobe heads and a single 600w Strobe head make up a portable but professional quality lighting rig that produces some very pleasing results. The head-fitting on these lights is the industry-standard Bowens S-Fit, giving access to a whole market of first and third party modifiers and accessories.

Sekonic 758DR Digital Master Light / Flash Meter

A critical piece of equipment for any lighting setup – Light meters might not be considered by most an essential piece of equipment, however this meter finds a permanent home in my camera bag. Its spot-metering functionality make it useful for landscapes, wildlife photography, portraits, or just general street photography. The capability to take multiple readings and create an average of those lets you ensure you can capture a full range of detail in your subjects.

Other Accessories

White-balance cards
Various Umbrellas, softboxes and reflectors
3m Background Support System with Backgrounds
Epson PictureMate 290 Mobile Photo Printer

Photo Bags

Kata HB-205 GDC Hiker Backpack

A larger backpack with 6-point harness system for easy comfort while carrying. This bag comfortably fits the Canon 1D Mark IV with a 70-200mm f/2.8L IS II USM attached, a 24-70mm f/2.8L USM, both camera hoods, weather covers, 2x Pocket Wizard FlexTT5′s and 2x Canon Speedlite 430 EX II’s, with room for one or two extra bits inside, an iPad in the front, and a waterbottle and Tripod or Monopod on the sides. This bag carries everything and more needed for a long day’s shoot.

LowePro Flipside 400

My previous backpack prior to switching to the Kata HB-205. Now this backpack serves as my daybag for carrying a smaller amount of equipment. The bag comfortably handles the 1D Mark IV with the 70-200mm f/2.8L IS II USM attached, with the 24-70mm f/2.8 USM at the side. Additionally it will hold one flash and a small selection of extras. an iPad will fit comfortably in the front compartment, and a Tripod will clip to the back.

ThinkTank Steroid belt with Pixel Racing harness + Spider Pro camera holster system

Information coming soon

Tamrac Ultra Pro 11

Information coming soon

LowePro Filter Pocket

Information coming soon

Misc

Canon RS-80N3 wired Remote shutter
SanDisk Extreme / Ultra Compact Flash and SD cards
HyperDrive ColorSpace UDMA with 500GB Drive

Supports

Gitzo GM3340L Monopod with Manfrotto 357 Plate
Gitzo GT3531S Carbon Fibre Tripod Legs with Manfrotto 393 Gimbol
Manfrotto 7322YSHB Tripod with Ballhead

Computer

Hardware

Apple Mac Pro
Apple iPad (mobile portfolio)
Netgear ReadyNAS Pro 4 with 4x2TB (RAID5)

Software

Adobe Lightroom 3
Adobe Photoshop CS4
Adobe Aftereffects CS4
Apple Aperture 3
Phase One Capture One 6 Express
PhotoMatix (HDR Software)

Online Services / Albums

Flickr Pro
Gallery2 /Gallery3
ZenGallery
Coppermine 1.5.x (retired)