“A good piece of equipment soon becomes a good friend. It becomes comfortable, trustworthy and dependable. But, like a good friend, it’s a two way relationship — look after your gear and it will look after you.”

Nigel Fawcett, 2020

The gear, gadgets and software that I find indispensable

NB: I do not represent any of the brands referred to on this page, nor am I in any affiliate programs. The following opinions and observations are entirely my own and are based on genuine ownership and regular use over a prolonged period of time.


Leveraging the synergy between photography and walking

As a photographer specialising in capturing images of nature and the great outdoors, there’s a significant overlap between the products that I need for my work and those that I need in pursuit of it — to put it another way, wild outdoor photography requires some pretty wild outdoor clothing and accessories. All of which is a long-winded way of saying that this page contains resources that cover both photography and walking.


So, what is the gear that I’d find most difficult to work without? Click on the headings to expand the text and discover more …

This is, perhaps, the most important accessory to be found in my camera bag because the very core of my philosophy on photography is based on the principal that every image is captured in-camera without the need for any post-editing. In my early days, I experimented with several systems but once I’d discovered Lee Filters I never wanted to use anything else. The Lee 100 system addresses most of my needs and if, like me, you own an ultra-wide lens with a huge domed front element, then there’s the Lee SW150 system. Neither the system nor the filters come cheap but they are a massively worthwhile investment.

If there’s one category of gear that I’ve spent more money on over the years than anything else, then it has to be carrying systems. When I talk about carrying systems, I mean any kind of bag, backpack, holster, or strap. Let’s get one thing out of the way quickly; the straps that come with our camera of choice may look pretty but they’re of limited functionality and, to be honest, do we really need to go around advertising what brand of camera we use?

If there is one company that seems to have got to grips (pun absolutely intended) with the issue of carrying your gear around then it has to be Peak Design. I discovered their product range when I was looking for a hand strap that was suitable for a professional camera. I’d almost given up but then I found the Peak Design Clutch. It works much in the same way that a video camera hand strap works — it keeps the camera secure and makes it much more comfortable to hold while, at the same time, ensuring that your fingers and thumb are free to access all the controls. The strap is easy to adjust and is designed to released quickly — though I keep mine on the camera permanently.

In addition to the hand strap, I need a solid and adjustable professional sling strap for when I’m out in the field. The Peak Design Slide was exactly what I was looking for and their anchor system means it can coexist with the hand strap. It, too, remains on my camera body permanently. The strap can be worn across the body, around the neck, or on the shoulder.

There are plenty of days when I don’t need to take masses of gear out into the field but still need a pack for a second lens, my filter sets, a packed lunch and, maybe, a spare item of clothing. I’ve almost been driven to despair by the number of backpacks I’ve purchased that are supposed to be designed for photographers. Time after time I’ve ended up out of pocket and very disappointed. They tend to be overly heavy, even when empty, and usually have uncomfortable straps. The gear compartment, which is sold as flexible, never seems to work and only seems to add to the weight. I’d become almost resolved to the fact that the bag I wanted simply didn’t exist when two came along at once! I’ll address the second one below as it is a larger bag that is more suited to those days when you need to carry a lot of gear. My go to day sack is the Peak Design Everyday Backpack. Like every other product that this company innovates, they reimagined their camera bags from the ground up. The weatherproof shell is lightweight without compromising protection. The kit dividers are multipurpose and adaptable. The bag is expandable and can be accessed from the top and both sides. It has numerous internal pockets and the external pockets contain hidden straps for securing water bottles or tripods. Since purchasing my bag, they’ve made further improvements and extended the range.

My go to pack for more serious expeditions is the Shimoda Explore 40 and has left me never needing to look for another bag again. They, too, have an extensive range that is likely to satisfy any requirements you may have. You can see the design concept here Shimoda Designs.

Perhaps the most important thing to say about all of the products above is that they’ve been designed with passion by photographers for photographers.

Clothing is more complicated because everybody’s need and taste is different. I will, however, just mention footwear. My walks and photography inevitably take me into a whole range of wet, muddy and rocky environments, so good footwear is essential. The trouble is, I hate heavy, inflexible boots and have a mixed experience when it comes to Vibram soles. As a rock-climber, I got used to being able to feel the rock through my climbing shoes. Consequently, I now find myself needing to strike a balance between that barefoot feel and some sensible protection. For many years Teva was my brand of choice but, after becoming concerned over their short lifespan, I now swear by Keen footwear and particularly love their UNEEK range.

Click on a headings to expand the text and discover more …

Without mentioning any particular brand, these kinds of device have become an essential component of my toolkit for both photography and walking. Over time, there is little to choose between the various manufacturers and everyone will have their preferred brand. To a large degree, it’s the apps running on the devices that become increasingly important but we shouldn’t ignore the fact that they’re only as good as the capabilities of the hardware they run on.

If there’s one issue with the kind of pro camera that I use then it’s the lack of built-in GPS. Geotagging is pretty important for much of the work that I do and, in the past, was something that I had to add after the event. The manufacturer has an add-on GPS unit for my model but it is bulky, expensive and has limited functionality. Luckily, a crowdfunded start-up has come to the rescue with an amazing little device that plugs into the accessory socket of the most common camera brands. Don’t let the company name, Foolography, put you off because this tiny Bluetooth module allows you to fully control your camera from your smartphone as well as enabling the direct geotagging of all your images. Check it out at Foolography Unleashed.

Here’s one that you’re all probably using but it gets a mention anyway. If you need to check where the light will fall at any location, at any time, and on any date, then TPE (The Photographer’s Ephemeris) is the app for you.

I grew up with maps and have loved them all my life. I was quick to adopt and explore the benefits of digital maps the moment they appeared on the market. Initially, this was with specific walking GPS devices such as those offered by Garmin, Magellan and, my favourite, satmap. Nowadays, it makes less sense to cart around yet another chunk of hardware when there are so many excellent GPS apps available for your Smartphone. Again, I’ve tried nearly all of them  and have ended up using two separate apps for two different purposes. Why is that? Because I have yet to find an app that is best in class for both route exploring and track recording. For the former, I have been using ViewRanger for years and love it. You have the option of using a wide range of online maps or, if you prefer, you can purchase premium offline maps from within the app. When it comes to recording tracks, I like to see and collect as many stats as possible, right there while I’m walking. For that I use WALKMETER from Abvio.

Whether I’m capturing images for an exhibition or on walk that I intend to publish, being able to record quick voice notes saves a lot of time back in the studio. Many Smartphone operating systems include a voice memo app as part of their standard bundle and, for most users, this might be all you require. If, on the other hand, you need something more professional, then the array of free and premium apps can be a bit daunting. No need to worry because I’ve tried them all and, for the moment at least, the winner is Awesome Voice Recorder. The app is available in various free and paid for versions for both IOS and Android platforms..

Click on the headings to expand the text and discover more …

When your photo library grows through the tens of thousands into the hundreds of thousands, then a robust image management platform becomes paramount. There was a time when Aperture was my preferred solution, but then Apple decided to abandon a relatively small but loyal band of pros for a much larger audience of general users by replacing it with iPhoto (now Photos). The obvious alternative at the time was Adobe® Lightroom, which served me well until they chose to move to a subscription model. I’m not a lover of subscription based services so it was back to searching for an alternative. How I wish I’d discovered Capture One from Phase One sooner. The move from Lightroom was less of a learning curve than I expected, so I just hope that Phase One don’t decide to move to a subscription model any time soon.

If you print a lot of images, either individually or in batches, then you need a good print management system and, if you need your prints to be of archival quality for exhibition or sale, then you should consider QImage One from Binartem.

As an aside to print management, and for those interested, my printer is the Canon Pixma Pro9500 Mark II. I dread the day when they stop producing ink for this wonderful piece of kit as I wouldn’t willingly swap it for anything else. Finally, for this topic, my favourite paper manufacturer is Canson® — I bet you didn’t know they were founded in 1557!

If you have a WordPress site and you only need to create and manage a few galleries and albums, then the free version of Imagely’s NextGEN Gallery might be all you need. If you’re a pro and want to sell direct from your WordPress site then you’ll need the Pro version.

With all those thousands of images you’re going to need somewhere safe and accessible to store them. Network attached storage (NAS) is the way I like to go because it gives me all the benefits of cloud storage without losing control of my precious work. I can continue to work if my internet connection drops and I can access my images remotely when it doesn’t. I have a Drobo 5N2 configured using their Beyond/RAID system for maximum protection against failure. The storage can be increased asymmetrically eliminating the need to change all of the drives at the same time.



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