My Gear
The biggest question any photographer gets is, “What gear do you shoot with?”. As someone who loves the technical aspect of this art form I am always researching lenses, cameras, and other tools that help us create. I have spent the last six years transitioning and trying new pieces to complete my puzzle. I started this journey with a Nikon D5500 coupled with an 18-140mm lens. I purchased a couple of lenses before I realized how much I loved resolution, and learned what that was. I upgraded to a D810 and was blown away with 36 megapixels. I spent the next year learning the camera and I was disappointed with the autofocus and video capabilities of the Nikon brand at the time. Mirrorless had just popped into the scene by way of Sony and it caught my eye. The technology that Sony was implementing into their cameras was second to none so I decided to jump ship and see what the other side was about. Here’s the result..
Sony a1/a7 IV- The a1, with 51 megapixels, amazing autofocus including eye af, and awesome battery life this is my go to for a day of photography. I also use the a7 IV for a mixture of photo and video, typically with a longer lens as cropping won’t be needed so working with 33MP comes out cleaner. You can’t go wrong with either body. I have used every series of the Sony lineup and found these to be the best cameras for what I shoot.
Sigma 24-70 2.8 - For a long time we only had Sony for our lens selection. The third party world took a bit to catch up but when they did, the results were astounding. I wanted an alternative to the expensive Sony GM 24-70. This is the answer. The sharpness, quality, and ability to work with the Sony software to produce amazing results is second to none. For versatility on a gimbal this is a great choice.
Sigma 35mm 1.2 - I ventured into the Sigma lineup in early 2020 after hearing good things about the quality and sharpness. The 35mm 1.2 is hands down the best lens I have attached to my camera. The sharpness of the images is beyond anything I’ve seen. It perfects everything from portraits to automotive, I even use this lens for astrophotography. Usually you use ultra wide angles for astro shots but I’ve combined panoramic and stitching to achieve the results I wanted without the distortion typically seen from a wide angle lens.
Sigma 85mm 1.4 - 85mm is probably my favorite focal length and with this lens I can achieve that slight compression along with using it for detail shots as well. I use this length a lot in automotive photography to portray a different story than the normal wide angle would give. The only downfall to this lens is the weight.. which they have revised in the new version to give your arms a much needed break!
Sony 16-35 2.8 GM - This flagship lens is a must have for on the go. It gives you more unique perspectives than the 24-70 length and makes everything from astro to portraits a breeze.
Sony 70-200 2.8 GM - A 70-200 telephoto is a must have in any photographers bag. The price point and weight of this lens will be a hard thing to adjust to but once you do, you’ll quickly forget about the cons. This lens produces some of the sharpest and most beautiful images.
Accessories
DJI Mini 3 Pro - Drones are a great addition when you need to capture that vantage point from the air. I don’t use this a lot but when I need to show the perspective rarely seen, it comes in handy.
DJI RS2 Gimbal - A must have to achieve that smooth footage, and probably one of the easiest tools to use when it comes to mounting and device usage. This updated version is leaps and bounds ahead of the original Ronin S. The touchscreen makes it so simple to quickly adapt to the situation you’re shooting.
Peak Design Travel Tripod - One of the most important pieces in your bag is the tripod. Peak Design has four years of R&D into this product and hands down, it wins. The weight, size, and handling capabilities put it lightyears above any other trips you will put your hands on.
Software/Storage - I edit with the Adobe suite of software ranging from Photoshop, Lightroom, Premiere and all things in-between. I edit on a Mac Book Pro and use LaCie rugged drives for all my storage needs .
I hope that helps you in learning a little about the gear I typically use. I’ve tried it all, and while I have a love for Sony I also love to try other brands and see what everyone else has to offer. The setup pictured was used for a year before trying my current lineup. If you have any questions feel free to shoot me an email and I will help you with your next big decision!