Equipment

This is my current gear.

Photography

Sony a7rIV - This is my primary camera for adventure photography. It’s full-frame, 61MP resolution, reliable as anything, and has more features than I can count.

Sony a7rIII- This used to be my primary camera, but it has now migrated to be my backup camera. It’s always nice to have a backup, especially for when you’re in remote locations where getting a replacement isn’t easy.

Sony 12-24mm f/4 G - A fantastic ultra-wide angle lens for capturing that authentic foreground/background style in landscape photography.

Sony 24-105 f/4 G - My favorite lens. Perfect for capturing a wide variety of landscapes, from wider scenes to zoomed in abstracts. If I can only bring one lens, I bring this one.

Sigma 100-400mm f/5-6.3 - A super sharp zoom lens for capturing wildlife and distant landscapes. I found this to be a (much) cheaper alternative to the Sony FE 100-400mm F4.5-5.6 GM.

Sony 50mm f/1.2 GM - Main lens for portrait sessions, commercial work, and tutorial/interview style videos.

DJI Mavic Mini Pro 3 - The perfect drone for blending high quality with a (relatively) small size. I can fit this thing in my pocket.

Editing

Lenovo Yoga 9i (4K, 16GB RAM) - The dream laptop for me. 4K screen, 16GB of RAM, and 512GB of are basically all I need. This thing can navigate Photoshop edits with ease, and looks beyond sexy.

Wacom Wireless Tablet (Small) - Using a tablet makes editing photos significantly easier, particularly in Photoshop. Dodging, burning, and painting in colors is with a pressure-sensitive pen will make you never want to use a mouse again. I’d recommend the small size if you travel a lot.

WD 4TB External Hard Drive - I keep all of my photos and video on a 4TB external hard drive, and get a new one for each year that I shoot. That way, all my data is on a separate drive than my computer.

BackBlaze - I use Backblaze to backup all of my photos and videos to the cloud. It’s the cheapest cloud storage option I’ve found, costing around $10/month for unlimited data. The program constantly uploads anything new on my drives, every time I connect to wifi. I rest easy knowing that if a hard drives breaks, I have a backup of all my work online.

Adobe Lightroom Classic - My primary cataloging software for photos. I do basic RAW edits on Lightroom Classic, then import them to Photoshop and fine-tune the details. Many people ask me about Lightroom CC or Bridge for cataloging, but I’ve found Lightroom Classic to have the most functionality and ease of use.

Adobe Photoshop - I use Photoshop to edit nearly all of my photos, even if they’re fairly basic shots. Photoshop stands out with luminosity masks, warping, content aware fill, and filters- all features absent to Lightroom.

Adobe Premiere Pro - Easiest video program to use, and since I focus mainly on Lightroom and Photoshop, the interfaces are relatively similar.

TK Panel - This is a Photoshop plugin that makes generating luminosity masks significantly easier. If you’re doing advanced edits, this add-on will save you both time and energy. Alternatives include Lumenzia and/or Raya Pro, but I’ve found the TK Panel easiest to learn.

Topaz Labs Gigapixel - If you’re shooting on a lower resolution camera (such as the DJI Mavic Mini or Sony a6600,) this software can enlarge your photos to make them more detailed and suitable for print. It’s a must-have software if you’re working with lower-budget setups.

Luminar AI - This is a Photoshop plugin that’s got a killer Sunray feature, which can save you a lot of time and effort in Photoshop if you’re looking to add a little oomph to your light.

Accessories

Manfrotto BeFree Advanced Tripod - A solid tripod for all sorts of harsh conditions. This thing has been beaten to infinity and still works.

Garmin inReach Mini 2 - This is a satellite that allows me to text family/friends and emergency services form pretty much anywhere in the world. It’s extremely small and compact, and I like to bring it on longer, more obscure adventures.

Rode VideoMicro Microphone - A reliable, compact shotgun microphone for videos that require audio. It mounts right on top of the camera, and comes with a wind protector.

Rode Wireless Go II - A reliable audio capturing device for tutorial, interview, and and narrative style videos.

Rode Go Lavalier - A lavalier microphone that attaches to the Rode Wireless Go II. It’s helpful if you want a less-bulky microphone to clip to your shirt.

DJI Ronin RS3 Mini - A solid, compact gimbal for creating silky smooth video.

McKinnon Camera Pack 35L - My primary camera bag that fits everything listed above. It can also be converted to a carry-on bag to fit clothes and select camera gear when I travel.

McKinnon Cube Pack 25L - This bag fits inside the McKinnon Camera Pack 35L, and I use it to store my lenses. When I go on adventures, I convert it into a backpack and use it for hikes.

McKinnon Sling 8L - An alternative to the McKinnon Cube Pack 25L to fit in the McKinnon Camera Pack 35L. I use it mainly for portrait and commercial shoots.

Joby GorillaPod 3K - A flexible tripod that can be mounted to nearly anything. Great for situations where a normal tripod is too awkward, or I want to bring something smaller and lighter.

Savage RBG Video Light - A nice little RGB light that’s perfect for light painting small scenes like caves, arches, and rock formations.

Neewer Pro RGB Video Lights - Two powerful full spectrum RGB lights that can be used for filming video as a key light and fill light. Also works great if you want a small travel portrait studio! Small and fairly lightweight for their size, I keep these in my Prius at all times. Pair with Sony NPF-970 Batteries and a ProExtra Quad NPF-970 Charger if you want to use outdoors

Savage Travel Backdrop Kit - A black backdrop for portraits or videos. This is the smallest travel backdrop you will find, and you can interchange it with white or green backdrops. You can set it up pretty much anywhere in minutes for shoots on the fly.

TicTac Orange Mints - These things are like magic. Whenever I take a great shot, I pop an Orange TicTac. After doing this consistently for months, my mind now associates the taste of Orange TicTacs with good photography. If I’m ever having an off-day, I pop one in my mouth and instantly get in the mood to shoot. This is based off a technique in Neuro-Linguistic Programming.

State Farm Personal Article Policy - In the rare instance that any of this expensive gear gets damaged, stolen, or decides to take a dive in the ocean, I use State Farm to ensure it. It costs about $25/month for all of the gear listed on this page (roughly $15k worth,) and if something goes wrong you simply contact them to file a claim.

Camping

REI Magma 15 Sleeping Bag - I sleep in this thing every single night. It’s comfortable enough to use for car-camping, and warm enough to use in the outdoors in the Fall, Spring, and Summer.

Big Agnes Fly Creek HV UL Tent - An ultra-light two person tent that’s perfect for backpacking. This thing is a monster and can hold up well against storms.

LowePro Powder Packpack 500 AW - A solid backpacking-backpack specifically made for photographers. It’s got a special padded compartment for your gear, a tripod holder, and rain cover. I use this backpack for longer expeditions into the wilderness. When I’m not using the backpack, I use the gear compartment to hold my back gear and accessories.

Osprey Daylite Backpack - An ultralight daypack that I use for longer (5+ mile) hikes. I’ll generally bring one camera body, one lens, and fill the rest of the bag with food and water. It’s also small/light enough to toss in a backpacking backpack.

MSR Windburner Duo - I use this stove to boil water quickly for dry meals. It can also be used for basic camping meals, like pastas and soups. I prefer the Duo (two-person) size so that I can share, if needed.

Gerber Devour Multifork - Lightweight folk/spoon for eating and stirring. I enjoy how it clips to the side of your stove, so you don’t have to set it on the ground.

Platypus 2L Water Bottle - The water bottle I use for almost every hike I go on. It’s ultra-light, can fold up small, and holds a decent amount of H20.

Platypus GravityWorks Water Filter - My primary water filter when out camping. It’s fast, reliable, and easy to use. It also pairs with the Platypus 2L Water Bottle above.

ENO DoubleNest Hammock - A lightweight hammock to lay in after a long day of hiking/photography. Trust me, there’s nothing worse then sitting on the hard ground when you’re camping and exhausted.