Gear, gear, gear...
Well, I know, I should be sharing pictures of nature and the very first post is dedicated to something else - the gear I use. However when it comes to photographing nature and especially wildlife, the gear is pretty important to achieve acceptable results. These are the things I carry to (almost) every photo trip:
Camera. Obviously, a camera is the very core of photography gear set. For landscape photography the high resolution of modern cameras is a really nice feature. For wildlife a fast and reliable auto-focus system is a must. I use Sony A7RIII which covers both of these necessities. It is also weather-sealed, so I don’t need to worry about it in rainy days.
Long zoom lens. When photographing wildlife most of us usually struggle with getting close enough to take a nice picture. Most animals are skittish and tend to keep their distance when they detect an intruder. So having good long lens is crucial to solve the problem. I use Sony 200-600 mm, f/5,6-6,3, G OSS. In my opinion, it strikes a reasonable balance between length, image quality, speed and weight. The zoom provides flexibility in framing. Especially weight can be a nuisance when taking the lens on a hike, so it is something to consider at purchase.
Mid-ranged zoom lens. Jack-of-all-trades. I carry Sony 24-105 mm, f/4.
Wide and fast fixed lens. These lenses are usually used in landscape photography or astrophotography. I use Sony 20 mm, f/1,8. Super sharp and very fast lens.
Spare batteries and SD cards. Redundancy is a key! There is nothing more frustrating than getting out to the location and finding out that the batteries are dead or that you forgot to insert SD card in your camera.
Cleaning tool for lenses. I don’t use it much, but it is good to have one in case of any accidents…
Books. Even with the best gear getting a picture you want is not guaranteed. No photographer will ever take quality photo of wild animal, unless they know how to behave in nature and study the behaviour of animals themselves. The two books on the picture I can surely recommend, but you can take your own pick at your local bookstore. I usually carry the green one written by Eva-Maria and Wolfgang Dreyer (name could be translated as The Big Guide to the Forest - I’m not sure if its available in other languages than Czech or original German). The black one is well known book called Birds of Europe with North Africa and the Middle East written by Swedish ornithologist Lars Svensson; this book is even recommended by Czech Society for Ornithology as a basic handbook identification of bird species.
Binoculars. Having binoculars is more a matter of convenience rather than necessity. Since they usually tend to have wider field of view than lenses of same magnification and are usually lighter than camera with long lens on it, they can better serve for spotting animals. Binoculars on the picture (Nikon Monarch 5, 8x42) actually belong to my wife who likes to accompany me on my photo trips and spot the birds I can later photograph.
Tripod. Carrying tripod can be annoying due to its weight, so I only carry one when I plan to shoot in low light, long exposures or so on. It can be also useful when shooting animals from hideout or any fixed position.
Digital photography, however, requires not just the gear you can use in the field but also computer and some specialized software.
I personally use Adobe Lightroom which covers 95 % of my needs. For some additional edits I sometimes use Adobe Photoshop.
P. S. I’m not being paid by any of the companies mentioned above and it is not my intention to “sell” you any of their products. I am pretty confident that you can find comparable gear made by Nikon, Canon, Fujifilm or even Olympus and Panasonic. Regarding software, as far as I know the Capture One has really good reviews, but I have no personal experience with it yet.
