Essential Gear For The Nature Photographer

If you’re serious about taking awesome photos of sweeping vistas, looming mountains, and other sceneries in nature, then you’ve to start investing in equipment. A lot of beginning photographers tend to get overwhelmed by this because of the assumption that nature photography gear equates to expensive and heavy load. But, unless you’re planning on an expedition to Antarctica, this often isn’t the case.

Image source: medium.com

In fact, the working premise of nature photography is to pack light and pack right. It’s often the small equipment that are of huge value. Begin with the standard ways to not get lost: a compass, a map, and a GPS dongle. Then pack some gaffer tape for holding shots and a hot-shoe flash for lighting in macro shots, paired with a 1:1 lens.

For panoramic shots, make sure that you have an ultrawide-angle lens. You’ve to bring a remote camera shutter trigger alongside a light but full-movement tripod to ensure that there’s no shake in your shots. Make sure as well that you’ve sufficient batteries and portable memory storage for backing up images.

Image source: gizmodo.com.au

Other necessities simply complement photography but are staples nonetheless. One is an umbrella to protect your camera from any drizzle while likewise softening the light on your subject. Another is a tickler, a water-resistant notebook where you can jot down key information on prime locations or even your thoughts and musings. Don’t forget to carry a Swiss knife and an insect repellent, too.

My name is Daniel D. Purjes. At the moment I’m based in Vermont, pursuing a career in nature photography. But I was born and raised in New York. More tips and reads on photography on this blog.

Real Photography Talk: So You Want To Go Pro?

One of my childhood buddies from New York, Mctague, visited me this past weekend and he showed me he was still into photography. He still had many pictures of our fave places in NYC, including Wall Street, Rockwood bar, and even the Barron’s HQ. Although his life now is all about NYC assets, asset investment, and fund investment reports, he still manages to shoot stuff from time to time, although not New York Times main story material. 

Image source: BBC.com

Anyway, we got to talking about how I eventually became a professional photographer. He told me it was on his final list of things to do in the next few years. So I told him that going pro with photography is not as simple as it looks. 

Photography as a passion and photography as a job are completely different. Hobbyists, even the most serious and passionate ones, will find being a professional photographer daunting. 

Being a pro photographer entails always being on the move, seeking out jobs wherever you can find it. It means you may need to shoot stuff you’d otherwise never shoot just to keep the income flowing and the portfolio growing. Even when the inspiration to shoot is waning, and the conditions are way lower than optimal, pro photographers have to find it in themselves to keep shooting. 

Not a lot of amateur photographers who make the transition into professional photography stay a professional photographer for long, and that’s completely understandable. It’s not for everyone. 

Image source: Youtube.com

My name is Daniel D. Purjes. I was born and raised in New York and later moved to Vermont to pursue photography. For more about the stuff I love, check out this page.