It鈥檚 finally time for that summer adventure you鈥檝e been dreaming about all year. But just throwing your camera in the car isn鈥檛 enough to create envy-inspiring photographs. We caught up with three of our favorite outdoor photographers for tips on what you need to capture the images that will ignite your memories long after the season ends.
Corey Rich
What鈥檚 Always on the Packing List
When you talk about running, all you need are shoes. Photography is the same way. You need a camera and a love of capturing the world around you. You also definitely need a bag that fits what you are doing so you can have it with you. If you have the camera and you don鈥檛 have the bag, you are more likely to leave the camera behind. Then, to think beyond the camera, if you are super-hot, thirsty, cold, or getting sunburned, it doesn鈥檛 matter how good the shot is鈥攜ou are going to eff it up because you are miserable. So if you are going to wild environments, watch out for your personal needs.
What Every Photographer Needs
If I could only bring two lenses with me, I鈥檇 bring a and a . With two good lenses, you have enormous potential. If there were a third lens, it would be a 50 mm lens. It鈥檚 really compact and can shoot well in low light. Try not to use a tripod unless you really have to, because it slows you down.
What鈥檚 Worth the Splurge
That quiver of lenses allows you to do some stuff like vary the focal length. If you want to up your game in outdoor-adventure photography and you are at the enthusiast level, once you have the bag and the camera, the lenses are the next step. Don鈥檛 buy cheap knockoff lenses. Buy the lenses engineered for your camera. You don鈥檛 buy a Porsche and then go buy the cheapest tires at Walmart.
Jimmy Chin
What鈥檚 Always on the Packing List
I use a lot of F-Stop gear to carry my equipment, like the and the . They鈥檙e designed by outdoor photographers and work incredibly well in the field. I think a lightweight carbon-fiber tripod is nice to have in the bag, as well as some small light panels for light painting, lighting up tents, and providing a little fill. I always have a headlamp on me since I鈥檓 often wrapping shoots after dark. I also use a variety of solar setups and batteries for charging camera batteries and my laptop on location.
What Every Photographer Needs
A good shoulder camera-carrying case. I use the F-Stop .
What鈥檚 Worth the Splurge
Good glass. Nice prime lenses can really make a difference, not only in resolution quality but also for shooting backlit images and low-light conditions. I carry the Canon , Canon , and Canon . For a high-quality zoom lens, I carry the Canon .
Chris Burkard
What鈥檚 Always on the Packing List
I like to travel light and efficiently. That鈥檚 what made me choose mirrorless cameras. They are small and light and always fit into a carry-on bag or in the car. My cellphone is another one that never leaves my side. It鈥檚 another way to post photos and share images, but also a great source for editing photographs and doing other things like that. I鈥檝e always got an on me as well. That鈥檚 just another awesome way to document the world around me. I tend to try to get as off the grid as I possibly can, so I bring some sort of solar charger with me, and that helps me get farther out there. I always have a tent with me. If I get a chance to sleep outside, I take it. The best photos aren鈥檛 the ones taken near the hotel room. It鈥檚 also about keeping your gear safe and clean. I always laugh when I see people with those tiny little lens cloths. I buy those big you use to clean yourself when camping; I cut them into squares and keep one on me at all times.
What Every Photographer Needs
Every photographer should have three things. One is a good, fast, wide-angle lens. I love a 24 mm lens with an aperture range down close to f/2. That鈥檚 the most versatile lens ever. Then you need a polarizer and a graduated neutral-density filter to help control light and color intake into your lens. I never want to be out in nature without a 24 mm lens, a polarizer, and a graduated neutral-density filter. Oh, and a tripod.
What鈥檚 Worth the Splurge
Good, fast lenses. A 24 mm prime is probably one of my favorite things I have on me. I know I can shoot night exposures and landscapes. A good lens will change your photography.