Digital Photography

Sony A7RV - my primary digital photo camera for several reasons. I’ve listed a few below, but much of this list is secondary to the simple reason of it’s the camera I have access to (thanks to my wife’s wedding photography work).

1. High resolution allows for cropping without loss of detail

2. A plethora of customizable buttons, nobs, and wheels

3. Incredibly fast and accurate auto-focus for lifestyle or animal photography

4. Flippy-tilty back screen and high res viewfinder for accurate focus at different angles

5. Colors are well represented and RAW files are easily edited

6. Reliable enough weather sealing for outdoor photography in many conditions

7. Full grip for comfortable shooting and lightweight for hiking and travel

8. The Sony “system” has more lens selections than you could ever need or hope for

My primary lens that pretty much lives on my camera is the Sony 50mm f/1.4 GM. But occasionally, when I might need a bit more options, I swap out for the Sony 24-50 f/2.8 G lens. I have found a real preference in shooting at a normal focal range with smaller lighter lenses. When I have a big backpack and need a big hike for top quality landscape photography, though, the two lenses I can’t live without are:

• The Sony 24-70 f/2.8 GM II is incredibly sharp and versatile. Covering the wide end all the way to a slightly tighter field of view, this is the lens (or similar) everyone should start with.

• I also invested in a Sony 100-400 f4.5-5.6 GM since long lens photography is great for minimal landscapes, and with the 400mm reach and the Sony A7RV’s crop mode, I can even photograph some wildlife.

Fujifilm X100VI - Yes, I am one of the lucky ones who got one early on. I purchased one within a few hours of its preorder announcement, and it still took over 6 months to arrive. This is a near ideal camera for travel (if only it was weather sealed). It is my fun camera that I’ve kept specifically to renew the joy of the process and give me that “filmic” experience.

Analog Photography

My journey into analog photography began in 2022 when I made the new years resolution to spend the entire year shooting primarily film. Today, I would say I am a 50% digital 50% film photographer. If I had unlimited funds and unlimited time, I would continue shooting primarily film, but because I run a YouTube channel and have an unreliable income, I need a faster turnaround and a cheaper approach when creating tutorial-style content. These are the four primary cameras I use for film photography:

1. Minolta CLE (35mm Format) with a Voigtlander 40mm f/1.4

2. Mamiya RZ 67 Pro II (Medium Format) with a 250mm f/4.5 and a 75mm SB f/4.5 with a shift/tilt adapter

3. Chamonix 45F-2 view camera (Large Format) with a Fujinon 180mm f/5.6

Along with those 4 that are used more often, I also have a collection of other film cameras like a Canon AE-1 Program, Minolta SRT 202, and a Pentax 6x7. Accessories include cable shutter release, dark cloth, Da-Yi 6x12 adapter, etc. But one of the most valuable pieces of kit I have in my Analog Photography arsenal is my Pentax Digital Spotmeter (the one Nick Carver uses). This lightmeter is integral to my manual metering approach. I like it so much better than any app or chart that I’ve tested.