I am a strong believer in the fact that knowing your equipment well will help you get the shot you are looking for and help communicate it in the way intended. The contents of your images are dependent on the contents of your bag and how you use it. I cannot tell you what lenses you need to buy but I can share with you what is in my bags any why to give you a starting point on how you can share your photographic vision.

Due to the varied nature of my work I do have a lot of gear. It doesn’t all come with me on each trip but the selection is tailored to the situation at hand. Having the minimum equipment to get the job done leaves me more time to concentrate on the artistic value of my images rather than sweating over the equipment choices and sweating under the load of excess gear.

Part of what drives me photographically is to improve. I am constantly adding to and updating the equipment in my chest to try and improve on my existing images and capture what has not been captured before. I feel that it is vitally important to use all the tools available, whether camera or computer, to get the job done. Some of these tools work some don’t but we do have to try them to find out.

Below you will find a list of the various bags and what gets packed inside. These bags are packed for the majority of projects but the contents do change for the task at hand.

Think Tank Photo Airport Security
This is the bag that I use most at the moment. This is because I am using the 600mm  with the D3’s FX sized sensor. This is the bag that is used for the majority of wildlife projects with the 600 sometimes swapped out for the 200-400 and the 70-200 swapped for the 200 micro.

• Nikon D3 x2
• Nikon 600mm f4 or Nikon 200-400 f4
• Nikon 70-200mm f2.8 or 200mm f4 micro
• Nikon 24-70mm f2.8
• Nikon 14-24mm f2.8
• Nikon 24mm PC-E
• Nikon TC-17e
  
• Kenko Extension Tubes
  
• Nikon SB-800 x2
  
• Nikon SU-800 commander unit
  
• Nikon SC flash cables
  
• Nikon SD-8a
  
• Nikon MC-36
  
• Nikon Polarizer
  
• Lee Graduated NDs
  
• Canon 500D close up filter
  
• RRS and Wimberley plates on all cameras and lenses
  
• RSS Nodal Plate

The Airport Security is occasionally swapped for a Lowe Pro Photo Trekker II when I will have to carry my gear over rough ground making a backpack necessary.

Lowe Pro Vertex 200
Whenever I do not need the 600 I prefer to use the Vertex 200 from Lowe Pro. Large enough to store all the gear needed for a day out in the field shooting macros and landscapes it is one of the most comfortable packs around.

• Nikon D3
  
• Nikon 200mm Micro or 70-200 f2.8
  
• Nikon 24-70mm f2.8
  
• Nikon 14-24 f2.8
  
• Nikon 24mm PC-E
  
• Nikon TC-17e
  
• Nikon SB-800 x2
  
• Nikon SU-800 commander unit
  
• Nikon SC flash cables
  
• Nikon MC-36
  
• Nikon Polarizer
  
• Lee Graduated NDs
  
• Canon 500D close up filter
  
• RRS and Wimberley plates on all cameras and lenses
  
• RSS Nodal Plate

Orion AW II
When shooting adventure sport you need to be light, move fast and have quick access to your gear. The Orion AW II is great for this having enough room for the essentials (just) and easy to get at whether you are running to keep up with the action or hanging from a rope. Inside you will find...

• Nikon D3
  
• Nikon 70-200 f2.8
  
• Nikon 24-70mm f2.8
  
• Nikon 14-24 f2.8
  
• Nikon TC-17e
  
• Nikon SB-800 x2
  
• Nikon SU-800 commander unit
  
• Nikon SC flash cables
  
• Nikon MC-36
  
• Nikon Polarizer
  
• RRS and Wimberley plates on all cameras and lenses