Field-tested gear


Gear I Use & Trust in the Field



I’m intentional about the gear I carry. Everything I recommend here is equipment I personally use or have spent significant time with in real-world conditions — from client work to long days outdoors. Reliability matters more to me than specs or hype.


This page is intended to explain a little bit about how and why I choose the specific gear that I do. Each section has a dedicated link to gear lists on B&H Photo's website. These links are affiliate links, so if you purchase anything using them it helps to support my work without costing you anything extra.

Camera Bodies & Lenses

I started shooting on Nikon when I was 13 years old. Other than a few years with Fujifilm during the early mirrorless transition, I’ve relied on Nikon systems for most of the past two decades. Today, I shoot Nikon for the same reasons I always have: excellent ergonomics, rugged build quality, and dependable performance. These are tools that hold up in real-world conditions and stay out of the way when it matters. Modern Nikon cameras and lenses also deliver outstanding image quality across the board. At this point, most systems are capable — what separates them is how they handle in the field and whether you trust them when conditions aren’t ideal.


→ View my current Nikon gear on B&H

Camera Bags & Carry Systems

I’m a bit of a camera bag nerd. Over the years, I’ve learned that how you carry and protect your gear matters just as much as the gear itself. Different shoots, environments, and travel scenarios demand different solutions — and there’s no single bag or carry system that does it all. I rotate between camera bags, hard cases, straps, and body-mounted carry systems depending on what I’m doing. Comfort, access, and durability are non-negotiable, especially during long days in the field or when working in rough conditions.


There are a few brands I’ve come to trust almost without question — Think Tank, BlackRapid, Cotton Carrier, and Peak Design stand out for consistently well-designed, durable gear that holds up over time. I do use products from other companies when they make sense, but those brands remain my go-to choices.


→ View my current bags & carry gear on B&H

Tripods & Support

Support gear is one of those things you don’t think much about — until it fails. Early on, I went through plenty of inexpensive tripods and heads, and they all eventually broke, loosened up, or became frustrating to use. Over time, that taught me a simple lesson: buy once, cry once is usually cheaper in the long run. Today, I treat tripods and support gear as foundational tools, not accessories. Stability, reliability, and ease of use matter far more to me than shaving a few ounces or chasing clever features. Good support gear tends to last virtually forever, and it quietly does its job without drawing attention to itself.


I use different support setups depending on the work — lighter options for travel and hiking, heavier systems for long lenses and wildlife, and specialized support when stability is critical. I keep the tripods, heads, and support tools I’m currently using listed on my B&H gear page so the list stays accurate as my needs evolve.


→ View my current Tripods & support gear on B&H

Video & Audio

While photography is my primary focus, I also create YouTube videos and occasional short filmmaking projects. Video and audio are one area where I’m intentionally not a gear nerd — I just want equipment that does what I ask, works reliably, and doesn’t add unnecessary complexity to the process. I prioritize clean audio, simple lighting, and straightforward video setups that are quick to deploy and easy to trust over long sessions. If a piece of gear requires constant tweaking or troubleshooting, it usually doesn’t last long in my kit.


→ View my current Video & audio gear on B&H

Lighting Gear

Lighting is one area where I’ve become much more pragmatic over time. Whether I’m using flash for still photography or continuous lighting for video, I care most about consistency, reliability, and ease of use — not prestige branding. I don’t automatically reach for the most expensive options here. In today’s market, value-focused brands like Godox and GVM offer excellent performance at a fraction of the cost, and I’ve yet to have any issues with their build quality or reliability. Gone are the days when off-brand flashes felt like a major compromise — early options like Yongnuo circa 2010 come to mind — but that gap has largely closed.


One small exception worth mentioning: I rely heavily on the Andoer W140 mini LED panels for product shots and accent lighting. B&H doesn’t currently stock them, but I own six and use them constantly. They’re simple, inexpensive, and incredibly useful for small lighting tasks. Search for them on Amazon and thank me later.


Everything else I’m currently using for flash, video lighting, and modifiers is kept on my B&H gear list so it stays accurate as my needs evolve.


→ View my current lighting gear on B&H

Power & Storage

Power and storage are areas where reliability matters more than anything else. I run a mix of OEM Nikon batteries and third-party batteries from brands I trust, and I’ve had good experiences with both. Over time, I’ve learned to avoid the cheapest options — some budget batteries I tried early on caused occasional issues, and it’s simply not worth the risk. For larger power needs in the field, I rely on Jackery power stations. I’ve owned and used several over the years, and they’ve proven to be dependable solutions for keeping cameras, laptops, and accessories running during extended shoots away from outlets.


When it comes to storage, I don’t experiment. I use SanDisk Extreme Pro cards exclusively — both CFexpress Type B and SD. I’ve never had a genuine SanDisk card corrupt, and I always buy the fastest cards I can reasonably afford so storage never becomes a bottleneck for camera performance. For editing and backups in the field, I use Samsung T7 SSDs with my MacBook Pro. They’re fast, compact, and reliable, which makes them easy to trust when working away from home.


The power solutions and storage gear I’m currently using and recommending are listed on my B&H gear page so everything stays current as my workflow evolves.



→ View my current lighting gear on B&H
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    Some links on this page are affiliate links. If you choose to purchase through them, it helps support my work at no additional cost to you.