I was proud to become a NiSi Global Ambassador in 2015 after using just about all other filter systems available. After discovering the brand, they discovered me and after a year I became a Reseller. Of course I am biased, but I have tried everything, and the NiSi glass filters win for me on quality.

I list the filters I use most, a Medium as my ‘Go-To” filter, Soft for scenes dominated by for example mountains, and Reverse for sunsets. ND’s are very useful for slowing the shutter and the NiSi ND’s are completely neutral. Please feel free to browse the shop or contact me.

I use what I consider the best for stability and quality, Gitzo and Benro. Good stability is critical and is far more important than how compact or light a tripod is; if it’s unstable in wind or vibrates in moving water it was a waste of time.

Gitzo produce incredible quality but at a price. The Systematic I find is such a work horse and gives ultimate stability, and no centre column means I can get very low. Fully extended it gives me a huge span in really awkward locations. And the Gitzo Ball Heads are incredibly well engineered.

The Gitzo Mountaineer I find is the best tripod I have ever had when I want to reduce size and weight. Being carbon there are others that are lighter, but compared to others the same size it is completely rigid.

The Benro Mach3 38c is becoming my main tripod. Lighter than the Systematic, very well built and very strong, it is a pleasure to use. The G2 ball head is second only to the Gitzo, and is so well engineered.  I also use the Benro Geared head which allows greater precision when small adjustments are needed.

Also I find essential are L Brackets, which allow a quick change of orientation from landscape to portrait without changing the composition too much. For Olympus I use a really Right Stuff bracket, and Nikon a Smallrig bracket.

K & F HORIZONTAL TRIPOD

This is a great tripod I have been using for macro fungi images. Crawling around on my knees getting frustrated at not being able to get low enough is a thing of the past now using this tripod. It has the ability to get low by using the horizontal arm concealed inside the centre column, and because it doesn’t rely on the legs being splayed out flat like other tripods it isn’t affected by uneven ground.

See more about this tripod on the K & F Page and on my Blog Post.

NiSi Macro Rail

Another useful accessory for macro photography I use is the NiSi Macro Rail. Paired with my K & F Tripod it is invaluable for making those extremely fine adjustments to focus. More details here.

I have a bag issue, I can never have enough. With 10, these are the very best three I use the most.

f-stop are tough, very well made and very versatile. A slide in ICU storage section makes flexibility possible when used with different ICU’s such a large, or medium. They are great for when extra space is needed for long trips, such as an extra jacket or fleece.

Updated in 2022 with a new Magma Red colour, it looks great and has been updated with even more new features, metal buckles, improved side pockets and new pockets on the inside back panel. 

Workshop attendees can benefit from a 15% discount on f-stop gear.

The Vanguard is a good shoulder bag, more secure than others, and very well made. a ‘messenger’ style bag, it offers better protection than others. A shoulder bag is very useful to put just a body and lens in, or when I know I will be standing in water a lot and access to a backpack will be tricky.

Included here simply because I am asked so often what gear I use, not just my processing technique.

The Eizo ColourEdge monitors are stunning. Very dated design perhaps, but the matt screens are perfectly calibrated straight out of the box, and the depth of tones and contrast is the best I have seen on a monitor.

Hooked up to the Eizo I use a MacBook Pro. I’m a Mac fan after having two Sony Vio’s die in three years. It gives me the flexibility to be portable and enough power to run editing software without issues.

Processing Software – Lightroom for global raw processing and Photoshop for finishing / local Edits. I have tried all the others (C1, DXO etc etc), but I end up back with LR.

I cut my teeth on film SLR cameras and was the proud owner of Olympus OM10, OM40 and Minolta x700 SLR’s. Back then it was all black and white film, I could not afford colour.

With the advent of digital my first Digital SLR was a Canon 300D, followed by a 350, and then 400D. Then the world of Full Frame with the 5D range and L lenses.

Durst Enlarger? I would develop my own film and process all my own images, conveying my bedroom into a darkroom. The smell of developer never leaves you.