Equipment

For stills capture…

…I have been using Canon equipment since 1987. My current kit for terrestrial photography consists of EOS 1Ds, EOS 1Ds MkII, EOS 1Ds MkIII and EOS 5DmkII and EOS 7D bodies, EF 14mm f2.8L, EF 16-35mm f2.8L, EF50mm f1.8, EF 100mm f2.8L macro, EF70-200mmf2.8L, EF100-400mm f4.5-5.6L IS, EF300mm f2.8L, 1.4x and 2x converters, extension tube 25, EX550 and EX580II strobes. I find the Canon cameras’ controls to be laid out conveniently and find I can use them intuitively, ensuring I can concentrate fully on my subject.

For video…

…I am using the EOS 5Dmkii and 7D for video work in resolutions up to Full HD1080p, both above and below water.

Underwater

Having taken my first underwater photographs on a Nikonos III and then moving on to Nikonos V, I then moved into a housed system, a Canon EOS 50 housed in a Subal CE50 alloy housing, and Nikonos SB105 Strobes. I migrated to digital capture underwater in 2006 choosing a Nikon D200 in a SEACAM housing. My current kit houses my preferred Canon camera systems and includes Aquatica housings for the 5DmkII and 7D, using Seacam Superdomes. When I need artificial light underwater I choose either 2x Inon Z240 strobes, or a single Seaflash 250 and Inon 550W LED lights for video.

Some legacies…

I have quite a few landscape images in my collection shot on a Bronica ETR-s medium format camera with 40,50, 75 and 150mm lenses. In early 2003 I purchased Ebony SW45 non-folding field camera, hand-built in Japan from ebony timber and titanium. It is a beautiful camera. I shot mostly 6×12′s on a horseman roll film holder, with the following lenses: Schneider Super-Angulon f5.6/58 XL, Rodenstock Grandagon 5.6/80, Schneider Symmar-S 5.6/180. The Ebony was light, simple, quick: a joy to shoot with. Alas the Ebony had to be retired to make way for more digital bodies in 2008.

My preference has been for Fuji tranny films, and most of my B.D. (Before Digital) collection is on Velvia, Provia and Astia.

I have an Imacon Precision II scanner for high quality 35mm/medium format/6x12cm/5×4″ film scans, and a Nikon Super Coolscan 5000 and 50-slide feeder for bulk 35mm scanning. A G4 Dual processor 1.25ghz with 2GB RAM runs the scanners and is my design workstation.

Once captured…

…I really enjoy the creativity afforded by digital capture. I always capture in RAW format, mostly converted with Adobe Camera Raw through Adobe Bridge. At times I employ the Canon proprietry RAW converter and find it to be an excellent source of quality files, but clunky and unproductive.

I’m now running a 15″ MacBook Pro w/2.4GHz Intel Core 2 Duo processor / 4GB RAM / 160GB 5200rpm HDD as my imaging workstation both in the office (connected to a 24″ monitor) and in the field.

Moving all this stuff around

I use various Lowepro backpacks and bum bags to shoot from, and Lowepro and Pelican Products hard cases for transporting gear. I still shoot from a cordura Lowepro bum-bag that I purchased in the early 80′s. It was bullet-proof. My prize for winning the 2007, 2009 and 2010 Canon Australian Science, Environment and Nature Photographer of the Year awards were new kits of Lowepro bags that are suitable for both the digital age and the rigours of outdoor photography.