Equipment & Techniques

I thought you may find it interesting to see what photographic equipment I use. I will elaborate on shooting techniques and post processing workflow on a different page in the near future.

Cameras:

In 2024 I change to a mirrorless Canon EOS R6 Mark II Body which is a full frame hydrid body with excellent video capabilities. I recently sold my DSLR Canon 5D Mark III and purchased a mint condition Canon EOS R7 with a crop sensor as my backup camera. It’ll be great for the extra 1.4x reach for wildlife photography.

Lenses:

Canon wide angle 16-35mm f/4 L is my favourite seascape lens, Canon RF 24-105mm Lens f/4 L IS USM for woodlands and walkabouts, Canon RF 100-400mm F5.6-8 IS USM for wildlife and landscape photography. Canon EF 100mm f/2.8 IS USM Macro insects, butterflies, fungi and flower photography. Samyang 14mm f/2.8 for night photography. I have to use the Canon Mount Adapter EF-EOS R to attach EF lenses to the Canon R6 Mark II body.

Tripod :

Tripod Leofoto Carbon Fibre Ranger LS-364C with a Manfrotto ball head xpro and Manfrotto carbon fibre monopod.

Filters :

MAVEN Colour Coded Magnetic Circular Filters (Kictstarter 2022 Wave 1)
Includes a 82mm Set – 82mm adaptor ring, flash guard, CPL, 3 stop, 6 stop, 10 stop, front caps, 77-82mm Step-up ring.

MAVEN Colour Coded Magnetic Circular Filters (Kictstarter 2023 Wave 2)
82mm Linear Polariser (LPL)
82mm Dark CPL (3 stop)
82mm Dark CPL (6 stop)
82mm Neutral Density (4 stop)
82mm Front Cap Version 2.0
82mm Back Cap Wave 1
82mm Adaptor
Quick Case V2
67-82mm Step up Ring

Kase Black Mist ¼ 82mm magnetic filter.

*I still have the Lee Filters 100mm system

I always shoot in RAW with both my main cameras having dual slots for compact flash and SSD so I have two raw copies after a shoot. You never know when a card may corrupt just after you’ve taken the ‘shot of the month’ speaking from experience.

Image Post Processing:

Adobe Bridge and Photoshop which is great for dealing with the Canon RAW (.CR2, .CR3) files. I’m always learning the capabilities of Photoshop which is helping me become more creative. I find plug-in software can make all the difference to an image. Topaz AI is fantastic for noise reduction and sharpness particularly for single bird photographs. Nik Color Efex Pro 4 and Nik Silver Efex Pro 2 are extremely useful.

So, this is a brief description of how I capture what I see in all weather conditions. I’m continuously experiment with shutter speeds using ND filters to capture movement whether it’s water, clouds or swaying barley in the wind.  When I’m in the mood I’ll select and rate my favourite raw files and start editing to create a final image keeping it as natural as possible.

For more information on my camera gear and techniques I use please email me at chris@scoopsimages.co.uk  You may find something useful and interesting in my replies. I’m always pleased to talk about photography and be inspired by fellow landscape and wildlife photography enthusiasts. Please see the Contact tab for more details including links to my work on social media sites.