Photography has become a huge part of our blog and social media. Both Eben and I are completely self-taught and don’t consider ourselves to be professionals by any means, but we both still really enjoy playing around with our cameras to get the best out of our pictures.

Having good cameras will help create good photography/videography. And as time goes by, and you play around with your gear, your eye for photography will also improve. Having the right “tools” for it makes the process, and the result, that much more enjoyable.

Let’s start by saying that the way you travel will influence the type of camera gear you lean towards. Take us for example, when we go out we have two kids to drag around, a huge purse full of snacks, water bottles, and whatever else I think we will need for a day off the boat; if we can avoid it we don’t want to add too much more weight and size to this scenario with excessive camera gear.

Here Is The Best Photography Gear For Us

 

Nikon D750 24.3 MP Digital SLR Camera

Last year we decided to invest a good chunk of money into buying ourselves a nice camera. We often refer to it as our third child. After spending many hours at a camera store Eben decided that the Nikon D750 would best suit our needs. It is a full-frame DSLR camera. It packs a 24-megapixel sensor with 1080p video capability (making it awesome for both pictures and videos).

– – LENSES – –

With Nikon D750 we also got ourselves two lenses:

Nikon Nikkor AF‑S Zoom Lens for Nikon F ‑ 24mm‑120mm

The 24-120mm is our go-to lens for our “everywhere shots”. I use it 95% of the time. The lens is not too long, bulky, or heavy, and is the best for our all-around usage.

Nikon Nikkor Wide‑Angle Zoom Lens F – 18mm-35mm

The 18-35mm for some wide angle shots. This lens is great for taking landscape shots or for indoor shots in small spaces (think inside a sailboat!). I always use this lens when I am trying to convey the space inside our boat, or the grandeur of our tropical surroundings.

– – DSLR CAMERA ACCESSORIES – –

 

I’ve got a DSLR hiding in that fancy purse.

 

 

Lowepro 16L Hatchback

If you bump into me, anywhere, you have a 90% chance of seeing me with a backpack on. It’s not just any backpack, it is our Lowepro 16L hatchback pack. This is the home for our cameras.

One major key to having great pictures is by capturing the real moments as they happen, and the only way to be able to really do that is by having your camera with you at all times. The 16L hatchback works great for us because it has enough space to safely carry our Nikon D750 and both lenses, and has an upper pocket big enough for wallets, kids snacks, sunglasses, etc.

 

Lo & Sons Claremont

For the days when I don’t feel like wearing a backpack or need to look a little dressier than a backpack can allow, I have my Lo & Sons purse. It’s the perfect combination of purse and camera bag and can serve as both, together or separately. I love the classy look of it, the simplicity, and the style and versatility it gives me. It also does a great job of concealing the fact that my purse may contain a very expensive camera in it, perfect for travelling around.

Joby Gorillapod (tripod)

When I want to take a steady shot or be able to be in the picture myself, we got the Gorilla Pod. This tripod is hefty enough to handle our DSLR and bends, wraps, and flexes into any position we want. It is just the right size to fit in the side pocket of our (above mentioned) Lowepro camera bag.

Little Pieces

Floating in our camera bags we also have a few extra little pieces for the DSLR, such as an extra battery, a second sim card, and a couple silica pouches to help keep the ocean moisture out of our gear.

CAMERA IN MY BACK POCKET

 

Iphone 6s+

For the camera that we can take anywhere without having to carry a bag around, I have an unlocked iPhone 6s+. Duel purpose, it serves as a phone and a camera! It can take that quick shot of the unexpected moment.

The camera and picture quality from this phone is impressive. Add to that the fact that I can edit and upload them, all from the same device, makes it pretty ideal for our travel needs.

 

– – IPHONE ACCESSORIES – –

 

 

LifeProof NUUD 6s plus case

We have a life proof case on the iPhone in the event it gets water splashed on it, and although it is supposed to be completely watertight and could serve for underwater photography, I am not willing to test it out and risk drowning our phone. It does give me that extra comfort, and also renders my phone somewhat kid-proof.

 

 

Joby GripTight Micro Gorillapod

This tripod is the size of my hand but gives us endless mounting possibilities for the iPhone. The pod can wrap, twist, and hang off of pretty much anything. It comes with the added bonus of having super-strong magnetic feet to keep it stuck on pretty much any metal surface.

– – Iphone Editing APP – –

Snapseed Photo Editing App

If you don’t already have this (FREE!!!!) app on your phone, get it! This is an all-around app for editing and retouching photos. It is all I use and I love it.

FOR THE ADVENTURE AND UNDERWATER PHOTOGRAPHY

 

 

 

 

GoPro

Capturing those moments of the girls splashing around and showing off their amazing snorkeling skills is essential to us. We also like to take pics of all that underwater life, and for this, we use our GoPros in their watertight housing.

We have two (the 3 and 3+) and although both are outdated they serve their purpose well. We are very happy with the quality of pictures that we get from them and their versatility. Our cameras don’t have the LCD screen on the back so I often feel like I am shooting blindly, and only getting the shot a quarter of the time, but I am slowly getting better.

– – GOPRO ACCESSORIES – –

GoPro Mounts

GoPro has every mount/attachment thought to man, so it can be slightly overwhelming, but they’re guaranteed to have something for everyone. We have the head strap mount, the floating handle, a swivel mount, and a stationary mount so that we can use this camera in and out of the water on all of our adventures.

Split Dome

These domes are an attachment for the GoPro camera that allows you to move the water away from the lens, helping you capture those fun half and half pictures, showing off what’s going on both above and below the waterline. Their gadget makes your images sharper and cleaner, it increases the field of view and decreases underwater magnification.

 

FOR THOSE AERIAL SHOTS

 

 

 

Splash Drone

Getting those shots of our boat or property from high above, we have the Splash Drone. It is a fully waterproof drone that is able to launch and land on water. This seemed ideal for us given that we live on a sailboat.

Eben filmed some great tutorials teaching how to use it in case you are in the market.

The drone has a watertight casing that fits the GoPro 3 and newer. If you can handle lugging this thing around the footage you can get from above is quite fun.

That’s our whole kit and caboodle. With this gear, we manage to capture our everyday lives and share it with you online. We totally recommend all of the above gear (although you may want to get the newer versions of some of them), and find that we are extremely happy with what we have.

If you don’t want to miss out on any of our pictures make sure to follow our instagram, facebook page, and join our mailing list here. This way our every shot will land on your screen.