My Camera Gear
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• How do you film your content?
• What camera settings do you use?
Insta360 GO 3S I use an Insta360 GO3 and the updated Insta360 GO3S to record ALL of the interactions you see. All the mounts and accessories you need come in the box. Camera Check Price →
Sony A7CII This is my main photography camera that I use 90% of the time. It's small, light, fast, works great in low-light and has incredible autofocus. Camera Check Price →
Sony A74 This is my secondary camera that I use if I need to have two bodies on me. It's functionally the same as the A7CII, just a bit bigger/heavier. Camera Check Price →
Sony 85mm 1.8 This is my favourite lens for portraits and I use it every day. It produces a beautiful blurred background, soft highlights and is relatively affordable. Lens Check Price →
Sony 35mm 1.4 GM This is my second favourite lens for portraits. It excels in environmental portraits, where you can see where the subject is while still getting some background separation. Lens Check Price →
Sony 24mm 1.4 GM This is a fantastic lens for pets & animals. It's great for environmental portraits, and you can get close to your subject but still be able to blur the background. Lens Check Price →
Viltrox 135mm 1.8 LAB This is a fantastic portrait lens if you want to completely blur out the background and keep the focus on the subject. It produces the most beautiful bokeh I've ever seen. Lens Check Price →
Samyang 45mm 1.8 This is the best budget lens for Sony. The 45mm focal length is great for both people & pets, and the 1.8 aperture produces a beautiful blurred background. Lens Check Price →
Meta Rayban Smartglasses I used these for some of my interactions in Hawaii. They're handy for capturing interactions because you always have a camera on your face. Camera Check Price →
DJI Osmo Pocket 3 I used this for capturing behind-the-scenes and daily updates during my Japan trip. The camera locks on to your face, making it super easy to record yourself. Camera Check Price →
Instax Camera & Printer This is a nifty digital camera & printer combo that allows you to snap a photo and print it right away. Accessory Check Price →
Canon Ivy Printer This is a portable battery powered printer that allows you to print photos directly from your phone. Accessory Check Price →
Tiffen Glimmerglass 1.0 I use this filter for every single portrait photoshoot. This diffusion filter blooms the highlights and makes skin look soft and beautiful. Accessories Check Price →
Shortstache Everyday This diffusion filter has a mist + CPL combination filter built-in. It's great when you want to get rid of reflections but still bloom the highlights. Accessories Check Price →
Sony TOUGH SD Cards These SD cards are super fast, which helps when burst shooting photos. Accessories Check Price →
Crucial X9 Pro 4TB SSD I edit all of my photos & videos using this tiny, super fast SSD. Accessories Check Price →
DJI Wireless Mic 2 I use this microphone as backup audio (if I'm in a really windy or noisy environment). Audio Check Price →
Peak Design Leash My favourite camera strap now comes in a beautiful sage green colourway. Accessories Check Price →
Peak Design Cuff Strap This matches the 'Leash' strap. This wrist strap never leaves my camera. Accessories Check Price →
Peak Design Pro Pad Easily mount your camera to your belt for quick and easy access. Accessories Check Price →
F38 Backpack Clip I combine this with the Peak Design Pro Pad for a fast, secure attachment. Accessories Check Price →
Shoulder Strap Mount I combine this with the Peak Design Leash for fast & secure mounting. Accessories Check Price →
How do you Film your Content?
Every stranger portrait interaction that you see me post is filmed using the Insta360 GO3 or Insta360 GO3S. This is the best camera that I’ve found for filming this type of content.
It’s incredibly small, lightweight, easy to use, has great video & audio quality - plus it’s super low-profile (so people don’t see the camera until I point it out to them).
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When you buy the Insta360 GO3S it comes with a clipand magnetic pendantin the box. I use both of these mounts (depending on what I’m wearing), but I find I use the magnetic pendant more.
You get everything you need in the box, and don’t have to worry about buying expensive accessories.
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Insta360 GO3S is the new version, which shoots in 4k and has improved battery life. It works great mounted horizontally or vertically.
Insta360 GO3 is the older version. It doesn’t shoot in 4k, but it’s easier to export the footage in vertical or horizontal afterwards.
I personally find myself using the Insta360 GO3 more than the GO3S, but both are phenomenal cameras and will allow you to capture the BTS quickly and easily..
Note: I don’t think you can buy the original Insta360 GO3 anymore.
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Mode: FreeFrame Video
Resolution: 1440p/30 or 4k/30
Profile: Vivid
Metering: Face
WB: Auto
FOV: Linear
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I use the built-in audio from the Insta360 GO3 95% of the time. I find the microphones are really good at picking up voices and minimizing background noise.
Occasionally, if I’m in a super noisy environment (or it’s a really windy day), I’ll use the DJI Mic 2 as a backup audio recorder. The DJI Mic 2 has 32-bit Float which makes the audio files easier to work with.
However there’s no way to sync the microphone with the camera, so you have to sync the files in post (which is annoying).
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Because I wanted the smallest, lightest and most simple setup possible.
With a phone or GoPro, you need to carry around a bulky chest mount - and everyone can see the camera hanging off your body.
The Insta360 GO3S is also the easiest to use. It has one button to start/stop recording. You don’t have to mess with a bunch of settings, or colour grade your footage.
What camera settings do you use?
This is difficult to answer, because I change my settings on the fly depending on the situation that I’m in. But generally, these are the settings I use 95% of the time.
Focus: Wide Area - then use ‘Human’ or ‘Pet’ for subject tracking.
White Balance: Either leave it on Auto, or manually set it if it’s a demanding scene.
Shutter Speed: Minimum 1/160 for humans, 1/200 - 1/1000 for animals.
F-Stop: For portraits I mostly shoot wide open at f1.4 or f1.8. If there are multiple subjects in the frame, then I adjust this to f2.8-4.5. I’ll also use a higher f-stop like f8 if I’m trying to include more of the surroundings in the photo.
ISO: Auto (Sony has incredible low-light capabilities, plus the grain from Sony cameras is easy to fix in Lightroom - so I never worry about the ISO being too high).
EV Compensation: I use the EV compensation dial to make the image brighter or darker. I typically leave this at -0.3 to slightly underexpose the image.
Drive Mode: Continuous Shooting: Mid - I like to take a LOT of photos, then choose the best ones in post. I get a lot of flack sometimes from other photographers, but this is the best way by far to capture unexpected candid moments (like laughs, giggles and micro-expressions).
What camera bags do you use?
Everyone has a bad habit - and mine is buying backpacks and camera bags. I’ve tested countless bags over the last 3 years, and so far, these are my all-time favourites.
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Peter McKinnon Nomatic Luma 18L- This is the best all-around camera backpack that I’ve found. It’s sleek, offers a ton of storage, looks great and is comfortable. Plus it’s great for everyday carry & travel as it has a luggage pass-through on the back.
Lowepro Lite BP 150- This is one of my all-time favourite camera bags. It offers a lot storage in a small package. These can be harder to find, but in my opinion it’s one of the best camera bags I’ve ever used.
Moment Everything 21L - This is a lightweight bag that doesn’t scream “expensive camera backpack”. When you pair it with the 4L Camera Insert it becomes a great, minimal EDC & camera bag.
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Bellroy Transit Workpack Pro 22L - This is probably my favourite bag of all-time. It has fantastic internal storage, super comfortable back & strap padding, and a huge tech organizer area. It’s the perfect bag for going to a cafe to get some work done.
Moment Everything 21L - This is a lightweight bag that doesn’t scream “expensive backpack”. When you pair it with the 4L Camera Insert it becomes a great, minimal EDC & camera bag.
Aer Go Pack 2 - A sleek, lightweight packable day pack that packs down to basically nothing. I love the small footprint and exterior materials of this bag.
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Moment Everything Sling 4L - This is my new favourite camera sling. It’s small, lightweight and looks great. It easily fits my camera, extra lens, Insta360 cameras and iPad mini.
K&F Concept Sling Bag - This is a fantastic sling that’s also super affordable. It can fit a ton of gear & accessories, including two full-size cameras with lenses attached.
Bellroy Venture Sling10L- This is one of my most used camera slings. It’s low-profile, made of great materials and easily fits a camera body, 2 lenses and my Insta360 cameras.
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Bellroy Lite Travel Pack 30L - This is a fantastic personal item bag when flying with carry-on only. It’s extremely lightweight and packs like a suitcase with different zippable areas. Plus it has a padded laptop slot so you can get work done on the plane.
Moment Everything Travel Pack 28L - This is my favourite bag when travelling with a bunch of camera gear, as you can pair it with the 4L or the 8L camera cube inserts and bring a ton of gear (plus clothes & toiletries).
Aer City Pack Pro Ultra - This is a premium bag that is fantastic for travel. It’s extremely comfortable and because it has a roomy interior, you can pack a ton into it.
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Bellroy Venture Pouch - This is my favourite mini-organizer for EDC and tech essentials (like airpods, chargers, etc.). As a bonus, it has strap loops so you can turn it into a tiny camera bag, which is great for something like the Ricoh GRIIIx.
Bellroy Lite Pouch Duo - I use the small pouch to store my DJI Pocket 3, batteries, tripod & accessories. And I use the larger pouch to store all my cables & larger accessories.
Moment Everything Tech Organizer - This is what I use to pack my tech accessories when travelling (chargers, batteries, cables, etc.).
How do you edit your photos?
If you’re new to photography, you might think that all you need to to take great photos is buy the right camera gear. Unfortunately, gear is only half the story.
The reason my images look sharp, vibrant and filmic is because of how I edit them. In my opinion, editing is one of the most important parts of the whole process. After I take the photos, I import them into Lightroom and apply my signature presets.
A preset is like a “filter” that gives your images a signature look. My presets speed up my workflow by about ~80%, so all I have to do is make small tweaks to the exposure, contrast, etc.
These presets took years to develop, but you can get the same look in seconds.
