What's in your Camera Bag, Film, Digital or both?

My go-to camera body is the Sony a7R V full-frame mirrorless camera, a photography beast with 61 megapixels, top-of-the-line stabilization, and an autofocus system that rivals no one. I am a hybrid shooter, which means I often switch between shooting photos and videos all the time as I create travel content for my travel blogs.

The Sony a7R V does it all and does it exceptionally well on both the photo and video fronts with its 4K 60p capability and the fact that I can crop my photos pretty heavily and still maintain its crisp sharpness. Because of this, I now carry only 2 lenses with me instead of 3 as I can use the camera's APS-C mode to zoom in further. 

Speaking of lenses, I always carry the Sony 16-35mm F2.8 GM II lens and the Sony 70-200 F2.8 GM II lens with me wherever I go. I used to carry a 24-70mm lens but with the Sony a7R V, I decided to leave that lens at home most of the time and crop the 35mm of my 16-35mm to get the missing 50mm. I found the 16-35mm range is perfect for most travel applications I do and whenever I need to zoom in further for wildlife or events where I can not zoom with my feet, I'll just use my Sony 70-200mm lens. 

I also carry the DJI Mini 2 to shoot aerial shots, although I do not take the drone with me on every trip as flying a drone can be a bit risky in many countries with strict rules and I prefer not to attract too much attention when I am abroad. 

Another camera I just got recently is the DJI Pocket 3 and I am currently using it to capture b-rolls, timelapse, hyper lapse, or any moving shot, thanks to its incredible gimbal. 

As a solo traveler, I also carry a lightweight carbon fiber tripod (Sirui Traveler 5C) and a Bluetooth remote control so that I can use them to capture photos of myself when I am out and about. One of my favorite photos to take of myself is when I go out hiking and I want to capture the landscape with me in it. With my yellow jacket creating a perfect contrast from the landscape around me, and my lovely Langly Alpha Globetrotter backpack, I like to just stand with my face facing away and snap the photo. I have done this in so many places around the world, it is almost like a signature shot for me. 

 So the tripod and the remote are essential to my photography style. Other than that, I always carry an air blower, a cleaning cloth, and a cleaning solution in case I need my camera sensor clean in the field.

What’s your most memorable photo?

I often shoot just for my travel blog, but the most memorable shooting experiences are often the ones I didn't expect.  Like arriving in a place and realizing that there is an event going on. For example, when I landed in Bhutan, I knew that there were festivals happening but I didn't not what it was about and how it would turn out and I had a blast, shooting whatever random things that happen in front of me.  For me, when I see people having fun and enjoying themselves is just the best. It makes me happy snapping photos of people being happy. That's what I live for!

Have you got any exciting projects coming up?

I have no future project at the moment as I just got back from a big one month trip traveling around Sumatra and I often plan my project month-to-month. That said, I just got back from a once-in-a-lifetime experience, living in the jungles of West Sumatra with the Mentawai tribe and I am pretty excited to see all the photos and videos I took from there. It was an incredible experience as we lived with them off the grid for 5 days and they took us around the jungle, fishing, making poison arrows and animal traps, and at one point, we work digging worms so that we could cook for lunch. It was incredible and I can't wait to do more trips like that in the future.

Do you prefer studio or in the field shoots?

Where will we find you when you’re not taking photos?

I'm always ALWAYS traveling and my preferred way of travel is backpacking which means you will often find me with my backpack, hopping around places that not many people go, roughing it out, staying in hostels, homestays, or guesthouses, and hanging out with the locals or other fellow solo travelers. 

What tips have you got for anyone just starting out in their photography or content creation business?

For me, it's all about picking the right location and just showing up. If you want to shoot interesting subjects, you have to be in front of interesting things. If you want to travel solo, just book a flight show up with your camera in hand, and start shooting. Doesn't matter if nothing is planned for the trip, just show up with your camera and see how it goes. That's how my travels often go anyway and it always worked out fine. Go for it!