Inside the artist’s kit bag

Andy’s gear for his distinctive shots is simple but effective

Nikon D700

“Bought in 2011, this DSLR has shot everything from weddings to horse racing right through to long exposures, and now my ICM abstract landscapes. It’s feeling its age with a small 12MP sensor, but is a beast.”

Nikkor lenses

Andy’s collection includes a Nikon 16-35mm f/4 (used most on our shoot), a 50mm f/1.8 D, a 70-200mm f/2.8 VR II, and a 35mm f/2 D.

Manfrotto ProX550B

Andy’s tripod is paired with a Manfrotto 460MG head. “It’s something I use much less these days, but has served me well for over 12 years. It’s also not the lightest model, but a decent starter tripod and not stupidly expensive.”

Think Tank Photo Retrospective 20

“I’m not a fan of backpacktype bags,” says Andy. “I like my camera to be quickly accessible, so a shoulder bag is ideal. Carrying all my gear on one shoulder means it aches by the end of the day, but it’s ideal for the way I shoot.” Andy combines his bag with a Lens Changer 25 and a Lens Drop, which lets him carry water and store filters and cloths in the soft inners of the Lens Drop.

B+W ND filters

“I use screw-in full ND filters all sized at 77mm, with an adapter for smaller thread lenses. I don’t see the point in buying smaller filters for smaller lenses.” Andy uses his 10-stop ND filter for shooting long exposures, but finds that it’s too dark for ICM photography. A sixstop ND is Andy’s workhorse, used almost all the time for getting his ICM captures. “It’s dark enough to use in almost all light, yet light enough to use as the light diminishes.”