Vouni, Cyprus

The Empty Quarter, Saudi Arabia

Hi, my name is Brian and I’m a self-taught Australian landscape/travel photographer. Based in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, I’m excited to share with you this amazing country as it undergoes significant growth and change!

Growing up in a rural area of Sydney, close to the bush, gave me a great love of the outdoors and a strong sense of adventure.

Since beginning to travel as an adult, I have been driven to capture the natural world around me, whether that be wildlife, beautiful landscapes or the night sky.

I use my drive to photograph new locations as a catalyst for my adventures. It is what gets me up before dawn, what keeps me up at night staring at the sky. It is my passion.

My strong desire to travel has taken me to some of the most spectacular locations across the globe. From New Zealand to Iceland, Honduras to Newfoundland, I am constantly planning the next trip.

I have learnt that being there, present in the moment, is more than half the battle of getting a good photo. Going to places that are hard to reach, pushing through conditions that are hard on the body. These are the moments that have helped me develop my own style. I would rather take a few bad shots but keep pushing forward, then sit still trying to perfect the composition of a single photo for hours.

I’m excited to see where the next few years takes me, and hope you come along for the ride.

 
 

My Gear

I have been using Sony mirrorless cameras for the past 6 years. Starting with the Sony a6000 I found my way, and begun learning the basics needed as I travelled. For landscape, I used the kit lens 16-50mm F3.5-5.6 OSS and the 55-210mm F4.5-6.3 OSS. For astrophotography I started out with the Rokinon 12mm F2.0. This lens, for the price, was extremely capable and was one of the driving factors for me to take my photography seriously. There is something so special about shooting the night sky!

I have since upgraded, with all my current gear listed below.

 

Sony a7R ii Full-Frame Mirrorless

Stepping up to a full frame A series was a massive step. The cost initially is quite high, but if your looking to print at a large scale, these cameras are unbeatable! The a7rii does not have the best video output, but for photography it cannot be beat at the price.

Sony FE 14mm F1.8 GM

If you’re looking to do landscape astrophotography, this is a must have! It’s super wide angle mixed with an aperture of f/1.8 makes capturing the milky way a breeze!

This lens is also well adapted to landscape, though like most super wide lenses, you want to make sure you have an interesting foreground… really close!

Lowepro Flipside Trek BP 350

Lowepro are the best out there. The 350L is a perfect size for hiking. I can comfortably fit my mirrorless body, 2-3 lens and drone in the bag. The outer pockets fit your tripod and water bottle.

I really enjoy that the main pocket opens from the back. It makes everything accessible and safe from any rain.

Sony - FE 24-105mm F4G OSS

I love prime lenses, but when you travel often, you are left trying to pick which focal lengths to carry. This G series zoom is the perfect travel companion! Yes the images may not be as sharp as a prime, but the versatility out weights the cons.

DJI Mini 3 Pro

Quite possibly the best travel drone on the market. Having previously owned the 1st gen Mavic Mini, I can safely say, this thing is a beast! It’s so much quieter! Avoidance collision and target tracking matches its bigger brothers.

The image and video quality, for a sensor of this size, is unbelievable! I don’t leave home without it.

Peak Design Capture Camera Clip for V3

Best piece of kit I’ve bought. Guaranteed, every time I put my camera away, a brilliant composition comes up… this clip comfortably gets the camera out of your hands, but within striking range at all times!

I’ve safely and comfortably had my Sony a7rii with the 100-400mm telephoto lens attached, while on longer treks.

FE 100-400mm G Master

This tele-photo zoom is amazing! The sharpness at 400mm is astounding. Paired with the inbuilt stabilisation, you find yourself shooting in hand, rather than having to setup the tripod more often than not.

Being able to get into the small details of the landscape gives images a truely intimate feel.

K&F Concept 60 inch Carbon Fiber Tripod

Great lightweight tripod for those longer treks. Fits in the side pocket of your backpack, and quick to set up.

Comes with a swiss-acra mount head. For heavier lenses shooting in vertical, I use an L bracket for better stability.

LARQ Bottle Movement PureVis

This light weight, self cleaning bottle uses UV light to clean water from any bacteria. Super handy on longer hikes up in the mountains! Just stop and fill up from a flowing stream, saving you from carrying kilos of extra weight.