Gear Up for Outdoor Photography: Course Introduction

Hi everyone, I'm professional nature and travel photographer Ian Plant, and I travel the world looking for compelling places, subjects, and moments to photograph. Over the years, I've owned a lot of gear. And I've spent a lot of time and money optimizing my equipment for landscape, wildlife, and travel photography. I've had a lot of trial and error, and I've wasted a lot of money on equipment I didn't need and never used. So with over a decade of being a pro photographer, I think it is fair to say that I've got a pretty good idea of what works and what doesn't. And that's what I'm gonna share with you in this course. My insights on the types of gear you should have for outdoor photography. In this course, I will discuss separately the best and most useful kinds of gear that I think you should consider for landscape, wildlife, and travel photography. I think that beginning photographers will find this course most useful, but even more experienced photographers, with a well-rounded gear kit might find some of my observations helpful. Now, I'm not going to recommend specific brands or models. Those are very personal choices, and the gear you ultimately choose will depend on your individual taste, needs, and budget. But I will recommend the types of equipment that I think you should consider, and I'll discuss in detail the many features and qualities that are important. I will share with you the gear that I personally use, but just remember that this happens to be the gear that works best for me. So you shouldn't take it as a personal recommendation. There are plenty of great photo gear brands out there, and for many pieces of equipment, you just can't go wrong no matter which brand or model you choose. So, what you will get in the other segments of this course are my thoughts and insights on the types of gear that I think will help you get the most out of your outdoor photography experience. I'm not gonna cover every potential piece of equipment out there, instead I'm gonna focus my discussion on the gear that I think is critical to getting the job right. That way, you won't blow up your budget buying equipment that you really don't need. And instead, you'll have an efficient gear kit that easily covers most of your needs. The other segments in this course will include discussions about cameras, lenses, and filters, and will also give specific gear recommendations separately for landscape, wildlife, and travel photography. When this course is complete, you should have a better understanding about what types of gear are out there for you, and what you are going to need for the kind of photography you are most interested in. And finally, never forget that it's just gear. Ultimately having a fancy, expensive lens won't make you a better photographer. Having the right gear can, however, help you reach your fullest potential. But at the end of the day, the piece of equipment that matters most is that squishy thing inside your skull. Well, that's it for my introduction. So let's move on to the other video segments, and let me help you gear up for outdoor photography.