What’s In My Bag: 1 Camera & 2 Compact Lenses For Travel & Adventure Photography

Reading Time 2 min.

Author April Huang

Date 2023.10.23

April Huang (@thehuangster) is a 26-year-old whose photography journey began when she got her first camera in high school. “A few years later,” she explains, "I used my camera as a way to express my creativity and document my college solo travel adventures, which eventually led to exciting commercial opportunities across a variety of industries–from outdoor retail, to luxury vacation resorts, to helicopter tour companies and epic elopements. Yet, to me the greatest thing about photography has definitely been the global community of creators I’ve befriended over the years, united by our shared passion for the craft. Outside of travel photography, I spend most of my time working as a business strategist at a tech company, and am also an avid hiker, skier and surfer.” She rarely leaves home without her camera, and we connected with her to learn more about her gear. Keep reading below as she gives you a look inside her camera bag.

Product Preview – In This Article You'll Find:
–Sony Alpha 7 II
–Sony 28-70mm f/3.5-5.6
–Sony 16-35mm f/4

Photographer April Huang's gear for travel adventures

Camera

Sony Alpha 7 II: Three years ago, I upgraded from an entry level Canon DSLR to my first full frame mirrorless Sony camera, the Sony Alpha 7 II. This camera has really taken my work to the next level. I really value the Alpha 7 II for its lightweight compactness despite being a high functioning full frame camera, and I’ve taken my Alpha 7 II with me on all of my crazy outdoor adventures – off piste skiing in France, an 8-month road trip through the Western USA, backpacking trips in the PNW, a solo trip to Japan. Never once was the camera heavy enough to leave at home, and I use it to capture memories of all the places I visit.

Photo by April Huang. Sony Alpha 7 II. Sony 16-35mm f/4. 1/250-sec., f/5.6, ISO 640

Lenses

Sony 28-70mm f/3.5-5.6: This lens is on my camera body about 80% of the time. It’s a lightweight, all rounder lens that captures almost everything I shoot – people, landscapes, products, sometimes even animals. Most of the time, I simply don’t have the time, energy, or strength to hike or travel with a lot of heavy glass, and I’ve found that the versatility of this little yet powerful lens serves me quite well in my adventures. And despite being a kit lens, the sharpness, clarity, and quick responsiveness of this lens is quite remarkable as well.

Photo by April Huang. Sony Alpha 7 II. Sony 28-70mm f/3.5-5.6. 1/800-sec., f/7.1, ISO 1600

Sony 16-35mm f/4: I got this lens to complement any wider landscapes that my kit lens cannot capture. It was especially handy on the narrow mountain ridges of Oahu, where I was often standing very close to my subject on a precarious piece of rock, trying to memorialize as much of the Jurassic Park backdrop as possible. The clarity on this camera is very sharp, and I never find the distortion issues that some photographers have noted about their wide angle lenses.

Photo by April Huang. Sony Alpha 7 II. Sony 16-35mm f/4. 1/10-sec., f/22, ISO 50

Accessories

Peak Design Clip: My favorite accessory has to be my Peak Design clip that I received as a gift last year. This clip attaches my camera to my backpack strap, and is especially useful when I am hiking or traveling, ensuring that I never miss a shot (or never have an excuse to).

Photo by April Huang. Sony Alpha 7 II. Sony 16-35mm f/4. 1/125-sec., f/4, ISO 400

Basic Intervalometer and Tripod: I use both of these to assist me in my work, which has been super useful for shooting continuous self portraits and timelapses.

See more of April Huang’s work on Instagram @thehuangster.

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