Nick Gruen (@mr_gru) is an outdoor and commercial photographer based in Oahu, Hawaii. He’s an outdoorsman, fisherman, surfer and comes from a background in Ocean Rescue & Safety, making him a true waterman. Gruen has used Sony equipment for 15 years. He got into photography as a kid, excited to document his friends' fun activities. His photography hobby turned into a profession over the years, and he loves how work now feels like an excuse to go play outside, pushing the boundaries of exploring and enjoying the outdoors. Showcasing it in some new exciting ways.

A few years back, Nick experienced a bad wipeout while swimming and filming at the infamous Banzai Pipeline, breaking his back in several places. During recovery, with the limited movement he had, Nick used the time to fine tune his aerial drone work and diversify his skill set. Not much later, Sony released their "Airpeak" platform, which Nick quickly adopted. The Airpeak platform allowed him to fly the same cameras he had been using in the water and on land, now in the sky. That drone opened numerous opportunities, and Nick even assisted Sony engineers and the marketing team in fine-tuning the drone and conducting tests in Hawaii. Here is some of the drone work he did for Airpeak.

Nick has a variety of clientele and has worked with companies like Red Bull, Toyota, The World Surf League, Yeti, Netflix, Peloton Fitness, Apple TV, and Sony to name a few. We caught up with him to learn more about the gear he uses for professional outdoor and commercial photography. Keep reading as he shares what’s in his bag.

Product Preview – In This Article You’ll Find:
–Sony Alpha 1
–Sony Alpha 7R IV
–Sony 12-24mm f/2.8 G Master
–Sony 24-70mm f.2.8 G Master
–Sony 70-200mm f/2.8 G Master II
–Sony 16-35mm f/4 G PZ
–Sony 2.0x Teleconverter
–Sony VG-C4EM Vertical Battery Grip
–Sony Airpeak S1

Cameras

Sony Alpha 1: I love Sony's flagship Alpha 1. It will always have a place in my bag. Its AF is fantastic and it doubles down as a great camera for video work. The Sony Alpha 1 is my primary action camera. I've lost too many frames in the past with other cameras AF and I can feel confident when using this in action scenarios.

Photo by Nick Gruen. Sony Alpha 1. Sony 12-24mm f/2.8 G Master. 1/500-sec., f/10, ISO 250

Sony Alpha 7R IV: I have so much fun rubbing it into photographer friends with other platforms that my camera can shoot 61 megapixels and still fit in my pocket – haha! I love that I can crop almost any photo and not worry about image quality loss. It can be a little overkill for some work but the Sony Alpha 7R IV serves as a fantastic landscape camera and a great second cam to the Sony Alpha 1 on shoots. Last nerdy thing to point out is its the same size/weight as the Sony Alpha 1, meaning it fits in the same water housing, same gimbal weight on Airpeak, cage mounts, etc.

Photo by Nick Gruen. Sony Alpha 7R IV. Sony 24-70mm f/2.8 G Master. 1/50-sec., f/2.8, ISO 2000

Lenses

I have over 10 lenses, but these are my top three go-tos. The reason I choose these three specifically is pretty simple… same reason that some photographers might refer to this as the "holy trinity of lenses.”

I can cover EVERY focal length without having to show up on location to shoot with five cases full of glass. These three will always have a slot in my backpack and keep it relatively simple. It is surprising that most camera companies do a lot of overlap with their focal lengths, like a 16-35mm and 24-70mm.

Sony 12-24mm f/2.8 G Master: I used to use the Sony 16-35mm f/2.8 G Master but moved over to the Sony 12-24mm f/2.8 G Master when it became available. I love how Sony keeps it simple and offers a setup that allows users to not need 10 lenses to get the job done. It also made more sense for me to switch to the Sony 12-24mm f/2.8 G Master with its minimal linear distortion and low light capability, which is a must for shooting wide in underwater or astro work.

Photo by Nick Gruen. Sony Alpha 1. Sony 12-24mm f/2.8 G Master. 1/640-sec., f/4.5, ISO 250

Sony 24-70mm f.2.8 G Master: The Sony 24-70mm f.2.8 G Master is the staple of my work. If I had to choose one lens for action, commercial and landscape… I’d choose this one without skipping a beat. It covers some of the most crucial focal lengths while shooting and allows a lot of freedom. This is a comfort lens that I never leave behind.

Photo by Nick Gruen. Sony Alpha 1. Sony 24-70mm f/2.8 G Master. 1/500-sec., f/3.5, ISO 1000

Sony 70-200mm f/2.8 G Master II: The second generation of this lens is 100 percent worth it for anyone debating on the upgrade. It’s such a noticeable difference in weight and its AF / tracking. I’m nailing a significantly more amount of my shots compared to the first generation version. These sorts of factors are a make or break for shooting action sports like surfing. I often pair this with the Sony 2.0x Teleconverter for even more reach.

Photo by Nick Gruen. Sony Alpha 7R IV. Sony 70-200mm f/2.8 G Master II. 1/1000-sec., f/2.8, ISO 250

Sony 16-35mm f/4 G PZ: The Sony 16-35mm f/4 G PZ is an awesome little lens that packs a big punch! The reason I love it is actually for a pretty unique specific reason and that is its internal zoom. This is great for ports on water housings, allowing the size of the setup to remain pretty small. The second big reason I love this is because on my Sony Alpha 1, I can set two custom buttons that allow me to digitally zoom in and out. This is great for shooting in a housing that doesn’t have physical zoom controls. The freedom of choosing what focal length you wanna shoot at in the water is a must in my opinion! I also find myself not needing lower than f/4 while shooting surf.

Photo by Nick Gruen. Sony Alpha 1. Sony 16-35mm f/4 G PZ. 1/200-sec., f/4.5, ISO 100

Accessories

Sony VG-C4EM Vertical Battery Grip: Having this vertical grip is essential for the work I do, allowing me to grip my camera better during photo shoots and have the option to click a separate shutter button vertically. It may seem funny, but G Master lenses are actually feel a little heavy compared to the extremely light Alpha bodies. The battery grip serves as a great counterweight, balancing out the camera in my opinion and I rarely leave the house without it attached.

Water Housing: Salty surf water housings are my go to for surf and underwater work. They are made custom for each camera with CNC aluminum in Australia. This specific housing I show above allows me to use a battery pack for full day shoots. It also helps the camera not feel so top/front heavy when swimming around with some bigger G Master lenses.

Split Photos: Water housings allow for some creative perspectives like splits. This is done with a dome port (easier with a bigger port like an 8-inch over a 4-inch). Water will climb up the dome essentially splitting the photo into two. One above water and one below. This is a great tool for story telling and a refreshing look.

Photo by Nick Gruen. Sony Alpha 7R III. Sony 24-70mm f/2.8 G Master. 1/1000-sec., f/4.5, ISO 100

Lume Cube Lighting: I love these portable lights and use them frequently. They have a great Bluetooth connection paired to my phone and are super portable. Some of them are even waterproof! Favorite function is selecting any color temp via the app.

PolarPro Filters: Filters, as I'm sure you all know, are a must. I appreciate the quality of and look of PolarPro. I will say though… buy 82mm thread and get step-up rings. Don't purchase multiple filters for various threads. 82mm is the standard on most lenses

Atlas Bags: I've used many many packs and I can confidently say that Atlas packs are the best for true travel and outdoor work. They offer a bunch of storage, excellent support, and great comfort. Considering how I mentioned breaking my back before, I can carry around 40 pounds of gear with these packs and the support is excellent. 

Florence Marine X Airtex Long Sleeve Hooded Shirt: Most of my shooting revolves around the hot sun and I take sun protection pretty seriously. Especially after years of abuse doing Ocean rescue. I love these tops and find myself throwing one in my bag on almost every shoot! Stay away from the sun!

See more of Nick Gruen’s work on Instagram @mr_gru.