I’m Jennifer Carr (@jennifercarrphotography), a landscape and nature photographer and educator with a passion for travel. Currently based in Seattle, WA, but often found teaching workshops on the Outer Banks of North Carolina, underwater in Australia or climbing a peak in the Swiss Alps, I love shooting from the sea to the summit. No matter where I am, my backpack loaded with Sony gear is along for the ride.
See the Sony Alpha cameras & lenses that nature & landscape photographer Jennifer Carr always has packed in her bag.
Cameras
Sony α7R III: The α7R III is the powerhouse camera that allows me to capture the beautiful glow of sunrise kissing a mountain top and sunset dipping into the Pacific. With 42 megapixels, it provides incredible image quality and resolution. Because it's smaller and lighter than traditional DSLRs, it's perfect for backpacking trips and travel. The broad dynamic range allows me to retain details throughout the tones in my images and I love that I am able to visualize the results using the live histogram and electronic viewfinder.
The α7R III beautifully rendered the soft pastel colors of this sunset at Lion Rock on the coast of Piha, New Zealand.
Sony RX100 VI: The Sony RX100 VI hardly ever leaves my side. On trips, I carry it cross-body outside of my backpack so that I never miss a shot, especially can’t miss moments on narrow trails or tightly packed trains. With the ability to shoot fully manual and RAW, the image quality is fantastic for documenting those scenes and moments when I need something quick and easy.
Despite the compact size, the RX100 VI captures incredible landscape photographs such as this one deep in the backcountry of the Sawtooth Mountains in Idaho.
Lenses
While I have other incredible Sony lenses, these are the three that are with me on all of my trips, whether it’s down the street to shoot sunset over the water or on a two-week European Alps backpacking trip.
Sony 16-35mm f/2.8 G Master: A beautiful wide angle lens, the 16-35mm performs incredibly in low light, allowing me to photograph the starry skies and wide mountain ranges. With minimal lens distortion and edge-to-edge sharpness, the 16-35mm is a must-have landscape lens.
The sharp and fast 16-35mm f/2.8 was the perfect lens to photograph the arch of the Milky Way over the Cape Hatteras Lighthouse on the Outer Banks of North Carolina.
Sony 24-70mm f/2.8 G Master: The 24-70mm is my go-to lens. Its focal range allows me the versatility to never miss a shot while I am on the go, while being fast enough to shoot in low light conditions. When my kit size is limited because of travel, I know the 24-70mm will do all the work that I need it to.
I used the 24-70mm to capture Lady Elliot Island on Australia’s Great Barrier Reef from the window of a small prop plane.
Sony 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6 G Master: The 100-400mm is a beast of a lens, but worth all the extra size. It brings nature up close and personal, allowing me to photograph distant wildlife or use lens compression to bring sunset skies and mountain peaks closer to my viewers.
The 100-400mm brought the Matterhorn a little closer during a backpacking trip through the Swiss Alps.
Accessories
Sony Memory Cards and Sony NP-FZ100 Batteries: Backup batteries and memory cards are a must and I always have at least one in my bag.
Breakthrough Photography Magnetic Filter Kit with 10 stop Neutral Density Filter and Circular Polarizing Filter: Incredibly simple in design, I love the magnetic filter system from Breakthrough. The 10 stop ND creates virtually no color cast and reduces light entering the lens allowing for long exposures in brighter conditions. The CPL cuts glare and reflections adding vibrancy and contrast to images.
RC-S2II ShutterBoss II Timer Remote Switch For Sony: I use this wired shutter trigger when shooting long exposures and astrophotography to prevent camera shake at slow shutter speeds.
Peak Design Slide Lite and Leash Camera Straps: Peak Design has changed the market with their incredible straps. They are durable and sturdy, yet comfortable to wear. And the quick release design of their Anchor Link connectors allow me to easily remove the straps during long exposure shoots.
Peak Design Travel Tripod Carbon Fiber: The travel tripod has solved all of my needs! Lightweight, small, and super compact, the tripod fits in the water bottle pocket of my backpack. This is such a relief on long backpacking trips when space and weight are limited.
PhotoPills App: The PhotoPills app is a powerful tool that helps me plan my images when light and timing matter the most. It allows me to track the movement of the sun as well as plan for optimal conditions for astrophotography. I love using the augmented reality feature which shows me exactly where the Milky Way’s galactic core can be found in a scene.
Mindshift Trailscape 18L Backpack: This backpack is my gear hauler. It is my go-to for trips when I want to take a variety of gear in a compact bag. It holds everything I need without making me feel like I’m crushed under the burden of weight.
Sony α6500 + 10-18mm f4 OSS + Fantasea Underwater Housing and Dome Port (not pictured): The Sony α6500 + 10-18mm lens is my go-to system for underwater photography. Whether I’m treading water in the surf line up or swimming with the sea turtles, this combo is small and lightweight allowing me quick response time to all the action.
I used the α6500 + 10-18mm lens fitted in Fantasea underwater housing to capture this Green Sea Turtle during a trip to Heron Island in Australia’s Great Barrier Reef.
Jennifer is also an active member of the Alpha Female community and Alpha Female Facebook group. Learn more about the evolved Alpha Female+ program and apply.
See more of Jennifer’s work on her Alpha Universe profile and create your own profile here for your chance to be featured on AlphaUniverse.com.