Hansi Johnson has a hell of a backyard. The adventure photographer and land conservationist lives in Thomson, Minnesota, flanked by Lake Superior聽on one side and hundreds of miles of singletrack on the other. As a result, he often uses his bike and boat to get deep in the backcountry to provide mountain-bike and fly-fishing pictures to outdoor brands like Stio, Fishpond, and Redington and magazines like Bike, The Drake, and 国产吃瓜黑料. Johnson doesn鈥檛 consider himself a landscape photographer, but he鈥檚 made a name for himself by shooting action within the landscape. 鈥淚 love the small-man-in-big-nature shots.鈥澛燡ohnson says. 鈥淔or me, being outside has always been about exploring the notion of how I fit into the landscape. That鈥檚 what I like to shoot.鈥
Exploring that relationship between man and nature is particularly interesting for Johnson in the fall, when the changing leaves offer a new color palette to work with. All those yellows and reds present opportunities for photographers, but also extra challenges. Because the background is so rich with color, Johnson says, photographers need to explore the mountains on days when most of us would rather stay inside.
鈥淏luebird days are the worst for shooting color,鈥 Johnson says. 鈥淭he bright sky and sun wash out the deeply saturated colors. Instead, you want gray, dreary days. Some mist, a little drizzle鈥hat鈥檚 when the fall colors really pop.鈥
We asked Johnson to detail the fast-and-light camera kit he uses in the backcountry. Here are his picks, in his own words.
Lumix GX8聽Camera ($997)
The iPhone is pretty amazing, but mirrorless cameras are phenomenal. Those things are so small but still give you more control over settings and how you use the camera. You can add a tripod or remote triggers and create a really small, effective kit you can bring on a minimalist trip and get way better shots and be more creative than with an iPhone. My 聽is a couple of years old, but I love it. It has a sealed body so it can handle dirt and a little moisture, and Lumix has partnered with Leica so you can get some good glass for it.
Canon Powershot SX740聽Camera ($400)
If you don鈥檛 want to spring for mirrorless, the 聽is a basic point-and-shoot, but with fully manual settings that allow you to get creative, if you want that option. It has a lot of effective tools and it鈥檚 small enough to take with you everywhere.
Joby GorillaPod 5K Tripod ($180)
Joby started making 聽as little tripods for hanging on branches, but they make them in all sizes now, so you can get almost a full-size tripod that is bendy and can be used in a bunch of different situations. I have one that鈥檚 a foot long, and I鈥檓 amazed at what I can lock down on that thing. It鈥檒l hold a full DSLR. You can put it on the ground or wrap it around on something and do those long exposure shots.
Lume Cubes Lights ($150)
This company started out聽making lighting for GoPros, but 聽are really versatile for all kinds of situations. You can use them for your GoPro, your iPhone, you can string a bunch of them together, or use them with a remote flash. And they鈥檙e super-small and submersible. I bought a pair of these and I use them all the time. They鈥檙e great for night scenes, allowing you to paint a subject with light.
Evoc聽Photo Op Camera Bag ($200)
If it鈥檚 dry and I鈥檓 not worried about getting wet, I use an . It鈥檚 great for active folks, with dedicated compartments for all of your camera equipment, but it鈥檚 also really easy to carry, whether you鈥檙e hiking or on a bike. I have a big one that most people wouldn鈥檛 want, but if you鈥檙e carrying a light kit, you can get away with the 22-liter or 16-liter options.