Inside My Camera Bag | Bruce Bull

My name is Bruce Bull, a Melbourne (Australia) based photographer. I purchased my first SLR camera, a Canon T70, in 1984. From that point, photography has been part of my life. Black & White film was my medium of choice in those early days, having also learnt how to develop and print my own work in a home darkroom.

It was not until 2015, when I purchased my first DSLR, a Canon 50D, that I moved into the digital world. I always thought I was a ‘purist’ and would never go to the ‘dark side’ of digital cameras, but oh how wrong I was! Both film and digital are fantastic mediums and work well alone or together.

If you look at my Instagram feed, you will notice that the majority of images are Landscapes/Seascapes and just recently some astrophotography. I find that being out in the country and along the coast is a ‘happy place’ for me. There, I shoot for myself, not to please anyone else. If others enjoy the images, then that is a bonus.

One of my Star Trail images was recently featured on the ABC Stargazing Live Skytour.

As I enjoyed B&W film so much, in late 2015 I purchased a Canon 30D that had been converted to Infrared with a Deep B&W filter. This gives a surreal looking image with white foliage and black skies.

Combined with the Canon EF-S 10-18mm f/4.5-5.6, Samyang 14mm f/2.8 lens and the occasional use of the 10 Stop ND filter, this has been my main gear for landscapes. I have only recently purchased the Canon 70-200mm f/2.8 and the Tamron 24-70mm f/2.8, but have found new perspectives when looking at a scene.

Infrared photography is something I want to take further in my work, both colour and black & white, for landscapes and architecture.

On my wish list of gear is a full frame camera (or two….one for Infrared – see guide) to take advantage of the full range of focal lengths at my disposal. Mirrorless is the current favourite, as it has a main advantage in the Infrared field with ‘live’ exposure through the EVF.

Gear
Canon 7D Mark II
Canon 30D – Converted to Infrared with a Deep B&W Filter
Canon EF 70-200mm f/2.8 L IS I USM
Tamron SP 24-70mm f/2.8 Di VC USD A007
Samyang 14mm f/2.8 ED AS IF UMC
Canon EF 100mm f/2.8 L IS USM Macro
Canon EF-S 10-18mm f/4.5-5.6 IS STM
KENKO RealPro ND1000 Filter
Yongnuo YN-560 IV Speedlite (x2)
Yongnuo YN-560-TX Manual Flash Controller
PocketWizard PLUS III Remote (x2)
Hahnel Giga T Pro II 2.4Ghz Wireless Timer Remote
Sekonic Flashmate L-308S
Manfrotto 190 Tripod with MHXPRO-BHQ2 Ball Head
Joby Gorillapod
TENBA backpack