Matty Graham

Photography writer Matty Graham goes in search of the ‘Big Horns’ armed with just his camera and this value for money camera bag.

Photography is a dangerous job. Sure, studio and wedding photographers have less to fear, unless they are confronted by a particularly aggressive bride, but nature photographers especially are often put in situations where they may be forced to, quite literally, run for their lives.

One of my latest assignments was to capture some images of deer on a local reserve in a rural area of England called Lincolnshire. This may not sound too frightening, but it coincided with the deer’s rutting season, where the alpha males fight, sometimes to the death, for mating rights in their pack. Place yourself in between two warring deer and at best you’ll get injured and at worst, you won’t make it home.

I sat down to plan my kit list, something I do before every photoshoot. It was obvious that today wasn’t the day to be loaded down with flashguns and heavy wide-angle lenses. I was only going to get within 15-20ft of these magnificent creatures, so my 70-200mm telezoom would be my weapon of choice. But which bag to carry my kit? Luckily I had an ace up my sleeve in the shape of the Naneu Military Ops Sierra bag. Its dark olive colouring would camouflage and disguise my appearance, allowing me to creep closer to the easily spooked deer. What’s more, it’s light and compact frame would allow me to sprint away at full speed should the testosterone-fuelled bucks lock me in their sites.

The Sierra also comes with foam divider pockets, which can be removed to fit your preference of set-up and in this case, I wanted my camera to be easily accessed so I removed both pockets – this wasn’t a problem, as the bag is already well-padded. With one pull of a zip, I was able to pull out the bag’s webbed shoulder-holster, which allows the Sierra to be carried on one shoulder – a feature that allows far more freedom of movement compared to a backpack.

As first light dawned, I was creeping through the cold English countryside, alert and searching for my pictorial prey. To produce the best shots, I aimed to backlight the deer and that’s when the Sierra came in really useful! To plot my routes, I had a map of the area, but the Sierra also comes with a handy compass, attached to the front of the bag.** Combining this and the map, I was able to pick a route and arrive at an area where the antlers were roaming.

I quickly accessed my camera as one of the bucks came in to range. Silence was essential, so I removed the lens cap and placed it in the front pocket of the Sierra, which locks thanks to a silent magnetic flap – even the noise a zip sliding would have sent this big old unit charging in any given direction. I cautiously snapped away as this weary buck searched the ground for food to refuel his tired body.

The solution to any successful photoshoot is to pick the right kit for your needs. Although I was lucky enough not to have to turn tail and run for my life on this occasion, the Sierra proved its worth as a compact carrying solution, well-suited to the great outdoors and all the demands that such an environment can bring.

Hope you enjoy the images and more soon,

Matty

*All images copyright of mattygraham.com

**Compass not included with new Sierra models.