Lee Cooper is a woodland and nature photographer based in the New Forest, UK. “Most of my time is spent in ancient woodland, usually before first light, waiting for whatever the forest decides to do. Mist, stillness, a shaft of light that lasts thirty seconds – conditions that can last all morning or be gone before the camera's even out the bag,” he explains. “That thrill has made me incredibly streamlined with my gear. Some mornings I'm on a familiar path in the New Forest, others I'm 400 metres up on the edge of a Welsh temperate rainforest. The bag has to work for both.” Keep reading as he shares the gear that earns its place in his bag.
Shop This Kit:
–Alpha 7 V
–Alpha 7 IV
–Alpha 7 III
–24-105mm f/4 G
–35mm f/2.8
–70-200mm f/4 G
–TOUGH Memory Cards
Cameras
Alpha 7 V: My newest and main body, used for the most demanding low-light mornings - mist, fog, first light - where every bit of extra performance counts.
Photo by Lee Cooper. Alpha 7 V. 24-105mm f/4 G. 1/400-sec., f/4, ISO 3200
Alpha 7 IV: This is my second body for woodland work. The dynamic range holds detail in the darkest corners of the forest floor and the brightest gaps in the canopy at the same time – which matters constantly when you're shooting under trees at dawn.
Photo by Lee Cooper. Alpha 7 IV. 24-105mm f/4 G. 1/60-sec., f/9, ISO 800
Alpha 7 III: Still earns its place as a reliable second or third body, especially on rough days when I don't want to risk the newer cameras.
Photo by Lee Cooper. Alpha 7 III. 24-105mm f/4 G. 1/200-sec., f/8, ISO 400
Lenses
24-105mm f/4 G: My go-to for most woodland work. Versatile enough to go from a wide forest scene to a tighter composition on a single tree without a lens change, which matters when conditions shift fast.
Photo by Lee Cooper. Alpha 7 V. 24-105mm f/4 G. 1/50-sec., f/5.6, ISO 800
Photo by Lee Cooper. Alpha 7 IV. 24-105mm f/4 G. 1/100-sec., f/4, ISO 3200
35mm f/2.8: Used for a more intimate, documentary feel - closer to how the forest actually looks to the eye. Small and light enough to carry for hours without noticing it's there.
Photo by Lee Cooper. Alpha 7 III.
Photo by Lee Cooper. Alpha 7 IV.
70-200mm f/4 G: For compressing distant trees and picking out detail deep in the woodland that's impossible to reach on foot - light on a single branch, texture in far-off mist.
Photo by Lee Cooper. Alpha 7 IV.
Photo by Lee Cooper. Alpha 7 IV.
Accessories
TOUGH SD Cards: Reliability that matters when a shot only happens once.
Shimoda 30L Backpack: Built to carry everything below and still be comfortable on long, slow woodland walks.
Benro Mach 3 Tripod With G2 Ballhead: Essential for long exposures in low light and the patience needed to wait out the right conditions.
Photo by Lee Cooper. Alpha 7 III. 24-105mm f/4 G. 1/125-sec., f/8, ISO 100
Kase Revolution Filters: Manage the extreme contrast between bright sky and dark woodland interior.
Peak Design Strap: Quick to adjust, comfortable over hours in the field.
Vivobarefoot Forest Trackers: Five years in barefoot footwear, and these are what I actually wear in the field – grip and feel underfoot matter as much as anything else in the bag.
Photo by Lee Cooper. Alpha 7 IV. 24-105mm f/4 G. 1/80-sec., f/8, ISO 800
Sony Microfibers: Unglamorous, essential, always in the bag.
Drone: For the aerial perspective - a completely different way of reading the forest, especially useful for hunting fog and mist from above.
Phone: Always in my pocket. For quick behind the scenes, scouting location.
Photo by Lee Cooper. Alpha 7 IV. 24-105mm f/4 G. 1/100-sec., f/5, ISO 1000
See more of Lee Cooper’s kit on Instagram @leecooperphotography.
Explore what’s in the bags of more of your favorite photographers at alphauniverse.com/wimb.
