Rachael Austin is an Upstate New York-based content creator and photographer focusing on dog-friendly travel, stays and hiking. For this edition of What’s In My Bag, she shares her Sony kit for capturing memorable moments with her dogs.
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My photography journey started in 2018 when I brought my German Shorthaired Pointer Willow home. I started an Instagram account to document her growth and slowly got exposed to the world of dog photography. I was seeing all these talented photographers take pictures of their dogs and immediately caught the bug. In 2019, I got my first Sony and I’ve never looked back.
Photo by Rachael Austin. Alpha 7 III. 85mm f/1.4 G Master. f/2, 1/2500-sec, ISO 250
Photo by Rachael Austin. Alpha 7 III. 24mm f/1.4 G Master, 1/4000-sec, f/1.8, ISO 125.
Over time, I realized how much joy Willow and I got out of traveling and hiking together, and I wanted to document those adventures to help inspire others to do the same. Over the next eight years, I turned a hobby into a thriving side-gig and started capturing content for short-term rentals, hotels, travel brands and tourism boards. I got my second pup Timber, a vizsla in 2023 and we’ve now traveled all over the Northeast together, documenting dog-friendly adventures and sharing them with our social media followers.
Photo by Rachael Austin. Alpha 7 III. 85mm f/1.4 G Master, f/2, 1/2000-sec, ISO 250.
If you had told me back in 2018 that taking pictures of my puppy would evolve into the community and business I have today, I never would have believed you. This journey has brought me so many things - wonderful friends, a creative outlet, added income and so much more. And of course, the best and most important part is sharing all of these moments with my dogs. I will forever cherish all of the memories we’ve made and am so thankful I can capture and enjoy them for years to come.
Shop This Kit:
–Camera: Alpha 7 III, (upgrade to the Alpha 7 V)
–Lenses: 24mm f/1.4 G Master, 85mm f/1.4 G Master, 16-35mm f/2.8 G Master, 50mm f/1.8
Camera
Alpha 7 III: This camera has been my workhorse since 2019 when I first made the switch to Sony. I was initially drawn to it for its fast animal eye focus, and that is still one of my favorite features today. It’s lightweight and easy to take on all of my adventures, and I especially love that I was able to fully customize the camera to my specific preferences. One of my most used features is the interval timer as I take a lot of self-portraits with my dogs. Over the past few years, I’ve also moved more into videography and have been so pleased with the quality of the files and content I can create. I’ll probably be looking to upgrade to the Alpha 7 V at the end of this year, but I’m sure my trusty III will be a part of my kit for years to come.
Photo by Rachael Austin. Alpha 7 III. 24mm f/1.4 G Master, f/2.2, 1/2000-sec, ISO 100.
Lenses
24mm f/1.4 G Master: This is my go-to lens for almost all of my photography and content creation. I love how versatile and lightweight it is, making it an easy favorite for hiking and adventures where pack weight can be an issue. It’s super sharp and fast, even wide open, and is perfect for capturing my dogs up close or the scale of a location I’m shooting in. I also love the 24mm focal length for most of my video work.
Photo by Rachael Austin. Alpha 7 III. 24mm f/1.4 G Master, f/2.5, 1/320-sec, ISO 200.
Photo by Rachael Austin. Alpha 7 III. 24mm f/1.4 G Master. f/5. 1/1000-sec. ISO 200.
85mm f/1.4 G Master: I adore this lens for portraits of my dogs or other people. The image quality and depth of field are chefs kiss. I also love using this to capture the grandeur of mountain views or dramatic landscapes to really show the scale of the features around us. When I’m able to bring more than one lens on the go, this is the lens I’m grabbing!
Photo by Rachael Austin. Alpha 7 III. 85mm f/1.8, 1/1250-sec, f/1.8, ISO 160.
16-35mm f/2.8 G Master: I added this lens to my kit when I started doing more commercial/ dog-friendly stay content. I needed something fast and sharp that could allow me to photograph small rooms and tight spaces. It’s also the lens I reach for when I want to capture wide-angle landscapes or astro photos.
Photo by Rachael Austin. Alpha 7 III. 16-35mm f/2.8 G Master. f/2.8. 1/400-sec. ISO 400.
50mm f/1.8: The Nifty 50 was my first upgrade from my kit lens and was what almost all of my early photographs of my. I still toss it in my hiking pack from time to time because it’s so lightweight and gives that added depth of field I can’t get with my 24mm.
Accessories
Peak Design Travel Tripod: As someone who does 95% of my travel solo, a tripod is essential to capture self-portraits, video and shots in low light environments.
Photo by Rachael Austin. Alpha 7 III. 24mm f/1.4 G Master. f/2.2. 1/1600-sec, ISO 400.
Hyperlite Camera Pod: This pod has been a gamechanger for carrying my Sony on longer hikes or backpacking trips while keeping the weight distributed well and keeping the camera protected from the elements.
Filters: All of my lenses have UV filters on to protect them from the elements (and yes, my tripod has fallen over several times with my camera attached and knock on wood, all the lenses have been spared). I also carry an ND filter in the event I need to better control the lighting and some fun, cinematic filters to play around with different artistic styles.
Photo by Rachael Austin. Alpha 7 III. 24mm f/1.4 G Master, f/4, 1/2000 ISO 125.
Light: I carry this tiny but powerful light that attaches to the hot shoe and is perfect for low light or creating indoors.
Dog Essentials: I love to carry freeze-dried, single ingredient treats to reward my models for their hard work. These are lightweight and easy to pack on a hike. I also carry a squeaky toy to get my dogs’ attention and usually bring some dog-friendly flea and tick spray if we’re going to be hiking or adventuring during tick season. And of course, never forget the poop bags!
Human essentials: I always pack my Garmin inReach mini as I’m often hiking and shooting in areas with no cell service. I also always have sunscreen and a protein bar on hand for myself!
Photo by Rachael Austin. Alpha 7 III. 24mm f/1.4 G Master, f/5, 1/1000-sec. ISO 200.
Photo by Rachael Austin. Alpha 7 III. 16-35mm f/2.8 G Master, f/2.8, 1/200-sec ISO 3200
See more of Rachael Austin’s work on Instagram @roamingwithpointers.
Interested in more pet photography?
–Click here to take our free Pet Photography course on Alpha Camera Academy!
–Click here to check out The Best Sony Lenses For Pet Photography.
–Click here to explore more pet photography content across the Alpha Universe.
