Paul Clark is a photographer who gravitates toward the edge of adventure, drawn to wide-open landscapes, towering skylines and the quiet pockets of stillness hidden inside the busiest cities. “I’m obsessed with the challenge of taking environments that should feel overwhelming and distilling them into something intentional, calm and cinematic,” he says. “My work focuses on capturing scenes the way they felt, not just how they looked. That often means isolating a subject in the chaos, shaping light that others walk past, and creating images that feel peaceful even when the world around them is anything but.”
Driven by adventure, cityscapes and the moments that slip by in between, Clark says he wants to inspire people through his photos to step outside their routines, chase their own adventures, and actually see the world instead of watching it from home. “My goal is to create images that pull you into the scene, make you pause, and remind you there’s a lot more out there waiting to be explored.” We caught up with him to learn more about the photography kit he uses to capture the edge of adventure – keep reading as he shares the Alpha cameras, lenses and more you’ll find in his bag.
Shop This Kit:
Cameras: Alpha 7R V, Alpha 7 III
Lenses: 16-35mm f/2.8 G Master, 24-70mm f/2.8 G Master, 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6 G Master, 85mm f/1.8
Accessories: 2x Teleconverter, NP-FZ100 Batteries, ECM-M1 Shotgun Mic
Cameras
Alpha 7R V: I upgraded my primary camera body to the Alpha 7R V earlier this year, and this camera is an absolute beast! I have always had an R-series body as my main body (R II, RIII), and I have been blown away by the capabilities of the latest addition. The impressive 61-megapixel images give me a lot of flexibility during editing, and allow me to crop my images without sacrificing a lot of quality for larger prints. The ergonomics of this camera body are also especially nice, it feels very natural to hold while out adventuring.
Photo by Paul Clark. Alpha 7R V. 16-35mm f/2.8 G Master. 1/200-sec., f/2.8, ISO 100
Alpha 7 III: This camera body is useful for me as a secondary camera to help capture BTS footage or images of myself, and I find that this camera body is great to use for low-light conditions and is a great all around camera balancing fantastic image quality and video capabilities.
Lenses
16-35mm f/2.8 G Master: The 16-35 has always been my favorite lens when I am shooting city or landscapes because I like to capture the vastness of many views that I am capturing. I find this lens in particular has excellent ability to include a leading line or interesting foreground subject to pair with an incredible background to take my images to the next level.
Photo by Paul Clark. Alpha 7R V. 16-35mm f/2.8 G Master. 1/25-sec., f/2.8, ISO 500
24-70mm f/2.8 G Master: In my opinion, the 24-70 is the most versatile lens in my bag. I can depend on this lens when I am shooting landscapes, portraits, or really anything because you can get wide and get a tighter frame without switching lenses. Specifically, if I know that I am going to be in a situation where I am not going to be able to change my lens (helicopter, sand storms, hiking) very easily, this will usually be my primary lens.
Photo by Paul Clark. Alpha 7R V. 24-70mm f/2.8 G Master. 1/25-sec., f/7.1, ISO 100
100-400mm f/4.5-5.6 G Master: Up until this year, the longest lens I owned was an 85mm. This lens is a recent addition to my bag and it has permanently altered my perspective of how I see and view the world as a photographer. It has challenged me to be very intentional about the images I capture because when you are zoomed in at 400mm there is not much room for error or anything outside of your subject. I especially enjoy using this lens to capture images of the moon too, the detail is incredible!
Photo by Paul Clark. Alpha 7R V. 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6 G Master. 1/800-sec., f/5.6, ISO 100
85mm f/1.8: This was one of the first lenses that I purchased, and it has stayed in my bag after all these years! I have found that many landscapes and cityscapes look so much different at 85mm, and I think it is unique. I love how compact this lens is, and at 1.8 it is also fast and great for blue hour and low light conditions.
Photo by Paul Clark. Alpha 7R V. 85mm f/1.8. 1/640-sec., f/2.2, ISO 100
Accessories
2x Teleconverter: I picked up this teleconverter to pair with my 100-400mm to get up to 800mm of length. This has been useful for those extra long shots, without taking up a lot of valuable space in my bag.
NP-FZ100 Batteries: I always have extra batteries charged up and ready to go when I am out shooting, although the battery life on these are superb and I find myself rarely needing to swap them during a shoot. It’s helpful to have back up batteries in case any friends I am shooting with need one too!
Photo by Paul Clark. Alpha 7R V. 24-70mm f/2.8 G Master. 1/25-sec., f/7.1, ISO 100
ECM-M1 Shotgun Mic: Although I am primarily a photographer, I keep this shotgun mic with me on my adventures to capture crisp and clean audio for various clips.
Sony Lens Cloth: Goes with me everywhere to make sure my lenses clean.
Walkie-Talkies: For long distance photos to communicate with my subject.
Rechargeable Hand Warmers: To keep my hands functional during winter shoots.
Photo by Paul Clark. Alpha 7R II. 16-35mm f/2.8 G Master. 15-sec., f/16, ISO 64
Peak Design Carbon Fiber Travel Tripod: This has been very reliable and easy to travel with. A good tripod is essential for all photographers.
Polar Pro VND & Mist Filters: To help with video and to capture unique images.
Polar Pro SD Card Holder: To protect all of my SD cards and also keep them all safe and secure.
Anker USB-C Car Charger: This has earned its spot in my bag so I can charge up my gear in all of the rental cars I get during my travels.
Hand Sanitizer: Also is a must have in my bag, no explanation needed!
See more of Paul Clark’s work on Instagram @paulclark.
