Peaks & Paddles

I get quite a lot of people asking me about the camera gear that I use. I don't really like talking too much about this stuff because I don't like getting too bogged down in the idea that your camera really matters all that much; my motto is generally "the best camera is the one you have with you at the time".

You can take great photos and shoot great videos with any camera. This is because photos and video are about so much more than pixels and whatnot, they're about great moments, beautiful lighting, strong composition, and how these things come together.

But I do recognise that in the world of outdoor videos, we're often out in unforgiving environments which take a toll on our gear, and we also have weight and bulk considerations. Coming from years of professional photography with heavy full frame cameras and lenses, I didn't want to carry that stuff around with me on hikes and certainly not out on kayaks either. 

So I've written up a fairly detailed post about my cameras and other bits and pieces that I use for kayaking and hiking trips here:

peakandpaddle.co.uk/camera-gear

While I come from a background in photography and have worked as an artist in the film industry for 25 years, I consider myself a beginner in the world of shooting video, so by no means am I writing this to appear as some kind of expert! It's just sharing what I have learned so far about video gear and explaining a bit about why I use the gear I do :)

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1 day ago | [YT] | 15

Peaks & Paddles

I want to express my enormous gratitude to everyone who has watched my Loch Lomond video! Somehow it’s had over 10,000 views in four days, despite me worrying that nobody would watch it! It’s been so wonderful reading the many comments from viewers who shared their own stories of paddling trips and the loch, and hearing from people who felt the sense of calm I was wanting to share. Thank you everyone! 🥰

I’m currently editing my next kayaking film, a slightly more upbeat one, exploring Loch Awe and its castles and islands, with ‪@donnywilcox‬ ! It’s a lovely trip full of local history and four seasons of weather crammed into 24 hours, and I’m looking forward to sharing it with everyone ☺️

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4 days ago (edited) | [YT] | 64

Peaks & Paddles

I’m currently editing some videos from a couple of paddling trips over the past two weeks in bonnie Scotland 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿

An ongoing issue with my hip means I can’t really hike much at the moment, so I’m not totally sure when my next hiking video will be! In the meantime, I hope folks are alright with a few kayaking trips ☺️ Hopefully I’ll be on the mend soon and back out in the hills again…

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2 weeks ago | [YT] | 28

Peaks & Paddles

Back up in Scotland filming another wee adventure!

3 weeks ago | [YT] | 40

Peaks & Paddles

I was recently featured in an article in The Great Outdoors magazine, which covered some of Britain’s “happiest” walking routes. I spoke about the Affric Kintail Way, which has, in my opinion, some of the most beautiful and wild scenery in the Highlands. It was great to see images from my film featured in the article too! If you’ve not watched my silent film of the walk, make yourself a cup of tea and relax for the next 22 minutes with it 🙂

A Journey into Silence | Solo Walking the Affric Kintail Way
https://youtu.be/1iR3fTsfPAQ

4 weeks ago | [YT] | 49

Peaks & Paddles

I’m almost done editing my most ambitious video yet. Filming kayaking trips is full of logistical issues but I was determined to shoot this one as it’s a place that’s very special to me, and the entire trip was absolutely sublime. I’m extremely excited about releasing it this coming week and I hope that you’ll all enjoy watching it as much as I enjoyed making it 🥰

4 weeks ago | [YT] | 44

Peaks & Paddles

I’m out filming my next video. It’s been atmospheric.

1 month ago | [YT] | 35

Peaks & Paddles

A very happy new year to you all! May 2026 be a year of joy and adventure 🥰

I’m currently preparing for my first big trip of the year! Conditions up at my destination are looking incredibly gorgeous (photo taken by ‪@donnywilcox‬), and I just hope they’ll stay that way until I dip my paddle into those waters!

Suffice to say, I’ll have a new kayaking video up soon ☺️

1 month ago | [YT] | 33

Peaks & Paddles

Finished up the year with a few nights in the Lake District. No cameras or anything, just me and my thoughts. Wishing everyone a happy whatever-you-celebrate (Christmas! Hanukkah! Kwanza!) and a wonderful year ahead in 2026 🙂🏕️

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1 month ago | [YT] | 33

Peaks & Paddles

Life circumstances are keeping me close to home at the moment, so this weekend’s adventure was a wee jaunt in the Chilterns where I live. Video soon!

3 months ago | [YT] | 20