Aaron Goodis

Landscape | Last Updated: April 4, 2024

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Hi there, my name is Aaron Goodis. I am a Vancouver-based photographer, yup I am actually born and raised in Vancity, not too many people can say that I don’t think. Anyway enough about that and more about my photography.

I have been shooting professionally for only a few years now so my business is still very new. It’s a massive learning curve, hard work and of course tons of fun along the way.

I am slowly carving out a niche for myself by primarily shooting landscapes, outdoor lifestyle and recreation and my bread and butter, fly fishing. I have always loved the outdoors and I have fly fished most of my life and I have worked in the fly fishing industry since high school.

In one way or another I have made a career in this industry through guiding, retail, teaching fly fishing workshops and now through photography focusing on fly fishing journalism along with landscape and nature photography workshops.

Of course, I love shooting fly fishing (guide) but I would say my true passion is for landscapes and nature photography. Getting up early and staying out late in hopes of chasing and catching the perfect light is what drives my creative path!

So far I have worked with many of the leading fly fishing magazines as regular contributor where my images are published. I shoot commercial projects and create fine art framed prints that are hung by local collectors.

About My Gear:
I have always been a fan of Nikon, although I do strongly feel that the camera is only an outlet for your creative process, and that the best camera is the one you have with you. However I do feel that having the right gear for the job can make your life much easier.

For me, I rely on my gear to be strong and withstand the elements such as rain, wind, snow, sand and cold and warm temperatures.

My studio is typically outside so I have no control over what nature dishes out. I also need high resolution cameras with a big sensor for large format prints along with great glass for crystal clear printing.

With my landscape work I shoot longer exposures and deal with high dynamic light so filters can play an important role in the shoot. In most cases tripods are essential along with sturdy weatherproof camera bags, rain covers and spare batteries.

When shooting I try and limit how much I carry so that I can be agile. Also, the less I have the more time I shoot and the less time I fiddle with lens changes. My go-to setups right now are the Nikon D800 and Nikon D300s for bodies and a variety of Nikon lenses. I use filters such as polarizers, Neutral Density and Grad ND Filters by B+W and Lee.

My tripods are Gitzo with Manfrotto and Kirk ball heads. LowePro packs keep my stuff protected and dry. I also will usually have bear spray and a bright head lamp.

If I had to pick a few favourite pieces of gear it would be the Nikon D800 with Nikon 16-35mm f/3.5 VR for landscapes. This set shoots nice and wide and the resolution on the camera is insane for large prints. I use the Lee Little and Big Stoppers a lot for slowing down exposure time and the Landscape Polarizer for saturating colour and cutting glare.

For my fly fishing and lifestyle shots I love the Nikon D300s with the Nikon 10-24mm f/3.5, Nikon 70-200mm f/2.8 VR II and the Nikon 50mm f/1.8. This set has been a workhorse setup; super resistant to wear and tear. I must say though that I find it hard to pick favourites as my gear all has a unique purpose and gets used regularly for different photo ideas.

Having access to a good variety of equipment helps with the creative process.

Lastly I love my Gitzo Tripod, even though it’s carbon fibre it’s still heavy, but I take it everywhere. It’s just solid and for landscape shots it is absolutely the most important piece of gear I own.

Equipment List:
Nikon D800
Nikon D300s
Nikon 10.5mm f/2.8
Nikon 50mm f/1.8
Nikon 60mm f/2.8 Micro
Nikon 10-24mm f/3.5
Nikon 16-35mm f/3.5 VR
Nikon 70-200mm f/2.8 VR II