Inside My Camera Bag | John Bozinov

Kia Ora, my name is John Bozinov. I’m a polar expedition photographer from Aotearoa, New Zealand.

For around six months each year I work on an expedition vessel that operates in the polar latitudes during their respective summer months.

My job is essentially a contemporary take on the work of the great photographers who documented the heroic age of polar exploration, such as Frank Hurley and Herbert Ponting. I capture images of our voyage, with a focus on the incredible wildlife and landscapes we encounter.

I use a variety of different cameras and equipment for my job, although the most important aspect is their ability to function in sub-zero temperatures while getting covered in sea spray on a daily basis.

I’ve found that Canon DSLRs are the most resilient in this respect, and that’s why I’ve stuck with them as my primary bodies for the last few years, as they are still the standard for industrial photography.

I also use my iPhone Xs Max a lot during these trips, and my Instagram feed is exclusively photos and videos taken from my iPhone. iPhone photography works very well in this environment as it’s completely waterproof, and the wide angle lens is still adequate for wildlife photography as the animals in the polar regions, and particularly Antarctica, will often approach me very closely.

Below is a list of the equipment featured in my kit shot. I typically use all of this gear at least once during my voyages, and much of it gets used daily.

• Backpack – Wandrd 31L Prvke
• Beanie – Herschel Supply
• Binoculars – Olympus 10×42 EXWP I
• Book – ‘South’ by Sir Ernest Shackleton
• Boots – Kathmandu XT Fitzgerald
• Camera holster belt – Spider Pro Dual Camera System V2
• Camera lenses – Tamron 24-70 f/2.8, Canon 100-400 f/4.5-5.6 II, Tamron 15-30 f/2.8
• Canteen – Keith Titanium Canteen Mess Kit
• Drone – DJI Mavic Pro
• DSLR cameras – Canon 5d mk IV
• External hard drives – LaCie Rugged Mini
• Floatation coat – Mustang Survival Catalyst Floatation Coat
• Glacier sunglasses – Julbo Vermont Classic
• Gloves – Glacier Glove Pro Angler
• GPS – Garmin 64s
• Ice axe – Grivel Mont Blanc 65cm
• Insulated Kanteen – Klean Kanteen TKPro
• Knife – Leatherman Skeletool KBX
• Multitool – Leatherman Surge
• Pants – Macpac Fitzroy Alpine Series
• Photographer – @johnbozinov
• Smartphone – iPhone Xs Max
• Smartphone gimbal – DJI Mobile II
• Smartphone underwater housing – Aquatech AxisGo
• Sweater – Edmund Hillary Heritage Cable Roll Neck
• Tripod – Joby Gorillapod SLR Zoom
• Watch – Casio W-217H