I’m Dan Bailey, a twenty-five-year-plus professional outdoor photographer and official Fujifilm X-Photographer based in Anchorage, Alaska. I like to shoot landscapes, mountain aerials, adventure, and travel.
I’ve always had a love for the outdoors, and about six months after I bought my first camera back in 1990, I read an article about Galen Rowell, who basically invented the idea of combining adventure and photography as a career.
I knew right then that this was the path I wanted to follow.
After shooting with Nikon for fifteen years, I became intrigued by the Fujifilm X Series camera in 2011. As someone who likes to go light and fast in the outdoors, I loved the small compact form factor; the image quality and colors brought me back to the wonder I experienced shooting Fuji films like Velvia and Provia.
By 2023, I went all-in with Fujifilm and began a new era of creative liberation with my photography.
Having been one of the first photographers to shoot with the Fujifilm X-T1, I have always been impressed with the quality and performance of the X Series line.
After moving up to the X-T2, I’m now shooting with the Fujifilm X-T3 and the Fujifilm X-T4. I have also added the small but very capable Fujifilm X100V to my arsenal.
These cameras fit perfectly with my fast-moving, adventurous style and my constant drive for creative exploration.
For lenses, I’m a huge fan of the small Fujifilm XF prime lenses;
XF16mm f/2.8
XF35mm f/2 and the
XF50mm f/2
I rarely leave the house without at least two, if not three of these lenses.
On the longer end;
XF90mm f/2 – I find this lens has unmatched optics, with incredible performance and fast autofocus.
My favorite Fujifilm zoom lenses are all incredibly capable;
XF70-300 – this offers a compact form factor, great stabilization, and close focus.
XF50-140mm f/2.8 – which is a pro-level telephoto zoom with a classic focal length.
XF100-400mm – this lens is quite large but very high performing.
I also use the Fujifilm XF1.4x teleconverter, which works on all three of these zoom lenses.
When I need to use flash, say for shooting action sports, I use the Fujifilm EF-60 radio-controlled flashes and the Fujifilm EF-W1 Wireless Commander.
My favorite photo packs are the Lowepro Photo Sport III AW and the Atlas Packs “Athlete” model. Both of these allow quick access to my camera gear and also to the necessary outdoor gear I’ll carry, like energy bars, water, jacket, extra batteries, etc.
There’s never a time when I carry all of my lenses at the same time, rather I pick and choose a small, optimal kit that will cover the range of focal lengths and performance I need for any given shoot.
Sometimes it might be three small primes, like the 16mm, 35mm, and 50mm, while other times, I’ll add in one of the larger telephotos, depending on what I’m photographing.
When I do use a tripod, my favorite is the Gitzo 0545T Traveler, and I have used SanDisk Extreme Pro SD cards almost exclusively for the past fifteen years.
I don’t love spending lots of time processing photos, and with the excellent quality JPEGs that the Fujifilm cameras create, I don’t usually do much editing at all. My current favorite editing software is DxO PhotoLab.
I use Photo Mechanic for browsing, sorting images, and adding metadata.
Light and fast is the key to my book. Whether I’m hiking, cycling, or shooting out the window of my 1947 Cessna 120 bush plane, I love the freedom and liberation of moving quickly through the outdoors with a minimal kit.
With a small photo pack, one X Series body, three prime lenses, a couple of Clif bars, and a spare jacket, my entire bag might weigh only five pounds. This still gives me everything I need to capture the types of images that excite me and drive my passion for photography.
