| Elizabeth Line – near the London Underground
Nikon Z5 | Nikkor Z DX 16-50mm f/3.5-6.3 VR | 16mm | F8 | 1/25 sec | ISO 125 |
Brian Ormerod, who goes by the username ikon44, has a love of architecture of all types and periods across northern Europe. Over the decades, he has traveled extensively, meticulously planning trips to capture selected projects in Vienna, Barcelona, Prague, Paris, Istanbul and beyond. His work has evolved from casual holiday snapshots to carefully composed architectural studies at the School of Architecture in Nottingham, UK.
If you are interested in interior architecture that draws your attention to all the interesting angles, lighting conditions and other details, check out Brian’s work below.
This story is part of our What’s in your bag? community spotlight series. The series showcases the diverse gear and photography of our community, and shares their stories of how that gear helped them to capture the perfect shot.
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| Metro, Line 4 – Budapest
Nikon Z5 | Nikkor Z DX 16-50mm f/3.5-6.3 VR | 16mm | F8 | 1/25 sec | ISO 1800 |
Meet Brian Ormerod (ikon44)
Home base: Milnthorpe, Cumbria, UK
Favorite camera and lens: Brian primarily uses a Nikon Z5 with a Nikkor DX 16–50mm f/3.5–6.3 VR lens for his walk-around photography. For special architectural projects, he keeps a Nikkor Z24–70 f/4 lens on hand. He values the Z5 for its manageable size and the 24MP resolution, which suits the level of detail he requires without adding unnecessary weight. His setup emphasizes practicality and comfort, allowing him to focus on composing images rather than being encumbered by heavy gear.
“The Nikon Z5 is just the right size (a little lighter weight would be nice). 24MP is fine, it has the right level of controls and seems to suit my work.
What’s in Brian’s bag
- Primary cameras: Nikon Z5
- Lenses:
- Nikkor DX 16–50mm f/3.5–6.3 VR (main walk-around lens)
- Nikkor Z24–70mm f/4 (reserved for special architectural projects)
- Viltrox 85mm f/1.8 (primarily used for family portraits)
- Support gear: Brian uses a generic L-plate to improve handling of the Z5, along with a wrist strap to keep the camera ready. He no longer uses a tripod, preferring to keep weight to a minimum and maintain flexibility while shooting. Batteries, SD cards and cleaning cloths round out his essential kit for a day of photography.
- Camera bags: LowePro Photo Active TLZ45 AW, which holds everything he needs to hand. The bag fits inside a lightweight, non-photographic backpack along with water, snacks and clothing for a full day out.
“I find the Nikon Z5 just the right size (a little lighter weight would be nice). 24MP is fine for me, it has the right level of controls and seems to suit how I work.”
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| Brian’s camera bag
Photo: Brian Ormerod |
My controversial camera choice
“This might raise a few eyebrows, but I’ve settled on a Nikon Z5 with a modest Nikkor DX 16–50mm lens for most of my photography. It’s a far cry from the heavier, higher-end gear I used when I was photographing architectural projects for clients in northern England and London. Over the years, I worked with everything from Nikon D600s and D750s to two Z5s with wide and standard zooms and even a Fujifilm XT2.”
“Yes, my images are effectively 10MP from this DX lens setup, but that’s perfectly fine for me. It may seem like a compromise, but for me, the joy is in taking the shot itself. I still keep a Z24–70 f/4 for special projects, and I’ve dabbled in a Viltrox 85mm f/1.8 for family portraits – though it had a slight mounting fault that needed repair (which, of course, was just outside the warranty period).”
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| V&A Museum – London
Nikon Z5 | Nikkor Z DX 16-50mm f/3.5-6.3 VR | 16mm | F9 | 1/100 sec | ISO 100 |
Civilizations are built on unique local architecture. What have you been impressed by?
“I’m most interested in the architecture of towns and cities across northern Europe. Since retirement, I have been traveling through parts of northern Europe, planning my trips carefully in advance to visit selected projects in Vienna, Budapest, Barcelona, Prague, Paris, Istanbul, Amsterdam, Athens, Bologna, Florence, Riola, Lisbon, Cordoba, and more, plus London, Glasgow, Oxford, Cambridge, Wells, Tewkesbury, Gloucester, Durham, Worcester and many others. In fact, I just had a day in Durham and am due to go to Helsinki for 10 days at the end of May 2026 – if my airline can find aviation fuel.”
I just had a day in Durham and am due to go to Helsinki for 10 days at the end of May 2026 – if my airline can find aviation fuel.
How has your camera gear evolved alongside your photography?
“Starting from basic holiday ‘snaps,’ I quickly had to learn, after joining the School of Architecture in Nottingham, how to photograph streetscapes, individual buildings, sites, and architectural models, to produce photos that could stand up to serious scrutiny and criticism. I also taught myself to develop and print in makeshift darkrooms.”
“My early cameras, bought second-hand on a student grant, included an English Corfield ‘Periflex’ Gold Star 35mm, followed by a Yashica SLR with clip-on exposure meter (which I later regretted parting with for an Olympus Pen-F). I then tried Minolta, Samsung, and Pentax film cameras before finally settling on Nikon, culminating in my current Z5.”
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| IMO Microsurgery Hospital – Barcelona
Nikon Z5 | Nikkor Z DX 16-50mm f/3.5-6.3 VR | 16mm | F9 | 1/125 sec | ISO 100 |
Of all your trips, which place would you recommend most to others?
“In May 2025, I went with an architect friend to Barcelona, which I found to be an architectural wonderland. We visited and photographed works by Antoni Gaudi, of course, but by pre-planning we were also able to visit a number of other projects including the IMO Eye Hospital by Josep Llinas, The University of Pompeu Fabra Library which is a spectacular arcaded masonry structure, the Santa Caterina Market, a neo-classical building refurbished by Enrique Miralles and the Fira de Belacaire flea market with spectacular fragmented mirrored canopy.”
What Nikon Z5 camera modes work best for architectural shots?
“Very occasionally, I set my camera on a firm base (if I can find a suitable area) to shoot nighttime / dark shots using modes U1 and U2, with the second delayed shutter release.”
“I have the user modes set up as follows:
- U1 – Serious architectural work (now much less often used) set to ISO 100, single point AF, single frame release.
- U2 – General architectural work set to Auto ISO 100-6400, single point AF, single frame release.
- U3 – Family portraits set to Auto ISO 100-6400, continuous AF, single frame release.”
“All with matrix metering. I shoot almost exclusively hand-held now, and often in quite dark or very dark interiors, so I need auto-ISO set to max 6400.”
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| Greek Orthodox Church – Vienna
Nikon Z5 | Nikkor Z DX 16-50mm f/3.5-6.3 VR | 16mm | F8 | 1/50 sec | ISO 900 |
What can the community take away from your experiences?
“I’m still chasing that perfect shot! Keep pressing that shutter. Don’t stop because you think it’s becoming more difficult, just adapt yourself and your gear to what you can do.”
Brian really enjoyed writing the content for this spotlight article and would be grateful for you to join him in discussion in the forums. Thanks, Brian, for being featured!
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