Combining a love of hiking with a passion for photography, community member Giacomo Farabegoli ventures into the outdoors to capture landscapes at all times of day. His photos reflect a real passion for landscape and astrophotography, a perfect fit for our Nature Photography Day Question of the week, which we just published.
“I got started by finding my mom’s old Nikon F601 in a cabinet at home. After a couple of film rolls, used to figure out various combinations of aperture and shutter speed, I decided to go full analog by buying an Olympus OM-1 (the ’70s version, not the digital). After some years, I finally went digital with a Nikon D5000. At first, I was all for street photography since I was living in Milan. Then, in 2021, I moved to Trentino-Alto Adige, surrounded by mountains, and there I fell in love with Nature photography. I found the need to change systems and bought a used Sony a7R IV.”
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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| Catinaccio range, Val di Fassa, Italy “It was in November, and I spent several hours hiking to this spot. I pitched the tent and waited. I’ve done the Milky Way shot with the tent blending three exposures (foreground, tent and sky), and two different sessions for the star trails (one with the tent and one only mountains). I stayed up till 3 am and didn’t sleep because of the freezing night at 2600 meters!” Sony a7R IV | Viltrox 16mm F1.8 FE | F1.8 | 6 sec | ISO 3200 |
Meet Giacomo Farabegoli
Home base: Val di Fiemme, Trentino-Alto Adige, Italy
Favorite camera and lens: “I think the Osprey Camera Chest Rig is my favorite item since it’s really comfortable during long hikes, and I can have my camera ready quite fast, but at the same time well protected. The rig conveniently connects directly to just about any backpack’s shoulder straps.”
“While I was living in the city, I tended to focus more on portraits and street photography, but since I moved closer to nature, I started to do landscape photography. This resulted in a change of gear as well. I didn’t need any more flashes or fast 85mm lenses, so I shifted more to wide-angle fast primes and lightweight zooms for day hikes. An expensive shift, but completely worth it.”
What’s in Giacomo’s bag
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| Giacomo’s camera bag
Photo: Giacomo Farabegoli |
Primary cameras: Sony a7R IV (primary), Sony a7C II (secondary)
- Lenses:
- Support gear: “My new kit is built around landscape and astrophotography, with the need for it to be portable for hiking. I have a Heipi 3-in-1 carbon tripod that provides a sturdy support system for long treks. An intervalometer (auto-shutter trigger) is always packed for star trail photography, along with spare batteries for extended nights in the field. For more detailed deep-sky work, a star tracker is included (usually). A particularly useful addition is a tent string tensioner, which can be used to secure and stabilize the tripod against rocks during windy conditions. I’m not going to lose my equipment to a cliff face fall…”
- Camera bags: “I use different packs depending on the length and purpose of the trip. A Manfrotto Pro Light Backloader is reserved for paid shoots and travel, thanks to its gear capacity and airline-friendly dimensions. For hiking, I tend to an Osprey Talon 26L for day trips, a Millet Ubic 35L for overnight photography outings, and an Osprey Atmos AG 50L for multi-day adventures.”
“I should note that camera gear is protected inside these packs using a Lowepro GearUp Box or, when minimizing weight is a priority, a Spinn Design Wrapper. For quick access on the trail, take a Peak Design Capture Clip or an Osprey Camera Chest Rig, as these keep the camera readily available.”
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Corno Nero, Oclini, Alto Adige, Italy Sony a7R IV | Sony FE 70-200mm F2.8 GM II | F2.8 | 1/320 sec | ISO 320 |
How has your photography changed since you started?
“While I was living in the city, I focused more on portraits and street photography, but since I moved near nature, I have only been doing landscapes or nature-focused photography. This resulted in a change of gear as well. I didn’t need any more flashes or fast 85mm lenses, so I shifted more to wide-angle fast primes and lightweight zooms for day hikes.”
“I shoot usually in mountain scapes, away from people and urban areas. I often find myself surrounded by snow during winter shootings, freezing in the cold, but with a lot of clear skies to keep my attention on while I also try to keep warm.”
How do you adapt your setup to different situations?
“In 2025, I went for a long hike in the Dolomites near where I live. I’ve done some pretty extreme climbs of 85 kilometers with 6000 meters of elevation gain in 5 days with a 20kg backpack full of camping and photography gear.”
“Depending on what type of hike I’m doing, for a day hike I bring only my camera with the 24-105mm and a spare battery. On multi-day hikes, I bring more batteries and a couple of lenses (usually 24-105mm and 14mm). If it is a night shooting for star trails and Milky Way, I go with two camera bodies and even three lenses, depending on the subject (like the 70-200mm if I want to do moon or deep sky), an intervalometer and a star tracker.”
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| Magliano, Tuscany, Italy “An abandoned church in Tuscany, saw the spot from the road and went the same night to try this photo, I was lucky to get a perfect, clear sky.” Sony a7R IVA | Viltrox 16mm F1.8 FE | F8 | 61 sec | ISO 2000 |
When capturing that perfect shot, what techniques come to mind?
“I like to go explore before actually going shooting, if possible. I don’t bring the camera; I just go there and start exploring the surrounding area to find the perfect spot for the tripod and the tent. If I can’t explore beforehand, like on a vacation trip, I use different apps, Photopills and ThePhotographerEphemeris, to virtually explore the area and find potential spots before I arrive. Once I have the spot in mind, it’s then all in the hands of Mother Nature to give me the ideal conditions to shoot a perfect photo.”
How can print photographers learn from digital photographers?
“As I’m organizing workshops, I often see that a lot of people starting digital photography lack those little details that I learned when I was shooting analog. Using the camera in Manual mode to achieve the desired exposure, rather than relying entirely on Auto mode. A good exercise is to turn off the camera’s image preview and check what you have done when you go back home.”
“A good exercise is to turn off the camera’s image preview and check what you have done when you go back home.”
“Another piece of advice is that every setup depends on what you want to shoot. I do landscapes and prints, so I need high image quality and a lot of megapixels. A street photographer, though, needs to focus more on portability, as a sports photographer does on a faster camera.”
“And last but not least, you don’t need to spend thousands of dollars to start. My first camera was 120€ with two lenses (unheard of these days, I know), start low and then improve your gear only when you’ve improved your technique!”
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| Karersee, Alto Adige, Italy “Sunset over Karersee Lake, waited 3 hours for the perfect light.” Nikon D800E | Sigma 20mm F1.4 DG HSM Art | F13 | 1/15 sec | ISO 100 |
Giacomo really enjoyed writing the content for this spotlight article and would be grateful for you to join him in discussion in the forums. Thanks, Giacomo, for being featured!
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