Creating Outside: The Gear, The Grind, The Growth

Derek Testerman, photo by John Smolko

Written by Derek Testerman

My learnings as an outdoor creative. I said creative—not just photographer. Because if you’re dipping your toes into this world as a photographer, give it a year. Before you know it, you’ll be filming videos, spending three hours hunting for that perfect audio track for your Reel, only to delete it all and start from scratch when a better song hits your feed. Welcome to the chaos of creativity.

It all started as a casual “this could be fun” kind of thing—and spiraled quickly into full-blown obsession.

My first year behind the lens was with a used Sony A7III—bought off KEH.com and paired with a Tamron 28-75mm f/2.8. Solid setup. Nothing flashy. But here’s the thing: you don’t need top-tier gear to create compelling content. Honestly, your iPhone is probably more powerful than half the stuff that shot national ads ten years ago. Don’t believe me? Go check out Outdoor Creatives on Instagram and watch what they pull off on their phones.

Eventually, though, I wanted better autofocus and more range. Enter: the Sony A7R V and a 70-200mm f/2.8. That combo changed everything. The reach, the clarity, the detail—it opened up a whole new avenue of creativity.

Then came that thought: “I need a dedicated video setup and a photo setup.” (Spoiler alert: you don’t.) But hey, money is just numbers that go up and down in this thing called a “bank account,” right? So I snagged an FX3 and a 24-240mm lens because I saw one guy use it and thought, Yep, that’s what I need too. No clue how to use it at the time, but I figured I’d, well… figure it out. Shoutout to Affirm and their 0% financing for making that leap a little easier.

Look, not everyone can afford to stack gear like that. I had a leg up—I lived in a tiny house for seven years. No rent, no mortgage. That gave me room to invest in all this gear. But whether you’re filming on a phone or a cinema rig, the gear isn’t what matters most.

The secret? Storytelling.

You can own every lens under the sun, but if your story falls flat, the fancy specs won’t save it. This is the part most creatives overlook—the reason behind the shot. Caleb Marmolejo tells an entire story with just three photos. No voiceover. No cinematic B-roll. While it’s something I still struggle with, I’m working on it.

So yeah, shoot with purpose. Tell stories that pull people in. Or don’t. Your world, you do you. But the work that sticks with me? It’s always rooted in a story.

One of the hurdles you may run into is finding opportunities to practice and learn. This is where networking comes into play. It’s one of the biggest and most important things, in my opinion, to always improve on.

Yes, gear’s expensive and everyone likes making a little side money, but sometimes jumping in and shooting for free might lead you to more opportunities—if you put the work in. Go to trade shows, events, local outdoor shops, and start developing relationships with others in the industry. You never know what might develop from one afternoon shooting geese with a couple of buddies.

If there’s one piece of advice I can give, it’s this: do more work than the next guy. No one wants a lazy friend, lazy coworker, or lazy creative. Carry the extra bag of decoys, stick around after and help clean up, run to the truck and grab the Advil. Add to the hunt, and you’ll be invited back.

As for trade shows, don’t be the annoying fly buzzing around the same table for two hours trying to land a gig. Drop a card, introduce yourself, and follow up after the show—when your (hopefully) new client isn’t bogged down with questions and has some free time to really look at what you can provide.

Long story short, it’s a great life. Being outside is good for your soul, and being able to shoot photos and capture the hunt for someone is just the cherry on top. But you need to work for it. Nothing comes quick. Put the time in, learn your gear, and get out there—and shake some shit up.