Colin J. Pearce

Image: Torii Tunnel

Colin J. Pearce is an award-winning, Adelaide-based photographer and filmmaker who has used the Sony mirrorless system since 2010. He has been involved in photography since he was 6 years old with an old Brownie camera. The magic of seeing his view transform to a print inspired him.

Right through high school he was in the photography club and the darkroom club. In 1990 he bought his first Sony video camera, and gradually became interested in filmmaking. While he was living in Brisbane he did an Advanced Diploma of Screen.

In 2010 Colin bought his first Sony E-mount stills camera, the NEX-5, to get travel photography with a large sensor but incredibly small size and weight. In 2012 he bought the Sony a99 full frame camera, but after a trek in China in 2015 decided to change completely to the Sony APS-C E-mount cameras to keep weight to a minimum, but still allowing lens interchangeability with his Sony E-mount movie cameras.

With his Sony 4K E-mount video cameras he makes feature films and music videos. With his Sony stills cameras he mainly does travel, landscape and some portrait photography. Colin is an adventure traveller, having travelled to some 70 countries, completed a 17-day trek to Mt Everest in 2017 and Africa's Mt Kilimanjaro in 2019, giving him a range of spectacular photo opportunities. However as Immediate Past President of the Port Adelaide Camera Club he is involved in most forms of photography.

What is in your camera bag?

<p>Commonly I’ll have two bodies (my main camera being the Sony Alpha 7R v, and secondary camera the Alpha 6600) plus four lenses (16-35mm ƒ2.8 GM, 16-55mm ƒ2.8, 85mm ƒ1.8 FE and 70-350mm ƒ4.5-6.3), plus a spare battery and SD cards. I carry an ND filter if planning to do videos.</p>

What is your go to in your Alpha kit and why?

Sony Alpha 6600 with Sony 16-55mm ƒ2.8. It’s a fantastic lightweight combo that produces colours and quality far beyond laboratory tests can show. I typically take 75% of my photos with this combo, despite carrying all my other gear.

Fishermen's Wharf Mist 1 / 10

Defying Gravity 2 / 10

Colin at Hotel Everest View en route to Everest Base Camp, October 2017 3 / 10

Female Bushman 4 / 10

Grumpy Seller 5 / 10

Diamond of Ama Dablam 6 / 10

Temple Pray 7 / 10

Foggy Feed, Barossa Valley 8 / 10

Soul Singer 9 / 10

Turnagain Arm Sunrise 10 / 10

Most memorable moment shooting with Alpha?

Climbing up to the top of a ridge at midnight near Everest Base Camp and doing astrophotography – while almost passing out from lack of oxygen. Loved the result, though.