Delve into the mind of adventure photographer Toby Roney, who has been taking photos since the age of 11 when he stole his dad’s camera and started taking photos of whatever he could. His passion for photography and adventure turned into a lifestyle and he has never looked back... always learning, always exploring.
Toby is no stranger to adventure. One of his most memorable moments was the 1000-mile Lands’ End to John O’Groats challenge he completed with a friend. Starting in just their underwear and with no clothes, money or bikes, they completed the challenge and raised over £2,700 for charity. ‘It took us 19 days to complete the challenge, we were fed, bedded and even clothed by members of the British public. We met an incredibly kind people and saw the vast and rugged terrain the UK had to offer’.
Toby places importance on life experience and learns from everything he does. He chooses to focus on the present and believes “If you are always looking to the future to bring you enjoyment, you will never fully enjoy what you are experiencing at the time.”
Like all photographers, Toby has his fair share of less-than-glamorous moments, including catching up on emails and editing images. However, he likes to ‘find micro-adventures’ in his every day, whether it be sleeping in a field in a bivvy bag or canoeing down the local river to see find locations he hasn't seen before.
To travel further and experience more, Toby recommends travelling light. He shoots on a Canon 5D Mark IV, usually with a 35mm f/1.4 Sigma lens, but sometimes with a 70-200mm f/2.8: despite occasionally adding to the weight of the whole setup, it delivers stunning, and well framed stills.
Whether he is travelling to the other side of the world, cruising around in his van or getting a train to London, he always packs his PELI Air 1535 in orange, which protects his equipment no matter the terrain.
While filming on the Isle of Skye, known for its jagged mountains, sparkling lochs, and no light pollution, Toby used 'a little piece of kit which is just incredible'. The PELI 2780R head torch came into a league of its own, giving Toby both forward lighting and a downcast LED for illuminating everything below to ensure he didn't trip and fall while on location.
Toby’s passion is adventure. For all budding photographers, he suggests 'explore and shoot’.
His next big adventure takes him to Georgia. Starting in England, Toby is swapping four wheels for two, and will be riding a Suzuki DR350 through Europe towards the gates of Asia. With a time frame of roughly two months, Toby will be set on exploring a selection of winding tracks to lesser known mountain peaks.
Keep up with Toby's adventures on his Instagram, Facebook and Website.