A split-second moment during the boxing competition at the Glasgow 2026 Commonwealth Games. [Nikon Z8 with NIKKOR Z 400mm f/2.8 TC VR S]

Four cameras, seven lenses, and one Commonwealth Games. That was the equipment I brought to Glasgow 2026. Most days, however, only three cameras came with me to the competition venues. The fourth stayed at the hotel as a backup, unless I planned to use it as a remote camera.

After 11 years of working in sports photography, I’ve learned that choosing equipment is about anticipating what might happen from the positions available to me. Sometimes I need the reach to isolate an athlete across a venue; seconds later, I might need a wider view to capture a reaction or show the atmosphere around the competition. My kit has changed considerably since my first Commonwealth Games in Birmingham in 2022. Some of those changes came from advances in camera technology, while others came from discovering what worked, what limited me, and which photographs I wanted to make differently.…