About Us
Confessions of a Lens Addict
I don’t have a press pass.
I have a day job, a 2-year-old, a 9-year-old, and a serious lens addiction.
How It Started
My photography journey began with a plastic click.
In 1976, my dad bought me a 110 film camera — tiny cartridges, grainy prints, zero control. I loved every badly exposed frame.
But the real obsession started underwater.
My dad shot a Nikonos — the legendary orange brick designed for divers.
That camera didn’t just take photos. It opened a world I couldn’t unsee.
Me diving in 1986, photographed by my dad on his Nikonos.
We didn’t have other cameras to document the documentarian back then, but this image captures the exact moment photography stopped being a hobby and became something permanent.
That obsession never went away.
It just grew up, got more expensive, and started affecting travel plans.
The Gear Spiral
(G.A.S. in Its Purest Form)
I churned through early point-and-shoots until I landed my first Nikon DSLR.
Then I betrayed that entirely and ran away with a Canon 20D.
Then the original Canon 5D.
Then Fuji.
Then Leica.
Then Fuji again.
Then back to Canon.
(If you shoot Fuji, you already know.)
Today, I mostly shoot Canon — not because of the bodies, but because I’ve accumulated more glass than a small museum. Some of my lenses are over 25 years old and still perfect.
In other words: I’m trapped by my own investment.
And honestly? I wouldn’t have it any other way.
The “Holiday” Myth
Photography took me everywhere.
Antarctica.
Svalbard.
The Philippines.
Borneo.
And eventually, all seven continents.
For my honeymoon, we spent six weeks overland from Namibia to Zambia with a roof tent, a bottle of gin, and far too much kit.
I brought a Canon 1DX, a 300mm f/2.8, and a 2× extender.
(I wanted the f/2.8 for night shots. It worked.)
For non-photographers: that setup looks like a piece of the Hubble Telescope.
A leopard at night, captured with that setup.
Canon 1DX • EF 300mm f/2.8 IS II • 1/250 • f/2.8 • ISO 6400
Here’s the Truth
I’ve never been a full-time professional photographer.
I’m the guy who worked a full-time job, hoarded holiday days, woke up at 4am for golden hour, and printed my own work at home.
I’ve carried camera bags heavier than my suitcase.
I know the pain of missing the shot.
And I know the quiet satisfaction of finally nailing it.
That’s exactly who Aperture Threads is for.
Where I Am Now
Right now, life looks like this:
- Full-time dad to a 2-year-old girl and a 9-year-old boy
- Living in the Falkland Islands for 15 months
- Surrounded by penguins, seals, and some of the most remote landscapes on Earth
- Trying to photograph it all… while keeping a toddler from eating rocks
I’m not Nat Geo.
I’m not an influencer.
I’m you — someone who loves photography enough to shape their life around it.
Why I Started Aperture Threads
I wanted photography apparel that actually felt like me — and like us.
But everything I found fell into two categories:
- Boring, generic camera logos
- Designs that took themselves way too seriously
I didn’t need perfection.
I needed inside jokes.
Humour only another photographer would get.
I needed apparel made by someone who’s felt the struggle — not someone who thinks ISO is a cryptocurrency.
So I made Aperture Threads for the rest of us.
For photographers who squeeze their passion between work, family, and life — and still show up for the shot anyway.
For those who respect the craft but can laugh at the obsession.
For those who know the struggle… and love it anyway.
How We Do Things
The Designs
The camera settings on our designs aren’t random. They’re based on real shooting scenarios.
Perfect? No.
Better than generic merch that slaps f/2.8 on a landscape? Absolutely.
The Quality
Our shirts are 100% USA cotton, printed to order in the USA.
Butter-soft, durable, and designed not to feel like punishment after a 12-hour shoot.
The Service
Customer service uses photography metaphors because… why wouldn’t it?
If your shirt shrinks, we apologise for the crop factor and send a full-frame replacement.
The No-Nonsense Guarantee
Photography is complicated. Returns shouldn’t be.
I shoot AV/Manual, but we keep our returns on Auto.
If the shirt doesn’t fit or the vibe isn’t right:
- Email us within 30 days
- Tell us: refund or different size
- Do not send it back (seriously — no labels, no boxes, no post office)
We’ll process it immediately.
What should you do with the original?
Keep it. Donate it. Give it to a friend who shoots JPEG. Or use it as a lens cloth.
Spread the art — don’t fill a landfill.
Ready to Wear Your Settings?
Browse the collection.
Find something that makes you laugh — or makes you want to start a technical debate in the comments.
I know you have opinions about JPEG vs RAW.
I know you’ve spent three hours in the cold for a shot that didn’t work out.
I know you’ll do it again next weekend.
This is for you.