Try a winter photo walk

Keep your eye in and get some shutter therapy during the shorter, colder days

-  Ross McLaren

With a young family, it can be difficult to find the time to get out and enjoy some shutter therapy. For me, this has usually involved being away for up to a whole day, spending a few hours underwater in a cold Scottish loch taking photos of crabs.

As you might imagine, this isn't really an option at the moment, so lately, I have tried incorporating my photography into family days out, turning my hand to shooting street scenes.

When we head out on our adventures, the last thing I want to do is carry bulky camera gear around, so more often than not, I find myself leaving it behind. Discovering Micro Four Thirds cameras has been a revelation.

The overall size of the system meant I was able to throw a body and a couple of lenses in the nappy bag (formerly my camera bag) and still have room for all the other essentials that new parents need.

1 Choose your kit carefully 

I limit my setup to one body and a maximum of two lenses. For me, the OM Systems (formerly Olympus) Micro Four Thirds ecosystem is perfect. The difference in size between the latest full-frame mirrorless cameras and MFT bodies is not vastly different, but the size advantage that MFT enjoys is in its lenses. These tend to be far smaller than their full-frame or APS-C equivalents, which is great when the rest of the bag is stuffed full of nappies, wipes and snacks.

2 Settle any nerves