About

About Me & Field Gear

Hi, I'm Paul Chernotsky, founder of LGC Field Gear.

My connection to photography began long before I picked up a camera. My father was part of the generation of photographers who worked for Movie Snaps in Cape Town during the 1950s, documenting everyday life and preserving moments that might otherwise have been lost to time.

Some of my earliest memories are of spending time in our home darkroom in Caledon, learning how to develop film and print black-and-white photographs from 35mm negatives. Watching an image slowly emerge in a tray of developer felt like magic. More than fifty years later, I can still recall the smell of developer and hypo, the red safelight glowing in the corner, and the excitement of seeing a photograph come to life before my eyes.

Those early experiences taught me that photography is about far more than equipment. It's about patience, observation, craftsmanship, and the ability to preserve a moment in time.

As the years passed, photography remained a constant companion. I witnessed the transition from film to digital, from darkrooms to computers, but the fascination with creating images never left me. Photography became a way to explore, learn, travel, and connect with people and places that I might otherwise never have encountered.

Along the way, I developed an appreciation for equipment that is designed with purpose. Not only cameras and lenses, but the bags and carry systems that protect them. The best gear quietly does its job, allowing you to focus on the experience rather than the equipment.

My search for that kind of gear eventually led me to Wotancraft. Their commitment to craftsmanship, functionality, and timeless design immediately resonated with me. What began with a single bag soon became a genuine appreciation for the brand and the philosophy behind its products.

The more I used the gear, the more I realised that many photographers and creators in Southern Africa were looking for the same thing: thoughtfully designed products built to accompany them wherever their work and adventures might take them.

That realisation became the foundation of LGC Field Gear.

Today, LGC Field Gear works in conjunction with Wotancraft to make premium field gear more accessible to photographers, filmmakers, content creators, and adventurers throughout Southern Africa.

But Field Gear is about more than products.
It's about the people who use them.

It's about early mornings before sunrise, long days on the road, unexpected discoveries, and the stories we bring home. It's about supporting a community of creators who are passionate about documenting the world around them.

In many ways, LGC Field Gear is a continuation of a journey that started decades ago in a small darkroom in Caledon, where a young boy first discovered the magic of photography.

Today, that same passion continues to guide everything we do.

Thank you for being part of the journey.

Built for Creators. Ready for Adventure.

— Paul Chernotsky
Founder, LGC Field Gear