Callum Rae is a landscape and wildlife photographer whose work takes him to some of the most remote corners of Scotland and Scandinavia. For years he worked out of a succession of estate cars, sleeping in the boot under a duvet and editing on a laptop balanced on the passenger seat. When a commission from a national magazine required three weeks in the Outer Hebrides in November, he decided it was time for a proper mobile workspace.
The brief to Nomad Vehicle Outfitters was unusual. The van needed to be a functioning photography studio first and a living space second. Callum wanted secure, foam-lined storage for roughly forty thousand pounds worth of camera equipment, a stable workspace for tethered shooting and editing, and enough off-road capability to reach locations that normal campervans would not attempt. Nomad had experience fitting out expedition vehicles for documentary crews, so the brief was in their wheelhouse.
The Ducato XLWB was chosen for its combination of interior volume and relative affordability. The suspension was upgraded with heavy-duty springs and Bilstein dampers, and the van sits on BF Goodrich all-terrain tyres. Inside, the rear section houses a fold-down editing desk with a monitor arm that can hold Callum’s Eizo ColorEdge screen, powered by a beefy 3000W inverter. Below the desk, custom foam-cut drawers hold camera bodies, lenses, and drone equipment in compartments that would survive a rough Highland track.
The living area is compact but well-thought-out. A transverse bed folds up against the wall to create standing workspace during the day. The kitchen is minimal by design: a single burner, a small fridge, and a deep sink. Callum says he eats most meals from a Thermos flask anyway. What matters is the heating system, which is a dual-output Webasto that keeps both the living space and the equipment locker above condensation temperature. After two Scottish winters in the van, Callum says the biggest surprise was how much the proper workspace improved his output. He edits on location now, often delivering final files to clients before he has even left the area.