What do you recommend for a tripod?
There are two types of tripods: cheap and low cost and ones that work. Please check out the articles section here on my web page for more information.

Do you recommend mirrorless cameras?
Initially, I held a strong dislike for mirrorless cameras due to their electronic viewfinder, black screen, and limited availability of long lenses suitable for wildlife photography. However, since 2020, the latest mirrorless cameras have undergone remarkable advancements, completely changing my perspective. I highly recommend considering a mirrorless camera. It is evident that camera manufacturers are actively embracing this technology, and, as a result, many older cameras and lenses are gradually being discontinued. Mirrorless is the future.

Quick tips for buying a camera:
Full Frame Sensors: Better quality, more expensive, more weight
Cropped Sensors: Cheaper and lighter weight

Do not buy a kit: Most camera stores package kits with items that they are trying to get rid of. Buy each item separately (camera body only)

Do not buy a lens for cropped sensors:
Every manufacturer offers lenses designed for both cropped sensors and full-frame cameras. Suppose you decide to opt for a camera body with a cropped sensor to save some money. In this case, you purchase a lens specifically built for cropped sensors. However, if you eventually become more invested in photography and decide to upgrade to a full-frame sensor body, that lens will become unusable and essentially serve as a paperweight.

For example, Canon has three options:
EF: You will need a converter if you are mirrorless
EF-S: Cropped version
RF: The mount for mirrorless

Focal length:
For landscape photography I would recommend a zoom lens in the 24-70 range or even 24-105. For wildlife, the lens would have to be much longer, over 400 mm.

This is an excellent site for reviews: https://www.dpreview.com/reviews

What card/photo storage size should I invest in?
I prefer brand name cards: Scandisk, Delkin, and Lexar.

There are two things to look for when buying memory cards: storage space and speed. The more space, the more photos it can store.

The other consideration is speed. The MBS (megabytes per second) is important.The higher the speed, the faster the data will transfer to and from the card. This is important for wildlife and sports photography.

Where to buy:
I recommend reaching out to your local camera store to inquire about prices. Once you receive a quote, it’s worth checking out Hunts Photos for a comparison. It’s important to note that I do not receive any compensation for promoting sales at Hunts. If Hunts Photo offers competitive prices, I encourage you to consider supporting your local store instead. If you decide to contact Hunts, be sure to ask for Alan S. for accurate pricing. He is known for promptly returning calls.

https://www.sphotography.com/sponsors

How much money to spend?
That is a personal question as it depends on your goals. If you are photographing for social media, most cameras are fine. If you are entering camera club competitions, that level is a little higher. If you are looking to be published and be a pro, you would want to consider the top of the line cameras like the Nikon Z8 or Canon R5.

What filters do you recommend?
I think having a polarizer is critical for any outdoor photographer.

In the past I have always recommended a split neutral density filter but now with the graduated filter in Lightroom, it can easily be done in the digital darkroom. If you are more advanced in post-production, masking in photoshop opens a lot of doors. There are a lot of great videos that show you how to use these features. See links below.

Skylight filter is recommended by most camera stores as a cheap way to protect your lenses. I don’t recommend them. If you have a $1200 lens and you put a $10 filter on it, the picture quality will be $10. Use your lens cap and hood to protect your lens.

Bottom line: Get a good polarizer. 

What’s in my bag:
Canon R5 mirrorless
Canon 5D Mark IV
16-35 F2.8 lens: A great lens for night photography
24-105 F4 lens: This is the lens I use the most for landscape photography
100-400 F4.5/5.6 lens: I use this lens for both landscape and wildlife
600 mm F4 lens: Great lens for wildlife, but expensive
Teleconverters: 1.4X and 2X
Extension Tubes
Polarizer
Delkin and Sandisk cards
Cable release or intervalometer (Time Lapse)
Hoodman Loop (Great tool for live view focusing at night)
Headlamp (Lightweight and great for night photography or emergencies)
One extra lens cap and rear lens cap
Flint: Fire starter for emergency

Macro
If I am shooting macro I add my 180 and/or my 100 mm lens to my camera bag. I may also carry reflectors, the plamp, platypod, and extension tubes.

Which is better extension tubes or a macro lens?
Macro lenses and extension tubes allow you to get closer to your subject by decreasing the minimum focusing distance. They both have their pros and cons. Macro lenses are better quality and focus closer than extension tubes.

Extension tubes are cheaper, lighter and take up less space in your camera bag. If I am going on a trip that requires a lot of macro/closeup photography, I will bring the macro lens. If I am going on a trip where macro is not one of my main planned subjects like Alaska or Yellowstone, I will carry extension tubes. An example: Let’s say you're walking through Yellowstone, and you see a beautiful insect, frost-covered leaf, or want to get closer to a ground squirrel—now you can use the extension tubes.

Extension tubes: A few things to keep in mind.
You do not need a top-of-the-line name since there is no glass (quality loss). Some extension tubes do not work with Autofocus. You lose your focus to infinity which is no big deal since you are doing a close-up anyway. Extension tubes can be combined with a macro lens for an extreme close-up.

What do you use for a tripod head?
As a nature photographer, I do a lot of macro, night, landscape, and wildlife photography. I find a ballhead the most practical for me.

I recommend Kirk Enterprises, Pro Media Gear, Benro, Manfrotto, and Gitzo.

Plates
Make sure you also buy a plate (even better, use an L Bracket) for your camera. I also recommend you buy a dedicated plate for each lens that has a collar. For plates, I recommend Arca Swiss Compatible. https://photographylife.com/arca-swiss-quick-release-system

Here are some companies and products that I mention during my presentations (updated Jan 2023).

Garmin GPS: Great for saving locations. https://www.garmin.com/en-US/search/?query=GPS
Gitzo Tripods and Ball Heads: https://www.gitzo.com/us-en/
Promedia Gear Tripods, Flash & L-Bracket, Gimbal & Ball Heads
https://promediagear.com

More affordable:
Manfrotto: https://www.manfrotto.com/us-en/
Benro: https://benrousa.com/

Camera Bags:
There are multiple companies that produce camera bags, and it’s important to keep in mind that everyone has a unique body size and shape. Therefore, the best approach is to physically try on the bag before making a decision.
Lowe Pro https://www.lowepro.com/us-en/
Think Tank Photo https://www.thinktankphoto.com/
Mindshift: https://www.thinktankphoto.com/pages/mindshift-gear

Other Items:
Hoodman Loupe
Kenko Extension Tube Set
Flexshooter (A ballhead that acts like a Gimball Head)

Software (Post Processing)

What do you use for post processing?
I currently use both Lightroom and Photoshop. They are both great programs. 

Lightroom is my favorite as it is like several different programs all in one. There are several features that help you edit, organize, keyword, compare, develop, and separate photos. You could even put together a book, printing project, or build a website with it. 

To be more specific, I use Lightroom Classic.

Most nature photographers use Lightroom. Also, I want to mention that I see many photographers using too many programs, sometimes ten or more. I would rather be great at a few than mediocre at a bunch.  

What do recommend for an online resource to learn Lightroom or other post processing techniques?
There are several different books and tutorials on the web. My favorite way is to watch a video. There are several that are free and a some you can pay for. Some can be streamed and/or downloaded. 

Free: 
Adobe.com: There are several resources on Adobe's website. 
YouTube: There are several videos that can teach you how to do just about anything. Some of these videos are excellent, some are horrible. Be careful.

Paid:
Tim Grey: A great Instructor on Lightroom and Photoshop
https://www.greylearning.com/
Kelbyone: has several educational videos on post processing and photography
https://kelbyone.com/
Lynda.com has several videos on photography, post processing, various software programs, web design, social media, and marketing.
https://www.lynda.com 
Matt Kloskowski is a great teacher on both Lightroom and Photoshop.
https://mattk.com/