What's in My Camera Bag?
Hi Friends!On Instagram this week, I asked my friends and followers to ask me questions they would like to hear me talk about on the blog and they 👏🏼came 👏🏼through 👏🏼. I got so many great questions that helped me narrow down what you all actually would like to hear from me.
Screenshots from my Instagram question poll
Today, we’re going to talk about the most asked about topic: gear! Let’s get to talking about what’s in my camera bag!
First off— the actual camera bag
I have gone through so many bags trying to find the one that fits my equipment, has great functionality and is also stylish. Let’s be real most camera bags are not. That’s why when I found this Australian brand Kamrette through Instagram, I was so excited. I bought the Lyra bag and waited for the package to be shipped. The gray canvas and vegan leather are water treated as well which is a big plus for when shooting in the rain or any other unexpected weather. Inside the bag are removable, customizable organizers that can be arranged to fit what you would like. The bag cost $199, including international shipping, and can be found here. It also comes in a camel leather and black leather.
My gray canvas Kamrette camera Lyra bag
Here’s a list of gear and accessories I keep in the bag:A prism - not the one I bought, but similar enough!
Energizer batteries for the flash
A battery grip and 2 extra batteries
SD card case with 3 128 GB SD cards
A portable charger and lightning cable
External hard drive and a hard drive carrying case
A bag of travel toiletries and necessities
Extra spearmint gum—always
My Gwinnett Church nametag (for shooting at my church environments)
A mini hand sanitizer
One of the items in this list that I want to highlight is my Hiptipico camera strap. I am in love with it! Hiptipico is based out of Guatemala and they produce ethical fashion productions made by native artisans. They are a brand doing a great work and I am so happy to support them while wearing such a cute strap. I love having cute, but practical gear is one of my favorite parts of this job. I remember saving up for my first cute camera strap for my first camera.
Me with my Hiptipico Strap taken by my best friend, Ansley.
When I first started photography, I started out on a Canon Rebel T5, a kit lens (meaning the lens that came with the camera an 18-55mm), and a nifty fifty. After a few years of shooting on that set up and some time away from photography, it was time to come back to shooting. I initially went into the store wanting to buy the Canon 5D Mark IV. There really wasn’t any huge reason why I went with the Sony mirrorless body. I honestly just went with it because it was lighter!
The Sony A7RIII ended up having a lot more features that I found useful than the Canon 5D IV like a bigger sensor meaning a better resolution. It also has a great eye AutoFocus (AF) system that helps lock down perfect focus most of the time. One more feature that I loved about it, was the 4K recording. I am not a videographer by any means, but it is definitely a skill I would like to learn!
If you are just starting out in photography, I recommend the Canon Rebel series. They are great, affordable, user-friendly cameras that I was able to learn on my own. Even though Sony’s are my personal choice of brand now, they are extremely customizable with an extensive menu list that could be overwhelming for a beginning. Be sure to check out part one of “I’m a Beginner to Photography! Help! —Basics on Gear, Essentials, and Tips” for more information on what gear you should start out on.
Me with my first camera, Canon Rebel T5 and my trusted 50mm lens in Clearwater, FL during my freshmen year of college taken by a friend.
Whatever you are shooting on now though, do not discount it! Having the best, most expensive gear means nothing if you don’t know how to use it, the eye for good shots, the directing skills for clients, and knowledge on how to edit. I learned everything I could from that Rebel T5 and then upgraded when I decided it was time to take that next step and invest in higher quality equipment.
Did this help you out? Let me know! I love reading and seeing what other photographers keep in their bags and what gear and accessories they love to use for their business.