What's in my Camera Bag & Studio? And where can you get it too?
I’m a canon girl, but Nikon & Sony are amazing too!
Hey there photographers, momographers, hobbyists, beginners, professionals, all who are interested in photography at all! Let’s peek into my camera bag and studio and show you my favorites!!! Every item will have a link for you to go to amazon and get yours too!
Entry Level Camera Bodies & Lenses
There is no wrong place to start. I started with a Canon Rebel T3i 10 years ago. This is a great entry level camera for outdoor shooting. It has it’s limits indoor, but can still work with a good understanding of light and light metering. You can buy a kit, but I would not suggest it, kit lenses are a step up from point and shoot, but not a great step. Instead I would recommend grabbing this inexpensive lens that I still use on occasion today! The Canon 50mm 1.8. It’s a great low light lens and creates beautiful bokeh. If you have a little bigger budget a step up from that and a great starter lens (still a favorites of mine) are the Sigma art 50mm or the Sigma Art 35mm which is on one of my cameras at all times. I use this exclusively in studio and occasionally on outdoor sessions. These both can be canon or nikon mount (make sure you choose the right one). If you are canon loyal and want to start out with the perfect lens grab the Canon 50mm 1.2 (requires a larger budget). 50mm are the perfect lens for what you see is what you get. There is no wide angle distortion and no long lens compression. Another inexpensive lens, if you want the perfect prime portrait lens that has some compression and creates beautiful bokeh go with the canon 85mm 1.8 or upgrade to the 1.4 or 1.2 (but I don’t find the need for those apertures, unelss you do a lot of indoor work) I typically shoot around 2.8 aperture. I rarely go below 2.2. Another entry level body we have in our house is a Canon 70D. This was my dad’s camera, and I inherited it when he passed. It is the camera my extremely talented daughter uses. She creates beautifully with it!
Break out the Big Guns (Bodies & Lenses)
Ok I’ve gone through several bodies over the years as I have worn out sensors or just wanted to jump to the new industry standard. Here are a few I have had and loved! I jumped from the T3i to a full frame quickly as there is a huge difference in capability. My first jump was to a Canon 6D. They now make a Canon 6D Mark II which from what I hear is a great place to stay if you want to!
I ran my 6D into the ground. I even purchased a new shutter and used it as a backup when I bought my second body a used Canon 5D Mark iii. Since that time I have always carried two cameras in my bag when I shoot for a couple of reasons. One is because I hate switching lenses, it’s awkward, time-consuming, and comes with the fear of damaging gear. Two because you never know when an accident might happen and you need a backup camera.
When my 6D finally kicked the bucket, I purchased my first brand new top-of-the-line body (at the time) a Canon 5D Mark iv, and used my Mark iii as a backup.
Since then the industry has moved toward mirrorless. I held off for a while, thinking it was an unnecessary upgrade. But as my shutter on my Mark iii numbers got high, and the reviews on the eye-tracking ability of the mirrorless became too tempting, I caved last year and purchased my first mirrorless body. I went with the Canon R6. The R5 is the latest and greatest, but I didn’t see much difference besides more video bells and whistles for the over $1000 price tag difference. Since I don’t do much video I figured the R6 was great for me. What I do love about my R6 is the smaller, lighter body and the live screen options. I also find the ISO rolling dial and focus toggling placement better than my other bodies. I haven’t upgraded my lenses to rf mount yet, so I do have to use an adapter which so far has been great.
If you want to start out with industry-standard best quality gear and have the budget. Go with the mirrorless body options and RF Lenses.
Let’s talk lenses. I have 3 lenses that are on my camera most, and a couple that I use occasionally.
my workhorse, as I have already mentioned, the sigma art 35 I use this for all my newborn work and most studio work as I can be close to the newborns for safety and close to toddlers to get their attention. There is a little distortion (barely noticeable) but this is an easy one-click fix in Lightroom or ACR. I also use this lens outdoors when I need to get close for little kids’ attention or when I want a little more of the landscape or beautiful bokeh through trees. I also love it for lens flare and light on cloudy days!
MY FAVORITE beast of a lens. Canon 70-200. This lens creates the most creamy beautiful compressed backgrounds that make your images look painted. I shoot at 200 for the best effect. The downside is your distance from the subject. Sometimes you have to yell! But it’s worth it. I use this lens for most of my outdoor work. It’s perfect for older families and senior sessions. It’s great for weddings, so you don’t have to be right up in their business! It’s not cheap but it’s worth EVERY penny!
The 3rd lens I use most is my macro lens. I have the Canon 100mm macro It’s old and cheap, but does just what I need. No need to get fancy! There are newer more expensive models, but this does what I need. I use this for baby details, like lashes, lips, toes and fingers. It allows for up-close details. My other favorite thing to shoot with this lens is flowers and nature’s tiniest details! So much fun!
I also have an older Canon 135 prime. This lens is a BEAUTIFUL portrait lens. I like the versatility of my zoom lens more, so I often leave this one at home, but don’t discount its ability!
WISHLIST LENSES
Canon 200 prime is my dream lens for single-subject fine art portraiture. It creates basically digital paintings! The creamy compression is unmatched…but so is the price tag, so….for now…it’s a dream!
Another lens on my bucket list is the Canon 24-70mm 2.8. On occasion, I wish I had a little wider ability in studio and sometimes outdoors with young families. I prefer long lens compression, but this would solve some space and distance problems I face on occasion. I just haven’t been able to justify the cost yet for the few times I’ve wished I had it.
Another lens I want just for fun is a fisheye or wider prime lens like a 24mm. These are more artsy lenses. Since my main income is traditional portraiture I haven’t bought the “for fun” lenses yet. I did get myself a 24mm macro, but realized it was not a full frame mount so now it belongs to my daughter since she has a crop sensor camera. She created really fun artistic portraiture and macro images with it.
Camera bag Accessories
Whew! You’d think I was done right? Nope, I’ve only begun! We still need to talk accessories, lighting, and studio musts!
I mentioned I carry two bodies. Let’s talk about how I lug them around and accessibility options!
Camera Strap Options
I love my scarf strap. It’s soft and flexible and washable.
I’ve also in the past had beautifully embroidered straps and leather straps
I also have a canon strap that can be shortened which is useful when carrying two bodies, so your strap doesn’t catch on things while you walk. You could also just have quick-release clips to take the strap off quickly when needed.
I know a lot of people who use wrist straps
Camera Bag Options. I have a very practical, not-too-pretty Lowepro backpack. I have had it from the beginning and it’s still going strong! I love that it has body-side access so I can buckle on the belt and flip it around to access what I need on a shoot without taking it off. It also has a million pockets for accessories, as well as a water bladder option for backpacking with my gear. If you want something prettier I’ve heard great things about House of Flynn Bags
Camera harness options. I mentioned before that I carry two cameras. Rather than pulling them in and out of my backpack I like to use a camera belt. I have also in the past used a double harness (leather version), but prefer the belt. I love my belt, but I am looking into this double chest setup so that I am not so wide and for easier squatting up and down without worry of my gear hitting the ground.
If you can’t afford two camera bodies. I would suggest having a quick access system for your lenses so you can easily change them. Something like this belt and lens bag combo.
Don’t forget the extras you need in your bag!
batteries. I learned this lesson the hard way! I now always have 4 extra batteries in my bag and 2 on chargers at home. I also keep a charger in my bag. There are lots of off-brand batteries. I would stick with Canon as they keep the charge best.
SD cards. I always have two in my slots and several in my bag in case one fails. I like the 128 because I never fill a card up in a session. I only have 6 cards. I keep 4 in slots and have two back up. I format after upload every session. I have had a card or two corrupt over the years, but have only lost images once. Most are recoverable.
external hard drives. These aren’t in my bag, but they are a must if you are shooting volume photography. I use one of these per year to keep a second non-cloud backup of all my images. These can and will crash which is why I also use Backblaze cloud storage, save sessions on my digital delivery software Shootproof and use a NAS backup system at home.
bug spray I like this kind cause it smells better
water-there’s nothing worse than a thirsty kid
squeaky toy to get little attention or shutter hugger
treats to reward (bribe) good kids
other things to have in your bag. Safety pins, a brush/comb, nail clippers, bobby pins, and hair ties. I also keep protein bars and gum for me. You just never know!
Lighting
Ok, I don’t usually use any lighting outdoors, but I have on occasion, so I’ll give you options.
reflector
on camera flash with a bulb diffuser or flash bender. I have used Canon, Yongnuo & Godox and hear great things about Magmod. Lighting kits are usually a good choice.
on camera video light
off camera flash with a softbox and light stand (you may want sandbags for outdoor use). Don’t forget your triggers for your hotshoe.
Studio Lighting is a must
Here’s my setup:
3 strobes 2 Einstein 640s (I’ve heard great things about their new cordless strobe called the celestial) and a Flashpoint 600 I love the cordless ability but prefer the model light on the Einsteins for newborns. I use my flashpoint for headshots and other studio sessions.
Manfrotto, quick-release rolling stand (I have 2). This is a must-have to move lighting quickly in studio. It has a wide rolling base for safety and a quick-release handle that can be used with one hand for changing light height quickly.
c stands with boom arms for versatility. I use these for more technical lighting options.
7-foot parabolic umbrella with double diffusion is my go-to light modifier for soft beautiful light. I also use a smaller Godox softbox for a little more mood and two strip boxes when I really want to create drama. Make sure you have the right type of softbox connection for your speedring or the right adapter.
You will also need the appropriate triggers for the different lights.
Studio Accessories
If you are interested in newborn photography, these are some of the things I love having in my studio:
An ergonomic stool to save my back while moving up and down to shoot. An adjustable stool for my assistant. Low Rolling stools and knee pads for floor work.
Our Dog Bed Shooting table (ask me for instructions to build) designed by my husband.
My posing cards, to help with tips and tricks on each pose and my newborn actions to help your editing workflow speed up.
the baby shusher is a must to help settle babies as well as the lullavibe and a good heating pad (always on low under several layers) and heater to keep them warm enough.
Have a good stack of towels for clean up and posing assists is great. I get mine from Costco, but these will do.
Speaking of posing. I love these posing beans. I have at least 4 sets around my studio so they are easy to grab. I also love Hello Little Props Shape Shifters and Modest Little Me Free Form, Transformer System, and “fold a” beans
I use this ladder for parent posing and this step stool for client height adjusting.
I love this cute laundry hamper and changing table mat that can go on any changing table.
I like to offer snacks to my clients and love this mini fridge and these snack bins.
Don’t forget products for clean up! My favorite stain remover is Felsnaptha soap, a trick I learned from my mom that is the best at getting those yellow baby poo stains out! We also use dreft detergent on everything that we use in studio. It’s hypoallergenic and gentle on baby skin. And if baby has a raw bum don’t forget to use Redmond natural baby clay on their bum before you send them on their way. Also, recommend all these products to mamas. They will thank you!
I hope I have guided you to all the right things for your journey in photography. My journey has taught me a lot and I’m happy to pay it forward!
