What's in My Bag! [Clarksville Photographer]
The one question I get most often from other aspiring photographers is some combo of what’s the best gear to use/ what do I use. So, I figured I would just go ahead and lay it all out here nicely in a blog post!
First things first— I shoot Canon! My main body is a full frame Canon 5D Mark IV. I also have a back up body which is a crop sensor Canon 80D. If this is sounding greek to you already, I highly recommend reading up about the basics of cameras and photography. Cole’s Classroom is a great free resource to start with!
There is no right or wrong camera/brand to use and you have MANY options. I can’t tell you what is BEST because it’s ALL subjective to your own likes/dislikes. My best advice regarding what camera to buy/use for someone who wants to get started in photography, is to buy/use the one that you already either own or can afford. Let me say this in all caps so you see how big of a deal this is: THE TYPE OF GEAR YOU USE DOES NOT MAKE YOU A BETTER PHOTOGRAPHER ANY FASTER! I learned how to be a photographer on an almost ten year old starter DSLR camera with a kit lens (seriously, I sold the camera and the lens for $100 total. I didn't learn on a thousand plus dollar camera body!). As I got better, I knew I needed more professional gear that would handle lower light and was a full frame sensor (again if this is greek, see above). So start small, learn the fundamentals and how to shoot in manual mode before investing in expensive gear!
For me personally, I have MANY lenses, but my faves are these four:
I always have these four on my person when I’m out shooting because they are great for different situations. My 35 and my 50 are my workhorses though, and I usually alternate between the two of them the most. I love my 85mm for some creamy bokeh (this is that magical blurry background!), but it’s VERY heavy and I have to be pretty far away with it, and with families I often like to be up in their space (haha), so I tend to only bust it out for couples and boudoir!
I also always have hand sanitizer because I’m a hand princess (and hate my hands getting dirty, haha), a treat for kiddos (and let’s be honest, a snack for myself haha!), bubbles, and bug spray! I also have a homemade shutter hugger thing (similar one’s here) for kiddos or pups who need some extra encouragement to look towards me every now and then! Oh, and LOTS of memory cards and extra batteries because ya can never be too careful. At home I have my full arsenal of extra external hard drives and cards and of course my computer and other lenses (which occasionally come out to play for different situations. Like I have a really neat 10mm fisheyes, but it’s not practical for everything but can definitely be fun for certain times).
Deciding what brand and type of camera you like best is the first BIG step in pursuing a photography hobby/career, and there is no right or wrong way to choose. They all are slightly different, but for me, I will always be team Canon! Happy shooting y’all! 🙂📷✨