A Gift Guide for Photographers: a “what’s in my camera bag” blog post
Alright y’all.
You wanna know what kind of gift the photographer in your life would LOVE? I’m about about to break down the different pieces of equipment and accessories I currently use or have in the past so you know just what to purchase this Holiday season!
Everyone’s budget is different so REMEMBER:
The best camera is the one you have with you.” – Chase Jarvis
It’s not always about what equipment you have but how well you know how to use it.
CAMERAS
This is my main camera body that I use for all of my sessions and as my main camera during weddings. It has a full frame sensor that I think makes the camera great at focusing and providing sharp images. It’s rated similarly to the 5D Mark IV which is a very popular camera right now for wedding photographers but I love mine because it has a swing out screen which is a must have for me. It doesn’t have a two card slot like the 5D which is recommended for wedding photographers especially so that’s something to keep in mind.
Next, my baby. This is the camera that got me through the real beginning of my business. It helped me to capture the most important moments in peoples lives and did a pretty good job if I do say so myself. This is a crop-sensor camera which is a bit different than a full frame camera. As far as cameras go, a Canon 70D is NOT that expensive. I have really enjoyed using Canon and believe that it’s more user friendly than some other brands but it is what I have the most experience with.
If your photographer is just starting out, I suggest gifting them with a Canon Rebel. They’re great cameras to learn photography with.
CAMERA LENSES + ACCESSORIES
Only gift this to a photographer if you want to see them cry tears of joy. This is by far one of the best investments I made in my business and it almost never leaves my camera. It’s a bit pricey so the Sigma version is a great alternative at a fraction of the price. Lots of photographers use this and I know I’d love to have it as a back up lens.
This is another lens that I think every photographer should have. It’s perfect portraits and is also pretty versatile. It’s a great way to step up from the kit lens a lot of cameras come with without breaking the bank.
64 GB SD Card or128 GB SD Card
You may not think the SD card you use matters, right? As long as it has enough storage for media you’re trying to capture…right? WRONG. Sorry, you are. When I first learned this it BLEW MY MIND. The size and speed of your SD card matters big time especially for capturing quick images. I typically shoot with a continuous shutter on a high shutter speed as I LOVE capturing movement and candid moments. Having these SD cards means that I can take more photos in less time with out my camera showing that it’s “busy”.
Since we’re talking about storage, next up is a hard drive. EVERY. SINGLE. photographer needs at least one hard drive. Seriously, even if they already have one, this is still an amazing gift! As photographers, we are responsible for storing the priceless moments in people’s lives. We can never have too many back ups. You can get your photographer this case too just to be sure their hard drive stays safe from being dropped or spilled on.
This is the external flash that I use for shooting wedding receptions. It’s an off brand but it’s gotten the job done for me with my Canon 6D and 70D (I don’t believe it works with the Canon Rebels). Don’t forget to also purchase a diffuser so nobody is completely blinded by the flash. If you want a higher end flash I’d suggest going with the Canon Flash.
This is on my personal Christmas wish list this year and I really hope to get it. This harness is perfect for the wedding photographer in your life as we often shoot with two camera bodies and a double camera strap makes it really to switch off during a wedding ceremony.
I actually got this as a gift for my birthday this year and I was so glad. It’s perfect for photo sessions out in the middle of the wilderness with no place for my clients to change into their second or third outfits. It pops up super easy (but you may or may not need to watch a quick YouTube video to learn how to fold it back up… but that could just be me.)
My brother got me this exact backpack for Christmas two years ago and it has served me WELL! It’s storage is endless. I use it to hold 3 camera bodies, 4+ lenses, batteries, sd cards, hard drives, camera straps, speaker, wedding day emergency kits, laptop (it fit my old, MASSIVE HP laptop with ease), charger for everything, and MORE.
We literally JUST purchased this exact desktop monitor and the first thing I’m doing is making this blog post. I love it so much. I really prefer Mac laptops to Windows but long hours of editing on my 11in MacBook was NOT good for my eyes or my neck. Purchasing this desktop monitor was a fraction of the cost of my a Mac Desktop and all we have to do is connect my laptop to it with an HDMI cord and adapter. 10/10 recommend this hack. Don’t forget to also grab a bluetooth keyboard to go with it!
As a photographer, I looooove polaroids, but as a photographer with a really expensive camera, I hate those little polaroid cameras. This printer is PERFECT. I can even connect my camera to phone via wifi and then print photos from my printer right there for my clients which is perfect for weddings and proposals! I also love to send these polaroids in thank you notes for my clients and, of course, print my own photos on there! Don’t forget to buy a couple packs of film for their stocking!
STOCKING STUFFERS
Maybe the photographer in your life is way more organized than I am but I know that I lose camera batteries on the regular and would be happy to see a couple of these in my stocking any year.
I think all I can say here is, please and thank you.
This is a perfect stocking stuffer for the photographer who loves to get creative and add some uniqueness to their photos. I love bringing this prism out during session to add a little of artiness to a shot. Here’s an example:
Because editing on a laptop mouse pad can cause early onset arthritis… I actually don’t know if that’s true BUT this is still a great gift for someone who job is primarily done on the computer.
Who doesn’t love a good pop socket for their phone? This one is perfect for a photographer and is really simple, which I love!
This speaker is perfect for a photographer that loves to play the best jams with their clients during a photo session. It’s got great reviews and a built in carabiner clip so it can easily attach to their camera bag.
That’s it! Happy shopping!
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–TaylorRae
CATEGORY
11/29/2020
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