MY PHOTOGRAPHY EQUIPMENT

I started photography in early 2019. Before buying any equipment, I was looking on the internet a camera I could afford at the time but that wasn’t easy. There are so many cameras out there with many features and it’s hard to choose. I knew somehow that I wanted to become a professional one day so I decided to buy the Canon 6D Mark II, without any lens. I bought it new but if you don’t want to invest much, you can look for second hand cameras. And, I haven’t changed ever since. I see that many photographers update their equipment every year or two but I don’t. It still works very well so I don’t feel the need to.

I only have two lenses, and for me, it’s enough for my work.

• Canon 50mm 1.2L USM, perfect for full body and especially portrait shots. It’s a lens that supports creativity in every circumstance and photography genre: lifestyle, portrait, street, wedding etc…

• Canon 100mm 2.8L USM for beauty and portrait shots. It captures details perfectly, like the texture of the skin, details of make-up, and hair texture.

If you feel pressured because you don’t have a real studio, please don’t. You just need enough space at your place and you are good to do the work. I personally don’t have a studio and my clients come easily to my apartment for photoshoots. It’s a money saver for everyone; it’s cozy and very cool to shoot from home. So, I bought a background support and two backdrops, beige and grey. Those are neutral colors that are often used.

For a long time, when started, I was only shooting with natural light, even at my place. I was so scared about using a flashlight but I concluded, as I progressed into photography, that it was very much needed. I decided to buy a simple flashlight from Neewer. It’s an outdoor flashlight but it can be used indoors easily. It works on a battery, so I don’t need to plug it in to use it. And of course, I also bought a tripod for it, from the same brand. To complete the lighting equipment, I added a 180cm umbrella from Walimex, which is very big but very convenient. When I shoot with a flash, I only need one. And that’s enough to shot outstanding images.

One of the essentials in photography equipment is a reflector. Mine is from Neewer and it’s 80cms. It really helps bounce back the light into the subject and prevent shadows. Every content creator should have one.

MY VIDEOGRAPHY EQUIPMENT

For videography, I use a completely other camera because I don’t want to be bothered to always change settings.I  use a completely other camera for videography When I check the photos, I see videos too on the same camera, which already happened. That’s why I invested in the Panasonic Lumix GH6 with a Panasonic zoom lens 12-60mm f/3.5-5.6.

It’s very light compared to the Canon 6D Mark II. I love using it for that and also the image quality is great. It offers 4K and up to 120fps in HD, which is perfect for slow motions.

The camera itself has a great stabilizer but to really have steady images, I bought the DJi RS3 Mini. This is lightweight too and small. So, it can be easily stored in a bag.

Last but not least, another flashlight but this one is a steady LED light, which has light mode options: Litemons LA150D. 

When it comes to photography and videography equipment, I like to keep it simple and minimalist. No need to buy a lot of things. It also depends on the genre and the outcome you want to have. If you start, keep in mind that you can investment in equipment along the way of your journey and it’s not necessary to buy all at once. The best advice I would give is to practice and experiment. From there, you will make the best decision on what you need to invest in.