Hey, y’all! I’m going to change things up today, and share a blog post for photographers! Today, I’m going to share with you what’s in my camera bag, when I use each piece of gear, and my #1 favorite lens that I can’t live without. Let’s hop right in!

CAMERA BODIES

• Canon 5D Mark III (Primary Body)

• Canon 5D Mark II (Backup Body)

• Canon EOS 3 (Film Body)

I use a Canon 5D MK III as my primary body, and a MK II as my backup body. I absolutely LOVE my MK III. The MK II was my first full-frame camera, and it was so good to me, but upgrading to the MK III was one of the best investments I’ve made in my business! I love the image quality, and the colors are so much smoother and creamier. All of the extra focal points don’t hurt, either! I still pull out the MK II when need be, but for the most part, it stays packed away in my bag.

When I want to shoot film, I have my EOS 3. This is a 35mm film camera, and allows me the option to attach my digital lenses, which I love! I do hope to upgrade to medium format in the next year or so, but for a 35mm camera, I really do love this one!

LENSES

• 35mm Sigma Art 1.4 for Canon

• 50mm Canon 1.2L

• 85mm Canon 1.8

• 100mm macro Canon 2.8

35mm Sigma Art 1.4: This is a really great lens for tight spaces! I use this mostly for indoor lifestyle sessions, when there is limited space, or if there is a large group that I need to squeeze into the frame. It’s also great for getting a lot of landscape in, if you want a wide shot!

50mm Canon 1.2L: This is my absolute FAVORITE LENS EVER!! I love my 50mm so much. If I’m being honest, this lens stays on my camera probably 98% of the time. I love everything about this lens! It’s sharp, it’s accurate, and you can use it for almost anything.

It stays on for the majority of wedding days, pretty much all of my portrait sessions, and if I can get away with using it for indoor lifestyle sessions, I do. If I had to choose one lens to use forever and ever, this would be it! It’s totally worth the investment!

85mm Canon 1.8: This is another favorite lens of mine. I am an all prime lenses kind of girl, and this is one that you need in your bag if you’re a prime shooter, too. The 85mm is great for tighter shots, portraits, and during wedding ceremonies! It also gives a super creamy bokeh in the background! When you’re shooting a wedding, and standing at the end of the aisle, it gives you that extra bit of focal length that you need, without having to zoom in and out.

Being a prime shooter requires more footwork, but I personally don’t mind it!

100mm macro Canon 2.8: This is one of my newer lenses, and I really don’t know how I ever lived without it! I love my macro on wedding days! It gives the most beautiful ring shots, and is a must have when you’re shooting wedding details. That’s really the only thing that I use it for, but it’s so worth having, just for these purposes alone. I opted for the cheaper option, and didn’t splurge on the L glass, but it’s still a GREAT lens, and it saved some money!

FLASH

• Canon Speedlite 430EX

This poor flash has been through it! I’ve had this flash for so long, and it has been a workhorse for me. A new flash system is going to be another 2019 investment, but for now, this little baby is getting the job done just fine!

EXPODISC

Let me start off by saying this: I love my expodisc. However, I haven’t always been a believer in this handy tool! Some people prefer to shoot in auto white balance, some people prefer to shoot in Kelvin, and that’s absolutely fine if that’s what suits you! I have shot in all three, and I truly do love what the expodisc does for my images. It nails white balance every time, and it’s so, so easy to use! It only takes a few seconds to get it set when you’re starting your shoot, and it’s so worth it when you’re editing later on!

A funny little backstory- When I first ordered my expodisc, I read the directions, and figured it sounded easy enough. Went through the steps (or, so I thought), and found that I could tell zero difference in my images. What the heck?! I was so upset that I had just wasted money on this thing! When I took the Amy and Jordan Shooting and Editing course, everyone raved about it, including them, so I figured I’d give it one more shot. Maybe I had done something wrong! I looked up a YouTube video with how-to instructions, and I realized that where I went wrong before was 100% user error. Oops! (In my defense, I’m a visual learner.. you gotta show me!) Ever since then, I learned how to use it correctly, and I love it! Definitely recommend this tool!

CAMERA BAGS

The bag on the left is my Kamrette Lyra backpack. I use this bag on wedding days, and it fits all of my equipment nice and snug! There’s also a ton of pockets for extra storage for batteries, memory cards, rolls of film, lens caps, etc. I’ve had this bag for about a year and a half, and it’s still holding up so well! It is much bigger than my shoulder bag, but even considering its size and being full of equipment, it’s comfortable to carry on your back!

The bag on the right is my Kelly Moore Luna bag. I use this bag when I’m doing portrait sessions that don’t require much changing out of lenses and extra equipment, but it also has some inside pockets for extra batteries and memory cards! I love that this one is so much lighter, and I can pick it up and go!

I hope that this post has been helpful! Although I do have my favorites when it comes to my equipment, I would recommend any of the items on this list!