Photography Tools
Knowing what photography gear you need or don’t need can be challenging. This list will take the guesswork out of what gear you should consider. I use or have used some form of all the gear listed on this page, many of them I use in my daily photography. Jump to the section that you are interested in: Lens Recommendations | Accessory Recommendations | Memory Card Recommendations | Software and Business Recommendations
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Lens Recommendations
50mm f1.8 Starter Lens
If you buy only one prime lens or are just testing the waters with a prime lens this is the one I recommend. The focal length of 50mm is great for versatility and the aperture of f1.8 will allow you to get some dreamy bokeh. Canon 50mm | Nikon 50mm
24mm f1.4 Art Lens
Having an awesome fine art lens is a must once you move beyond beginner photographer. A 24mm lens is great for indoor portraiture and macro photography. I recommend the Sigma Art lenses as they have very little distortion. Sigma 24mm Art Canon | Sigma 24mm Art Nikon
85mm f1.4 Portrait Lens
The 85mm portrait lens is one of the best quality lenses out there. There is not much that can rival the beautiful photos you get out of this lens and the focal length allows you to have a little distance between you and your subject. Canon 85mm | Nikon 85mm
24 – 70mm f2.8 Zoom Lens
If you like to have a zoom lens but also want great bokeh then the 24 – 70mm is a great option. It is one of the few zoom lenses that has the ability to fix aperture no matter the focal length. This is a great option for traveling when you only want to take one lens. I highly recommend the Tamron lens! Tamron 24-70mm Canon | Tamron 24-70mm Nikon
Accessory Recommendations
ExpoDisc White Balance Filter
The ExpoDisc is a great tool for getting the white balance right in-camera every time. This is a filter that you hold up to your lens and take a test shot with to set the custom white balance in-camera before you start shooting. I recommend getting the larger ring size so it can be used with any lens you have. ExpoDisc Filter
Quality Tripod
A tripod is a must-have photography item. It allows you to keep your camera free from vibration and operate effectively in low-light conditions. This tripod is convertible to a monopod which is great for game day photos. Convertible Tripod
DSLR Cleaning Kit
Keeping your camera body and camera lenses free from dust is crucial. Specs of dust on the lens or camera sensor will show up as artifacts in your photos. Cleaning Kit
Extra Batteries
Keeping extra batteries charged and in your bags is a good habit. One of the worse things that can happen is for your battery to run out of juice or fail in the middle of a session. Below are links to Canon and Nikon batteries but I have used the off-brand (much cheaper) with great success. Canon | Nikon | Neewer
Camera Strap
The right camera strap can make a world of difference. If carrying your camera around on your neck with the strap that camera with it causes you pain, it is probably time for a cross-body camera strap. It will lower the stress on your neck and make the camera easy to access. This is the very strap I use every day. Cross-body Camera Strap
Peak Design Camera Bag
Okay, so I have tried every camera bag style out there. I have had a fashionable purse bag, I have had a cross-body bag, and the standard camera bag that comes with the starter kit. I will tell you when I went to this backpack I was blown away and will not use another bag again. This is lightweight, the zippers go all which ways so you can access any part of the bag without having to go through the whole bag, its waterproof, and just the best bag I have owned and the only one I will ever recommend. Peak Design Camera Bag
Memory Card Recommendations
SanDisk 64GB Memory Card
This is the only memory card I use! The reason is because of the speed of the card. There are not many cards on the market that are high quality and have super fast speed. The speed makes a difference because it lets you shoot continuously without lag between exposures. You can get his card in many different memory capacities. I shoot in RAW and find that the 64GB is enough and I just keep multiple with me at all times. SanDisk Memory Card
SD Card Holder
If you carry multiple memory cards around with you, a durable card holder is a must to keep them protected. This is the holder I use every day. SD Card Holder
SD Card Reader
Purchasing an SD card reader was a game-changer for me. It meant that I didn’t have to fuss with carrying around the cord that connects my camera to the computer. It also meant that I didn’t have to mess around with camera compatibility issues because when you connect this reader to your computer it treats it as a hard drive. Transferring your photos will be instantly easier with this little device. SD Card Reader
External Hard Drive
An external hard drive for backing up your photos is very important. If you store your photo catalog on your computer hard drive and do not back up to a cloud you must have an external hard drive to back up your photos. Hard drives fail pretty frequently and you don’t want to lose your precious photos. This is the external hard drive that I use. Samsung External Hard Drive
Software and Business Recommendations
Adobe Creative Photography Plan
If you decide to start editing your photos, Adobe Lightroom and Adobe Photoshop are the way to go and the industry standards. Choose the plan that is $9.99 per month for both! Adobe Photography Subscription
Shoot Proof Gallery Hosting
If you do go into business I highly recommend using Shoot Proof for your gallery delivery. The interface is easy to use and the client experience is beautiful. Shoot Proof Gallery