Do you ever look at another photographer and wonder what’s in their camera bag that you may be missing?  Or are you curious about what equipment actually makes a difference in photography?  I am going to give you a peek into my camera bag, to show you what I use the most.  Some of these products are relatively inexpensive and some do require an investment.  I will explain when you do and do not need to make a large investment in your equipment.

*This post contains affiliate links, which means I receive a small commission, at no extra cost to you, if you make a purchase using this link.

First thing first is the actual camera that I use.  I still use the Canon T3i that I received about 7 years ago.  I have found that I have not outgrown all its features and capabilities yet, some I haven’t even explored.  If there is one thing I want to impress on people, its that starter camera equipment will get you great photos once you know how to use it.  My version has been discontinued and replaced with the Canon Rebel T5 and can be seen in the image below.

The next item I recommend is a tripod.  If you purchase your camera in a starter kit, it may come with one.  If not I would recommend a simple tripod to start with.  Unless you are doing extreme macro photography or a ton of night shooting you won’t need a crazy expensive one.  The basic tripod such as the one pictured below will do.

Along with the tripod, the next piece of equipment is essential if you want to be in the pictures.  It is a camera remote.  These are essential to being able to get in front of the camera with your family and take your own family portraits.  The other reason that you will want a remote is when you are shooting in low light conditions with a long shutter speed.  The remote will take away any camera shake from pressing the shutter button manually.  If you have vibration or shaking during long exposures, there will be blur in your photo.  Again this is not an expensive purchase as you can see with the remote pictured below.

The next item is a wipe for your lens.  I use these disposable wipes, and they work great.  This is another inexpensive item that helps with the care and maintenance or your equipment.

So this next item is a kinda big ticket item but makes a world of difference in your photos, especially portraits.  It’s the fixed 50mm lens.  This is what you hear people refer to as a prime lens.  The reason it is so valuable is that it has a low aperture allowance, meaning you can create that really beautiful blurred backgroud (or bokeh) pictures that you want.  I highly recommend investing in one when you can.  This is the exact fixed 50mm lens that I use, pictured below.  My next purchase is going to be a fixed 25mm lens!

The last thing that I have on my list is the actual camera bag that I use.  I don’t like the tourist look of the stock bag that came in my kit so I purchased, at a thrift store, an awesome bag by this designer.  The bag shown below is by the same designer, but there are a ton of different options for camera bags.

The last thing that you would need is know-how.  If you are still struggling with your camera and want to learn how to use your Canon camera, I developed a beginners photography course that can take you from Auto to Manual and take great photos.  You can check it out by clicking on the image below.  I promise you won’t regret learning how to properly use your camera.

That what I have in my camera bag on most outings.  What do you have in yours that I don’t?  I would love to hear in the comments below.