What I Keep in my Photography Kit
With links to some of the items mentioned, too
Everyone has a very different photography kit from what I have seen. It really depends on what you need personally for your niche of photography. I primarily shoot travel and product photography at the moment, so my kit will look very different from a wedding or portrait photographer's. Currently, I am traveling the U.S. until 2026, so I have to keep my kit as light as possible for easy travel which hasn't been easy.
Overview:
I. Camera
What Camera I Currently Use
II. Camera Bag
My Camera Bag & The Features I Love About it
III. Photography Kit for Work
The Basic Gear Used for My Product Photography
IV. Photography Kit for Travel
What I Bring on Vacation Trips
V. Photography Travel Kit, Light
For when I don't want to bring a lot of gear with me
What camera do I use?
I recently upgraded from the Canon Rebel T5 to the Canon R6 Mark II, and I love it!!! Don't get me wrong, I love my old camera. She was a super reliable girl, but I needed the upgrade for more pixels and higher quality photos for my clients' images.
I gifted my old camera to my niece, so that she can also get into photography. She is such a natural at it; so proud of her! One piece of advice that really helped me starting out as a newbie photographer years ago that my old college friend told me at the time; it's about the photographer, not the camera. You can have the fanciest camera there is, but it doesn't matter if you don't know how to use it correctly. It is 100% possible to take a good quality photo with just your phone camera. You just have to learn how! Understanding lighting and how to manipulate it is the number one key in snapping the image you're visualizing in your head. His advice made me feel a lot better back when I realized how old my camera was and how limiting its features were compared to everyone else's in our photography class.
My favorite features of the Canon R6 Mark II? Probably the ability to manipulate the white balance color! It is so convenient for days where I forget to put my Wb card in the camera bag or the lighting changes way to quickly outside to use the card to fix the white balance issues. I also really love the ability to flip the touch screen around, so that I can see it better. Once, I forgot to bring my tripod with me for some brand photos of myself at a local garden. I just flipped the screen, so that I could see everything while standing in front of the camera (which was balanced on top of my camera bag hehe).
The primary lens I like to use is the 24-70mm F2.8. It has a great range for when you need to take a variety of images in multiple locations. Make sure you know your camera body before purchasing a lens, though. My old camera has a cropped sensor, so I had to take that into consideration when looking at lenses. A cropped sensor means that your image will not turn out like how you see it through the view finder. The image will be a cropped version; I usually used the camera screen to get a more accurate view of what the photo would actually look like.
iPhone pic of my camera from the photoshoot at the gardens
What I love about it!
The Camera Bag I use
I purchased my camera bag off Amazon (link). I'm glad I invested in a better one! It provides much better back support and doesn't hurt my shoulders during long hikes (my old one used to leave bruises on my shoulders). It has chest and waist straps to keep the bag securely on you. Even when the bag is packed full and heavy, it's comfortable to wear for hours on a hike. It's also important to note that it is comfortable for small women; I'm only 5ft tall with a short torso. The bag is a little too long for my torso but doesn't cause me any problems!
I love that I can access my camera from the side pocket, so that I don't have to take the bag off in order to get it out. When you unzip it, there is also an inside pocket where you can store extra camera batteries and SD cards. The pouch at the top of the bag is huge, so I can store a lot in there; I usually put product inside a cushioned pouch and then store it inside the top compartment.
For days where I'd prefer to use my camera bag over my laptop bag when going to a coffee shop to work, there is a laptop sleeve on the backside. On shoot days, I use it to store my white balance card!
Another favorite feature that I like about the bag is that it's water resistant. I often enjoy shooting in moody weather. The bag also comes with a waterproof rain cover that fits perfectly over top of it. However, I do prefer to use the one from my old camera bag, because it's light-colored. For when I'm in direct sunlight in the middle of the summer heat, the light color helps reflect the light and prevents the bag from getting hot; the cover that comes with this bag is black. The bag itself comes in a variety of different colors; I chose the charcoal grey, because my camera bags tend to go through hell on hikes (I'm very clumsy).
for work
What I Keep in my Camera Bag
It depends on the photoshoot, what I need to bring with me. For example, a lifestyle modeled shoot will look very different than an outdoor product shoot. Here is a list of things I store in my bag, including some extra items I might add for a shoot:
(Don't use the sensor wipes! If you want the inside of your DSLR camera cleaned,
go to a professional for that. You could ruin your camera doing it yourself.)
- lens flare cover
- tripod (link)
- water & snacks
- sunscreen, bug spray, ChapStick, wipes
- rain cover for bag
- rain cover for camera (link)
- model care kit (anything they might need on shoot: hygiene/deodorant wipes, deodorant spray, hair spray, tampons, hair pins, hair ties, etc.)
- reflector (link)
- stockings (black & cream colored) to put over lens for added effect; this takes up zero space in my bag, so I just keep them in there
- pop up soft box for basic ecommerce images (link)
- pop up dressing tent for model to change in on set
- First Aid kit, headache and allergy medication
Photograph: The Cascades in Giles County, Virginia
for travel
What I Keep in my Camera Bag
My bag looks a little different during vacation trips. I just bring the necessities, so that my bag is lighter while traveling.
- wallet & ID
- extra SD cards
- extra battery
- sunscreen, bug spray, ChapStick, wipes
- mini make-up bag, if it's a city trip
- water & snacks
- rain cover for bag
- rain cover for camera
- flashlight
- First Aid kit, headache and allergy medication
- lens cleaning kit (sometimes, the lens will get dirty or wet)
- travel journal & pens
- polaroid camera (link) + extra polaroid cartridges (link)
Photograph: The ringling art museum in sarasota, florida
for work or travel
When I don't want to bring the backpack
When I don't need the large backpack for whatever reason, I have gotten into the habit of using a small crossbody camera bag for quick outings. Despite its size, it's convenient to use; I love all of the pockets it has! One large zipper pocket on the back that is great for my cellphone and wallet. Another wide zipper pocket in the front as well as two side pockets with easy access for things like ChapStick or keys. The main compartment where you store the camera has a zipper opening; it's a nice feature for traveling because of pick-pocketers (it was great for our Europe trip). The crossbody bag also comes with a small raincoat that fits snug around the top, if you're still worried that someone could still get into your bag, when you are not looking. They will have a hard time trying to sneak in the bag and snatch anything before being seen! The only thing I don't like about the rain cover is that you have to take the strap off the bag into order to put the cover on. That was a little hard when you're in the middle of getting rained on outside and can't find anywhere to hide under.
I got caught in the rain during the long walk from the Ca'd'Zan home to the Ringling museums in Sarasota, Florida. I had to stop in the middle of an empty walkway to toss my camera in and cover the bag.
Items in Bag:
- extra SD cards
- mini sunscreen, ChapStick
- rain cover for bag
- rain cover for camera
- phone + portable charging pack with a short cord
- wallet
