While I’m tagging this post as “for photographers”, this is one of the most frequently asked questions I get from curious clients as well. So I’m divulging all my secrets today!
Here’s all the equipment I keep in my home photography studio and my bag (including the bag!). If you’re not interested in the photography equipment, just scroll through these photos from my summer 2022 sessions!
Camera
I currently use the Canon 5D Mark IV and have since 2016. But I’ve been eyeing the new mirrorless bodies for years and hope to upgrade next year. Word on the street is the Canon lens adapter isn’t the best, so I may be switching brands. While Canon and Nikon are typically considered the best of the best, Sony was first to market with the mirrorless cameras and seem to be the industry leader. Tempting…
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Lenses
My favorite: Not gonna lie, the Canon 200mm f2L is the best lens I’ve ever purchased, and I’m sad whenever I can’t use it outside. Because it’s a long lens, I’m a healthy distance from my subjects (I have to be six feet away just to focus), and I’m often 20-30 feet back. But I’m fine shouting directions and heaving the ten pound beast up to eye level for the gorgeous (and style-defining) results. Expensive as heck. Worth every penny. This is the only reason I haven’t already switched to mirrorless.
Other greats: In order of preference – Sigma 50mm f1.4 art, Canon 100mm f2.8 macro, Canon 35mm f1.4Lii
Lighting
I try to use constant light in the studio as much as possible, which allows me to shoot quickly without waiting for the light to recycle. And there’s the added benefit of not annoying the subjects with lots of flashing lights. I have three studio spaces in my home, all of which have different lighting setups.
The Newborn Studio – This is a small room with no windows. I use a Solix LED light with a thin Westcott octobank. The light isn’t as bright as I’d like, but my little subjects sure do appreciate it! Highly recommend the rolling light stand for quick adjustments!
The White Bedroom – This has a small window at the base of a window well and only gets good light for a couple hours a day. If it’s cloudy or we don’t hit that peak period of light, I need supplement with artificial light. I’ve done a whole post on how I manufacture window light for that room. In addition to the sheer curtains, I use two monolights, a v-flat, and an umbrella. Don’t forget the remote for the monolights!
The Backdrops – Here, I use a Westcott spiderlite with a 3×4 soft box to use with the backdrops (Westcott has discontinued spiderlites). If I have a large group to photograph, I switch that out for a monolight with a large Elinchrome umbrella (and the included diffuser). I also use a v-flat here. Don’t forget the stands for all of these lights!
Backdrops
I like to keep things simple. In the newborn studio, my father-in-law helped me create two wooden backdrops and floors, one that I stained dark brown and the other painted white. We purchased wood siding that slots together at Home Depot.
For a more formal look, I use Savage paper backdrops. One of the best purchases I made for the studio was a backdrop wall mount, which was a pain to install but saves so much space. I love having three colors to choose from at all times! The ones I always have up are Thunder Gray, Pecan, and Super White.
I use paper vs. canvas because of the cake smashes. When the baby’s session ends, I just cut away the mess and toss it!
Laptop
Next to my lenses, my laptop is my most valuable piece of photography equipment. If you can swing it, always get the fastest processor, the biggest screen, and the largest drive you can afford. MacBook Pros are generally considered ideal for photo editing (and I love mine!) due to the non-glare screen and processing capabilities. Adobe Photoshop and Lightroom both suck up a ton of memory, and you don’t want your computer slowing you down!
I cannot imagine editing images without my Wacom tablet. Give yourself three days to adapt, and you’ll never go back. I’ve tried the ones with screens, but the glare and low resolution were a pain. The medium tablet fits perfectly on my lap and in my laptop bag.
While you’re at it, get an over-the-lap laptop stand to raise your laptop screen to eye level and allow you to edit while sitting on the couch or a chair. You can use the Wacom tablet on your lap and prevent neck strain. This stand is amazing because the lip doesn’t stick up over the laptop, so your arms and wrists don’t get poked while you’re typing. Running a photography business involves way more than photo editing, including email correspondence, blogging (hi!), website maintenance, finance, and more. Get comfortable!
The Little Things
These smaller pieces of photography equipment are invaluable! The Spider Holster allows me to clip my camera to my waist. With the 200mm lens on my camera body, the 10 lb beast is much too heavy for a neck strap. This saved my back! Get a wrist strap to prevent the camera from falling out of your grip.
Just because you buy a $1000 lens doesn’t mean it will be perfectly sharp. Lenses can and should be calibrated to your camera body. I use the Lens Pyramid calibrator with every new lens and every year or so to ensure my images stay sharp. I love how it folds flat to store in my file folders!
My camera has both Compact Flash and SD card slots, which I’ve programmed to record duplicate images concurrently, ensuring I always have a backup copy should one card fail. I use 64GB cards with my camera, which record around 1400 images each. For newer cameras with higher resolution, you’ll need a higher capacity card to hold the same amount of images. Of course, you need a card reader to transfer the images to your laptop, too.
Always carry backup batteries!
And finally, have a great camera bag to carry all the things, like lens wipes and Smarties! I have a gray Kelly Moore bag, which I couldn’t find on Amazon, but this blue one looks very similar.
I’m happy to answer any questions about the photography equipment I use for my family and newborn photography business, and I’d love to know more if you’ve transitioned to a mirrorless SLR and what you think about it! Comment below or contact me!
If you’re interested in scheduling a photo session with me, please check my availability before reaching out. Session pricing and package details are located here.
