my camera equipment

 The very first non-kit lens I bought many moons ago was the Canon 50mm f/1.8 II which I had actually read about on someone’s blog. I liked their pictures, and their FAQ included a link to that lens along with a few sentences about how much they loved it. I bought it same day. The internet is full of recommendations on camera equipment – and just about everything else but hearing that someone I know, whether that be online or in person, loves something and reading what the practical application for me is is what is most important to me when choosing what to spend my money on.

It’s been a while since I updated my equipment list here on the blog and since my last update I’ve found a handful of new things that I just can’t imagine myself not shooting with!

1. This shutter release is seriously one of the best things I’ve ever bought. You can either push+hold the button to take a single picture or set the timer to for it to shoot a few seconds (or minutes) later. If you put your camera in sports/ high speed continuous mode, and set the timer for a few seconds long it will take a series of photos for you. It’s a thousand times better than just a remote and an absolute must have if you take outfit pictures! It also makes taking long exposures easier since using the shutter release minimizes the possibility of camera shake.

2. The Canon 10-22mm f/3.5-4.5 was something that as soon as I got it I wondered how I had shot all these years without it. I just never realized how often I could benefit from having a wide angle lens. I find it most useful when shooting photos of abandoned building, landscapes, rooms in my home, etc. The whole room photos in my apartment tour are a great example of what this lens can capture.

3. Canon 100mm f/2.8, my macro lens! Perfect for shooting insects, and close ups of plants. It might be one of my least used lenses but when I do find a use for it I am so happy to have it. Here are two posts featuring examples of what the lens can do – 1 + 2. The photos of elephant seals I shot along the coast were taken with this lens as well.

If you’re not one hundred perfect sold on putting out the money for a macro lens I recommend macro filters. For under fifteen bucks you can take some pretty awesome close up shots!

4. Canon 35mm f/1.4L. So it’s technically not my lens, it’s Jeffs, but this was the lens that made me realize L-series lenses were no joke. This was one of the first outfit photo set I shot with that lens and I just remember being blown away. Before purchasing the 50mm 1.2, this was basically my every day lens. It just takes some seriously gorgeous photos! Good glass is worth the money.

5. I recently upgraded to the Canon 70D. I did a ton of research before pulling the trigger just to make sure it was the right camera for me – I’m pumped! It was important to me to buy another camera with a flip out screen since a lot of the photos I take for the blog involve me shooting photos of myself. It’s an excellent way to make sure I’m in the frame. It’s also useful for shooting things low to the ground while not getting your knees dirty.

6. The 50mm 1.2, ooooh boy. This lens is what dreams are made of. I splurged and bought this puppy for my birthday and haven’t looked back since. It rarely leaves my camera now. The plant photos in this post were taken with this lens. I’m sure after having it for a little while longer I’ll have more articulate things to say about it but right now I’m just feeling very “wooooow” about it.

My top two film cameras are the Pentax K1000 and the Canon T2. I love them both equally but have figured out which works best for me in certain situations. The Pentax K1000 is a manual camera, you have to focus and adjust the settings properly yourself. It’s an excellent camera to learn to shoot film on. I use it most for landscapes, and subjects that don’t move too quickly. The Canon T2, on the other hand, does have auto focus. It’s my camera of choice when I know I’ll be shooting animals (like at the deer park) and children since I’m still not that quick at focusing on my own.

As far as 35mm film goes, I’m not that picky. I will shoot with anything I can get my hands on. I tend to most frequently purchase Fuji 35mm Superia X-TRA 400 because Amazon has it for a decent price.

My pride and joy, the land camera. This is my absolute FAVORITE camera. I bought mine from Film Photography Project on ebay a few years ago or so when they were having a sale. They do currently have a few in their webstore. They’re slightly pricey compared to what you’d find at a thrift store or estate sale but they have been tested and come with batteries. Plus they have really great service that I can attest to! When I first got the camera I had no idea what to do with but it actually came with an instructional DVD to help you out.

Film for land cameras can be found on amazon, black and white or color. The black and white film was recently discontinued, hence the major price difference, so if you’d like some I’d stock up while you still can.

I own a handful of camera bags, it’s kind of my thing. Some people collect shoes or purses, I have camera bags. I very rarely leave my house without a camera so it’s important to me to have something safe to tote them around in. My current favorites are the Bellbrook Backpack and a cross body leather bag called Siena, both of which are from Jo Totes. I own more of her bags than any other brand. They’re stylish, and functional! You can find lots of photos of my camera bags, and how they look on by browsing through my What I Wore archives.

Those are my favorite, and most commonly used photography related things. I also have a list of just for fun cameras that I love, you can read more here! Or if you’re interested in instant photography (with easily accessible film!) you can read more here.
xoxo