Camera Gear I Bring to Your Session | Branding Experience Education

From my all-time favorite Nikon DSLR to my seamless backdrop, let’s talk about the camera gear I will bring to your branding session! Every once in a while, I’ll get asked about my gear and what I will bring to a session or in some cases a wedding so I’m going to share what’s in my bag!

Camera Gear

Nikon D750 – This is a must, obviously! I’ve been using Nikon technology since I started six years ago. I was gifted one for a birthday and never had any issues so I never changed to anything else. When I switched from an SLR to a DSLR, I noticed a major improvement in the image quality and how it works in general.

Nikon D610 – Before I got the D750 I had the D610. Now, it is my backup camera body. God forbid anything were to happen to my D750, I would have another option versus rescheduling a shoot or having to buy a camera in a flash. The D610 isn’t full-frame but it’s a great camera to fall back on. Having a second camera is great for weddings as well – you can put a different lens on each so you don’t have to pause and switch lenses!

50 mm lens, 85 mm lens & a 24-70mm lens – These are the only lenses I own but I bring them to every session; unless I know 100% that they won’t benefit me! The larger the number, the closer you’ll be to your subject without physically moving your body. Each of these lenses has a fixed aperture range as well. So, the 50mm is great for low light situations because the aperture can go all the way to f/1.8 where the 24-70mm can only go down to f/2.8. A lot of people steer away from a lens like a 24-70 because it’s not a fixed-length; aka you can zoom in and out without moving your body but I love it – I could shoot a whole wedding with one and never change out my lens!

TIP: Something to keep in mind, the lower the f/stop, the MORE light that will be let into the photo, so you want lenses that have lower f/stops! If you need help with learning the basics of your camera, I’d love to help you out!

Flash Gear

Neewer External Flash – This is a piece of gear that I try not to use believe it or not. I love natural light photography meaning I try not to use extra light sources BUT there have definitely been times that I need to add light to the scene. When you use an external flash though, you’ll bounce (point) it to a current light source; even better if it’s a window or an open door!

Video Light – Having a video light for low-light situations is also helpful, so I always have one in my car just in case! Sparkler exits at weddings are a great use of either an external flash or a video light or both!

Other Accessories

Bone Seamless Backdrop – One of my favorite newest additions to the gear list, a seamless backdrop! This is such a gamechanger for locations that don’t have the ideal backdrop for photos. I’ve had clients use this backdrop for headshots when they need a lot of negative space in their images & it works great! And the best part about it is it comes in so many colors and are fairly inexpensive!

Backdrop Stand – This is how I hang the seamless backdrop! It’s simple and breaks down easily for travel.

Clamps &/or Gaffers Tape – Clamps help secure the seamless backdrop to the stand. Gaffers tape is great to secure the seamless backdrop to the floor or even to hang it on a wall if you don’t have a stand!

Styling Board & Layering Pieces – If I am working with a product-based business, I always offer to take 10-15 professional flat lays! These flat lays can be product related or they could be personality-related! This is a chance to be creative without being in front of the camera.

Alright, that’s all for now! If you’re looking to expand your camera gear, let me know I can elaborate on anything you’re curious about! Click here to book your coffee chat about mentorship!! xoxo, Madalyn