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As a lifestyle photographer, my camera bag is one of the things that I keep closest to me. I tend to bring it around everywhere, so I like to keep a close eye on what stays in there!
Similar to how I am with packing for travel, I try to keep things relatively light in my camera bag. I don’t like to carry around a lot of extra stuff if I don’t have to, so I purposely have a smaller camera bag. Below is a list of things I keep with me from equipment all the way down to the little things like hand sanitizer.
What’s Inside the Lifestyle Photography Camera Bag
The Bag
The camera bag I use and love is my GOgroove DSLR Camera Backpack in Pink. It’s $50 and securely holds all the things listed below without being too large. I love that it has loads of pockets to organize things and removable inserts to customize to my needs. I also like that this is a backpack with wide comfortable straps as opposed to a messenger-style bag. I’m personally not a fan of over-the-shoulder bags. Even though it’s a bit easier to access equipment, they tend to hurt my back after a while. This backpack comfortably and securely holds everything, and I’ve owned it for over a year without any tears or issues.
What’s Inside the Camera Bag
Camera
My main camera body is a Canon 5D Mark III. It’s a full-frame camera that performs well in low-light and focuses quickly with lots of focus points and great color and vibrancy accuracy. While Canon has upgraded this camera to the Mark IV a few years later with more megapixels, ISO range, the Mark III still fits my needs and style. I don’t regularly shoot in dim lighting, so I won’t be upgrading or considering other bodies anytime soon!
Lenses
There are a few lenses I frequently carry with me on my shoots. Here are the top ones I keep with me:
Canon 35 mm f/1.4: I tend to use this lens for a lot of my work, because it’s super versative. It’s great for lifestyle or product work in tighter spaces, so I can use that wide-angle to get everything I need in the frame. It’s also great for portraits that don’t give me a lot of room to move around. If you’re looking for a well-rounded, versatile lens, I recommend this one.
Canon 50 mm f/1.4: Many portrait or lifestyle photographers who work with Canon are deeply familiar with the 50 mm f/1.8 lens. More often than not, it’s the gateway lens that opens the door to fixed lens portrait work. I still really enjoy using the 50 mm, especially for indoor photography or work where I have to be closer to my subjects. The f/1.4 gives the extra oomph you need as opposed to the f/1.8, so it’s the lens I recommend if you’re looking to get into more serious work.
Canon 85 mm f/1.2: For outdoor lifestyle or portrait work where I have the space to move around, this is my lens of choice. It lends itself to photos with a buttery, creamy background, and the photos turn out beautifully. It’s an expensive lens to purchase, so I recommend renting it or borrowing it a few times to make sure you like it before purchasing.
Portable Hard Drive
I try to back up my photos as quickly as possible to avoid any mishaps, so I bring my Silicon Power external hard drive to do it on location or very soon after. If I’m working with clients who also have their own cloud-based back-up system, I’ll also upload them there in case my portable hard drive—God forbid—gives out on me.
SD Cards
It’s rare that I fill up a card in one session, but I keep a few empty ones with me just in case a card gives out on me. I typically stock up on these SD cards when there are sales like Amazon Prime Day or other tech sales.
SD Card to USB-C Converter
My MacBook doesn’t have an SD card slot, so I always have this converter with me to upload my files. When I’m not using it, I keep it in a tiny slot in my backpack so I don’t lose it.
Water bottle
I leave my place with a filled-up water bottle in my backpack. It’s easy to let time slip away on shoots, so make sure you’re taking intentional breaks to eat a snack, take a breather, pee, and stay hydrated during the session.
Hand sanitizer + extra mask
2020 pulled a number on us, so these days, I carry around an extra face mask and a small bottle of hand sanitizer to keep myself and my clients feeling safe.
Mirror
I typically recommend my portrait and lifestyle clients to keep a mirror close by in their bag, but if they forget to bring one, I usually have a handheld mirror with me in case they want to borrow it and check themselves before photos.
Cuticle oil
This may seem like a weird one, but hands tend to be in a lot of my lifestyle work. Editing dry cuticles can be very tedious to edit, so I typically have CND SolarOil with me in case clients want to use some right before their session.
Have any other questions about what’s in my camera bag? Please feel free to reach out here!
