My Photography Gear

Do you ever wonder what photography gear I use to get my shots? Well, I’ve compiled a list of the gear that I use on a regular basis. I am always looking to upgrade to more and better gear, but dreams take time to save up for. These items have traveled with me all over the world. It can be a bit heavy to lug them around, but if photography is your dream then the weight is worth it.

Just remember: It’s not the gear that makes the photographer— it’s what they can do with the gear.

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Basic Camera Setup

• Canon 6d Mark II
• Basic Use Lens 24-70mm f/2.8 lens
• Landscape lens: 16-35mm f/2.8

My basic camera setup is pretty simple. I use my Canon 6d Mark II with the 24-70mm f/2.8 lens as my regular lens. I love this lens because it allows me to get great wide angle landscape shots while also giving me the opportunity to zoom in a bit. I love to shoot wide-angle photography, and this is such a great all-around lens to keep in your pack. I even hike with this lens! It’s worth it’s weight in gold.

Sidenote: If you are looking to grow your photography Instagram account, check out these photography Instagram hashtags!

Specific Lens

• Wildlife Lens Canon 500mm f/4 ii- with damage protective cover and rain cover- This is my new (well, new to me, I bought it used) pride and joy! I’m excited to expand my photography into the wildlife zone as well.

• Zoom Lens: Canon 100-400 f/5.6 i
• Astrophotography lens: Rokinon 14mm lens – Eric actually bought me this lens as a gift when we were dating. I love shooting ultra-wide shots so this was actually my main lens for YEARS. Now that I have upgraded my kit, I actually still keep this one around. It makes for the perfect astrophotography lens with minimal issues. Plus its crazy affordable and sturdy! In fact, I actually dropped this lens in a river in Iceland. After a week sitting in a bag of rice, it works at 100% again.
• Eric’s Lens: 50mm f/1.8 lens – This is Eric’s base lens on his camera. For people looking for a lightweight, cheap, and all-around awesome lens, this is a great one to check out.

Aerial Photography

• Mavic Air (original) drone
• Drone polarizers- We don’t fly without these! They tone down the brightness so that it doesn’t overpower your shot. There are multiple versions of them available on amazon.
• Extra batteries

Before we went on our honeymoon to New Zealand, I realized that there were all of these amazing shots that I wanted to take, but they were ALL from the air. I quickly decided that if I wanted to take advantage of my time in New Zealand, then I would need to invest in a drone. At the time, there weren’t very many drones on the market. I bought the original Mavic Air, and we still use it today. (Although I am actually hoping to upgrade to this soon).

Lens Filters

• Polar Pro Quartzline Circular Polarizer – This is a GREAT filter to keep on your camera. I pretty much use it whenever I am shooting in daylight.
• B+W 82mm UV lens- I really use this as a protective filter that I keep on my lens to protect it from scratches.
• Graduated Neutral Density Filter- This is a specific lens that is great for sunset/sunrise scenes as half of the lens is darker than the other.
• 3 stop filter- I use this for waterfalls in shady scenarios to get the long exposure effect.
• 10 stop filter– I use this for waterfalls in bright weather to get the long exposure effect.

Camera Safety and Mobility

• Peak Design Capture Clip– To start off with, I am OBSESSED with the Peak Design camera line. It’s like they custom made camera gear just for me. The capture clip actually clips your camera to your backpack. I love it because it takes SO much time to take my backpack off, get my camera out, take the picture, put my camera away, close my backpack up, and get hiking again. With my camera clipped to my shoulder strap, I can quickly grab my camera, take my shot, and keep walking as I clip it back in.
• Peak Design Rain Cover– I use this to cover my camera when I’m shooting in the rain.
• Peak Design Leash – I use this as my basic camera strap. It’s thin and works well for me.
• Peak Design Travel Tripod– The Peak Design travel tripod is the absolute skinniest tripod on the market. It will fit in a water bottle holder in a backpack! This lightweight tripod is sturdy and trustworthy. I love it because it packs small so it’s easy to travel with. Plus the capture clip and the tripod have the same mounting plate so there is no need to unscrew it. It makes for a quick setup process.
• Mini tripod– I love this mini tripod. It is my go-to when hiking as it only weighs 4oz! I keep this in my kit at all times because you never know when you are going to need some extra stability.
• Defender Lens Cove by Polar Pro– I use this as a secondary cap for my lens. I especially use this when I am hiking as my camera can sometimes run into branches. This is an extra layer of protection, and I don’t have to worry about my lens cap falling off and my lens getting scratched.

Let me start out by saying that I am incredibly rough on my gear. I try to protect it as best as possible, but hiking with your camera gear in all kinds of weather can take its toll. Because of the amount I travel with my camera gear, I have a lot of little things that I have added to my setup in order to protect my camera and also make it easily accessible on hikes.

Other Helpful Gear

• Remote Shutter – This allows us to take photos on the bulb setting while doing astrophotography. It also allows Eric and I to take pictures of the both of us since we can use the remote to take the picture. I HIGHLY recommend adding this to your kit.
• Canon Rebel t3i– This is my old camera that I use as a backup camera. It is a base camera kit with a crop sensor. Great for those learning photography, but not a professional camera. This model is over 10 years old and has been discontinued, but the link is to the newer version. I highly recommend this as a starter camera. Eric uses it as his main camera body now.
• Cleaning Kit– No camera setup is complete without a cleaning kit. Glass is expensive– protect it, clean it, love it.

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