Being a lifestyle blogger for nearly a decade means I have had a camera in my hand for a long time. Over the years, I’ve come to realize that photography equipment for bloggers is a bit different than that for normal needs, however I think there’s a lot to be learned from those of us who have been striving to take magazine worthy photos while shooting in our own kitchens. It takes time, work and some great equipment. So I’m sharing my top picks for the best photography equipment for bloggers. No matter if you already have a blog or want to start a blog, these pieces can help you up your blogging game.
Photography equipment for bloggers
*this post contains affiliate links – which means I make a tiny portion of any purchases with no additional cost to you whatsoever*
Choose Your Camera – I’ve been a Canon girl for a long time, and I’ve used the Canon T3i for a few years now. It’s still in great shape, and we still use it every day. However, I needed a second camera so we could do video and still shoots at the same time to speed up content production, so I just invested in the Canon T5i. Both cameras are great models for bloggers. Just because they make a $5000 camera doesn’t mean you need one. A $500 camera will do just fine, because a good camera won’t make a bad photographer better…. only practice will make you better. (And yes, I’ve talked at length with someone who owns one and rarely uses it.)
50 mm fixed lens – this one is commonly called a “nifty fifty” and it is one of the most popular lenses around. It’s pretty cheap at around $100, works great for tight shots, and it features a pretty low F-stop to help you get that pretty bokeh look that bloggers love. This was the first photography equipment I purchased outside of the original camera and it’s been a great buy. I’ve had mine nearly 5 years and it still works like a champ.
10-18 mm lens – this lens is my secret weapon. It can take a tight space and capture the whole room because the width of the frame is massive compared to any other lens I’ve seen. If you take shots of entire rooms or huge groups, this lens is a dream. It is the single best investment I’ve ever made in my photography (other than my camera.) It will seriously change your interior photography game.
Tripod – any tripod is better than no tripod – but investing in a great one means you’ll stop burning through cheap ones. I just upgraded to this Manfrotto after reading nearly every photography blog I could find to make the best choice I could. Getting frustrated with a cheap tripod in the middle of an important photo shoot will make a hard job even harder. Investing in this will make your photos better and go smoother. And also, if you’re going to spend a lot of money on photography equipment like cameras and lenses, a good tripod will keep them safe.
Tripod Side Arm – ever tried to get great overhead shots? It’s back breaking when you have to do 900 shots to get 3 good ones. A tripod side arm will help you to get those shots without breaking your back. It works by extending it from your tripod and you can adjust it from there. If you want to make life even easier, you can add on a laptop platform – then tether your computer and camera together and you can see your shots on your computer in real time without stressing over how it looks in the camera.
Tripod – any tripod is better than no tripod – but investing in a great one means you’ll stop burning through cheap ones. I just upgraded to this Manfrotto after reading nearly every photography blog I could find to make the best choice I could. Getting frustrated with a cheap tripod in the middle of an important photo shoot will make a hard job even harder. Investing in this will make your photos better and go smoother. And also, if you’re going to spend a lot of money on photography equipment like cameras and lenses, a good tripod will keep them safe.
Tripod Side Arm – ever tried to get great overhead shots? It’s back breaking when you have to do 900 shots to get 3 good ones. A tripod side arm will help you to get those shots without breaking your back. It works by extending it from your tripod and you can adjust it from there. If you want to make life even easier, you can add on a laptop platform – then tether your computer and camera together and you can see your shots on your computer in real time without stressing over how it looks in the camera.
White Balance Card Set – I’m embarrassed to admit that I just recently started using this one. Setting your white balance on your camera isn’t hard (just google your model) and it will make the color in your photos so much better. It’s hard to get the white balance right, so if you can fix it in the camera then you’ll have less of a struggle in Photoshop.
External Flash – I’ve blogged about this one before, and I still fully believe in it. It’s an amazing piece of equipment that you can get for around $35 and it will make your photography so much better – especially when shooting interior rooms with low light.
Light Kit – besides an external flash, you will find a light kit can help to even out the light in areas where you might have dark spots that are hard to work around. Make sure you have as much natural light as possible, then use this as a filler and you’ll find that this is a great investment to help you on the days where it’s just not bright enough. At around $50, it’s a good option for a smaller investment that makes a big impact.
Camera Remote – if you’ve been using a DSLR for still shots very long, you probably know that you should use a timer on your camera for shooting rather than hand pushing the button. It helps keep the camera stable for that crystal clear shot. But if you use a camera remote then you get the same effect, yet it allows you to slowly tweak things between shots without getting 99 of the same shot. It’s a great little tool for under $10.
Photography backdrops – these are so handy because they give you the appeal of pretty wooden tables & backgrounds, yet roll up so you can have dozens of options even in a tiny space.
