First of all, I’m so pumped you have a friend or loved one starting to get into photography! There is nothing else like it and I hope this is just the start of an epic adventure for them. 🙂
I’m celebrating this new adventure with you!
After 8 years in business, I’ve tried a lot of different photography tools out there. Some of them were game changing and I still use them. In some cases every day.
Others… more of a dud. We’ll focus on the winners. 😉
An now… Nine of my favorite things in no particular order..
Kelly Moore Clutch- $70
I LOVE my Kelly Moore Clutch! It’s the perfect size to hold my hard drive, kindle, wallet, cords and extra little things.
I have my Kelly Moore Clutch with me every single day. It was a gift and I’m so grateful for it!
Hold Fast Money Maker Solo Camera Strap- $180
I LOVE this so much! This was another gift from a family member. Something I really wanted to get, but it was too much of a splurge starting out.
I use the Hold Fast Money Maker Solo Camera Strap for every single session that I do. It saves my back, my wrist and looks professional. At weddings, one of the top questions I get from guests is, “Where did you get this camera strap from?”
Now you know. 😉
I recommend their solo strap, but I also have their original Money Maker which allows you to have a camera on both sides of you. Perfect for wedding days!
SanDisk Extreme Pro 64 GB Cards- $17.49
These are an every day essential. While there are a lot of different SD card options out there, the SanDisk Extreme Pro is my go to. The 170 is super fast and the 64 GB allows me to shoot a lot of images before filling my card.
KJ All Access Education- $29 Month
Katelyn James is hands down, the best educator I have come across. Everything from how to pose, understanding lighting, to how to run a business. Her education is packed with good things and worth every penny. I’m so glad I found her early on in my business!
If you’re just getting started KJ All Access is totally unique and an awesome way to learn. With All Access, you get to watch KJ at real weddings and see what she does in real time as challenges come up. It’s fun, relatable and so good to learn from someone further down the road.
After years of following KJ, I actually got to meet her! It was a true fan girl moment.
LowPro Backpack- $52
There are A LOT of different camera bag options out there… and I’ve purchased a lot of them! However, I still use my LowPro Backpack every time I shoot. It’s tried and true. I bought it in 2015 and I’m still using the same one.
Here is what I typically fit into my bag for an engagement session…
- Canon R6 with 28-70 2.0 lens attached
- 100 mm 2.8 lens
- Hold Fast Money Maker Solo Strap
- Extra cards & batteries in their cases
- Pens, wallet, snack & water bottle
Wedding days I use a much larger bag for the rest of my lenses, flashes and other gear.
There is a newer version of this bag, but I love mine so it’s the bag I linked. 🙂
Nomatic SD Card Holder- $29.99
This one is pretty self explanatory. The Nomatic SD Card Holder is a wallet that holds SD cards. However I love it because it’s so durable! I’ve had a few of these. This one has stood the test of time. It still looks great a couple years later.
It holds 6 SD cards and 2 CF cards. Since I don’t use CF cards anymore, I stick a couple extra SD cards in those spots.
Nomatic Battery Holder- $29.99
I love my Nomatic Battery Holder because it matches my SD card holder. It’s durable, looks sharp and holds 3 LP-E6NH batteries.
I also love it because it’s so easy for me to visually see which batteries are charged or used. Super important on a wedding day. Once a battery has been used, I put it back in the case upside down, metal side up, so that I know it’s done and needs to be charged.
I should add. I do use more than 3 batteries on a wedding day. I start with one in each of my three camera bodies. I keep 3 batteries in this case to have on hand all day. Then I keep two more stashed away in case of emergency.
Apple AirTag- 1 for $29 or 4 for $99
This was another gift in the past year from a friend and I LOVE my Apple AirTags! I have one in each camera bag. While I’ve never lost my camera bag, it’s excellent peace of mind having the AirTag in my bag and on my car keys… which I’ve definitely lost.
Deck of Cards- $24.99
While I don’t keep this deck of cards in my gear bag, it was a really fun gift this past Christmas that I just love because of how intricate the design is.
Each card, 2-10 has an interesting chart to break down part of photography. Things like the sensor size of a camera, depth of field, exposure, shutter speed, ISO and the list goes on. Even the box has thoughtful detail! The more you look at it, the more you see.
A fun gift for the newest photographer in your life. 🙂
I hope you had fun with this post! It’s a little different, but I’ve had a few people reach out to me recently about gift ideas for the new photographer in their life. I thought it would be fun to share with you. : )
If you have something you want to see on the blog, let me know! I always love hearing from you.
PS. These are products I love and love to share. 🙂 No sponsorship here.
Much Love,
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February 13, 2022