Photography is something that I am passionate about, there’s something so amazing about capturing moments in time and being able to pour over them years later. I always have my camera with me on days out as I believe the quality of a professional camera is a second to none. I'll be the first to admit that carrying a camera plus a couple of lenses can get pretty annoying because they are super heavy, but they are worth the struggle. I just want to put it out there I'm in no way, shape or form a professional photographer. I'll be completely honest I had no idea what aperture, shutter speed, or all the little dials on the camera were for?. I'm still trying to get to grips with it all, but I knew it was something that I wanted to get better at and I have a keen willingness to learn. Slowly but surely I'm getting there, and I can really see that my photography skills have improved. It's become my passion. My favourite person to take photos of is obviously my daughter, and she loves being in the front of a camera, she even gives me instructions. Lately, I am getting more compliments about my photography which has encouraged me to write this post about my blogging and photography equipment.
Before deciding to embark on a new venture into becoming a professional blogger, using a kindle to write my posts and taking photos on my phone were more than enough. However as soon as I decided that I wanted to blog professionally, these simply were not going to cut it. So searching for blogging equipment was never going to be easy and I had to be willing to part with some serious cash. There are so many different types of cameras out there, it can be quite overwhelming. So I decided to use my husbands camera which was a Samsung NX10 and it wasn't something that I saw many bloggers with, so I played around the settings and took some photos. I loved it! And now I have so many different lenses as well as lots of other photography equipment and my collection just keeps on growing. However, I am not at all saying that all budding bloggers needs to own or use the same equipment as me. I just thought that it would be a good idea to share my equipment as it's something that I seemed to be getting asked a lot.
When it comes to photography and blogging every blogger is different, and what some see as important others may not. I have been blogging for a good part of three years, and the equipment I had when I first started is nothing compared to what I have now. I would create my posts on an old kindle and use an iPhone 5S for photos, with no form of editing. Some of my older blog posts and photography are pretty embarrassing. But now I have well and truly upped my blog photography game, so be sure to follow me on the gram for some behind the scenes action.
LAPTOP: HP PAVILLION 15.6 INCH
If you are planning on starting your own blog or you are already a blogger and you are looking for the best piece of equipment to do your job then a laptop is a must have, as without one would make your job pretty difficult. As always a computer will always do the trick, but then if you are travelling a bit and you attend conferences or blogger events then a laptop would be the better choice. The best way to look at deciding between the two is to consider the factors that are required for your blog and go ahead and pick up a suitable one. Bloggers generally write posts, edit photos, schedule social media posts and require internet connection at all times. Travelling is a pretty important role for a bloggers too, as you are normally asked to attend conferences, launches or retreats. So, while choosing the best laptops for bloggers, you should have all these points on your mind. Anyways, for me a laptop was a must have. But don't feel you have to part with some serious cash to get the top line brand, there are so many fantastic deals around so you make sure you keep your eyes peeled for a good deal. I have a HP Pavillion and I'm obsessed with it, it's perfect for blogging as it has a very smooth keyboard to make all that typing easier. The HP Pavilion Laptop has a durable design that's built for reliability and longevity, so you don't need to worry about daily wear and tear. A good buy and going strong.
CAMERA: SAMSUNG NX10 & 18-55MM, 50-200MM, 20-50MM, 20MM PANCAKE LENSES
Technically, this isn't actually my DLSR, it's my husbands. However, he's fully aware that it is his no longer. This little camera is perfect for those who are just getting to grips with photography, it's affordable and gives a pretty decent quality image. There are so many brands out there on the market and it can be quite overwhelming figuring out which camera is best. I know that most bloggers go for a Canon or Nikon and perhaps one day I'll invest in one myself, but for now the NX10 does a fantastic job. The Samsung NX10 is an excellent entry into the growing interchangeable lens compact camera market, offering intuitive handling, especially for beginners, great image quality and fantastic value for money.
Lenses. I have quite a few as there are different types of photography that I like to capture. Now when it comes to take those beautiful shots of my daughter and my husband then I love to take out my bulky zoom lens, the 50-200mm is perfect for those candid shots. I will always take this lens with me if I intend to take lots of photos of my daughter from afar, the zoom itself is very impressive. However, my blog work does mean that I have to take quite a few photos of products and flay lays and for these I really love the blurry effect and so my favourite lens for this is my 18-55mm. This is the lens that is always on my camera. It's fantastic for close up and has a zoom too. A great all rounder. The only downside to carrying this one around all the time is that it's super bulky and very heavy. When I use my camera continuously it really hurts my neck, even with a soft strap.
I do have two other lenses that I don't really use too much. One came with my camera itself was the 20-50mm. This is a lot smaller and lightweight and delivers the best image quality for it's range. Last but not least I have the 20mm Pancake lens. It’s small, light, easy to use and provides solid image quality, which makes is an ideal landscape and street photography lens. The i-Function button is one of the most innovative things I’ve seen on a lens in a while. The added functionality makes it a joy to use in fast pace situations. The bokeh is better than I initially assumed. For me that really pays off. Bokeh from the 20mm f2.8 is smooth and rather clean. Overall, it is very versatile and great value. A lens I need to use a little more.
EXPLORING ADVENTURES: IPHONE 7
Who ever said you can’t take great photos on your phone? I bet you take yours everywhere with you, I know I do. It never leaves my side. I do love my DSLR. I use it when I am taking most of my blog photos. But not every blogger has a DSLR or know how to use one. A smartphone can just be as good and they have come a long way since those small grainy images, I have taken photos on my iPhone that are comparable to those from my DSLR. I guess you could call me bias but I love iPhones, I have been using one for the good part of ten years to take my photos, the iPhone7 camera is truly amazing. In fact did you know that the iPhone is the most popular camera in the world? If you aren’t ready to invest in a camera yet, iPhone is definitely your best friend.
PHOTOGRAPHY ACCESSORIES: TRIPOD, LIGHTING, & SD CARDS
As you get more into photography, you might find the need to add in a few accessories to your toolkit that will make your job way easier. I am in not saying that you all need these, but they can really make a difference to your photography and really up your blogging game. Whether you're a blogger, YouTuber or just someone who loves to take photos there will always be times when you need to mount the camera on a tripod in order to click photos from certain angles and frames. Honestly, I can't say that I use my on a regularly basis, especially as most of my set ups are indoors and flay lays. But if you are into lifestyle, travel photography a tripod can be very handy. I normally use my tripod when I want to take some lifestyle shots of me and my girl or even for the odd video. And it's not a huge investment, so you can always keep one at home in case you need it. The Amazon basics tripod is extremely affordable at £13 and can be easily folded away into a bag.
I swear by the natural sunlight for my blog photos, but seeing as we are in England good light isn't always an option. I do have a soft box light but I have to be honest, I really don't get to use it that often due to the fact that most of my set ups are either people or big flatlays. It is something that I am playing around with, but I do have to be honest I am not a fan of them. However this diffuser and reflector set has made all the difference, I have been using this little set for a while and I will always recommend these to anyone who wants to create their own brighter images.
There’s nothing more frustrating than slow memory cards that leave you missing photos. I know this only too well when my SD faulted and completely wiped itself when I tried to transfer them over. I was so sad that I could have cried as they were pictures of my little girl's birthday weekend. But thankfully we managed to get a couple back, but this little mishap did encourage me to buy a couple of SD cards. And this SanDisk Ultra is perfect. Fast read and write speeds for dealing with images, together with better pictures and full HD videos. Better still, the card is water-proof, temperature proof, X-ray proof, shock proof, and come with a 10-year warranty. Always have more than one!!!!
EDITING SOFTWARE: LIGHTROOM, SNAPSEED & A COLOR STORY
The editing tools! I must admit, I am not the greatest when it comes to editing. It has been one of those learning curves as I would over exposure a photos making them look unnatural, slowly but surely I am getting better. I won't spend too much of my time editing photos now, I will always whack up brightness and sharpen. Now most photographers and bloggers use Photoshop but I discovered the wonderful world of Lightroom quite recently and I am obsessed with it. I really love the fact that you can buy presets to make your editing process so much easier. This is the tool of choice for editing my photos now, it's perfect for straightening photos as well as cropping them. However, my editing process doesn't just stop with Lightroom. Before the lightroom days I would always use Snapseed, the best FREE app. This is definitely great for those photos that need a little healing or tuning. But if you're looking for an app to help up your editing game, then this is the one for you. A color story is great for creating a theme within the gram. Founded in 2016 by Elsie Larson and Emma Chapman, the creators of A Beautiful Mess, A Color Story is a photography and technology company specialising in mobile imaging and presets. There are so many different filters, presets that you can choose to help you create a theme, especially on the grid. It's one worth checking out.
BEHIND THE SCENES: BACKGROUNDS & PROPS
This has been one of my best discoveries since I started blogging, getting the perfect background. I tried everything and everything to try and achieve those crisp white background, and those marble effects looked so dreamy. But I discovered this amazing marble contact paper. I had some old shelving in our a shed and with a little help from my husband he put the marble contact onto the piece of wood, making the perfect background for a flat lays. It’s definitely a two person job to stick it to a surface without any bubbles, but once it’s done it’s perfect and so much. cheaper than buying a marble table. However, if you're a blogger you would have come across a marble background or two so I have been trying to look for backgrounds that add a little texture to my photography. But if you didn't notice but backdrops can be crazy money. So try and get creative. I brought some high quality images and got them printed in A1 size. BOOM! Perfect backdrop. Better yet, get yourself to the local DIY stores and raid their wallpaper sections. You wouldn't believe what backdrops you have laying around your home! A over sized white school shirt works wonders!!!
There are so many amazing bloggers out there who have really upped their games when it comes to photography and one theme that seems to be going through all these beautiful flat lays are props, and so props are a thing for me now. I am always looking for more props, my blogging room is getting a little crazy. It's all about getting the right props to surround your photo to make an impact. Stationary, beauty products, books, magazine and even culinary items make fantastic blog props. A bloggers guide to blog photography props may be a great start for inspiration.
NEXT BLOGGER BUYS: ARTIFICIAL LIGHTING, REMOTE, VR LENS.
External Flash. As we are now going into those autumn and winter days, natural lighting isn't always an option and still getting those crisp bright photos are everything. An external flash is an amazing piece of equipment that you can get for around £50 and I know that it will make my photography so much better especially when shooting with low light. 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. This is a great investment to help you on the days where it’s just not bright enough and at around £50, it’s a no brainer.
Camera Remote. Oh how I want to make those bird eye shots and ones with the little lady and I easier. I cannot tell you how many times I had to set my timer for these type of shots, but the most annoying thing was that fact that I had to press the damn button every time, get into place and wait a few seconds. It was time consuming and very tiring! So a camera remote is something that would make my life so much easier. 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 76785 of the same shot. It’s a great little tool for literally nothing!
And when I decide to take the plunge to upgrade my camera, I know that I would love own a VR lens as I know that these can really make a difference when it comes to photography. It helps to take sharp pictures even when photographing hand-held. Generally, when taking photos, there's a rule of thumb to get sharp photos, you need to use shutter speed faster than the inverse of the focal length. With these image stabilisation technology, you can use slower shutter speed, and still get sharp images. But you still need to hold the camera in a stable manner. So this is definitely something that I would love!
What piece of your blogger toolkit couldn't you live without? Do you have any of the same equipment as me? Would you recommend anything I could add into my kit?
A fascinating read, I still use snapseed for editing my phone photos and Be Funky on the PC for my DSLR. In fact those 4 items are my must have tools. #KCACOLS
ReplyDeleteAll I have at the moment is my laptop and my iPhone 8 plus. I wish I could afford a proper camera as photography and me are good friends, but I do take some cracking ones with my phone. One day! We can all dream! Thanks for linking up over on #KCACOLS and I look forward to seeing you there again next time! <3
ReplyDeleteFab post and so interesting to hear about the equipment that you use. I'm lucky to have a Nikon camera that I couldn't live without! My hubby is also into photography, so I nick his equipment quite often! It's definitely a learning curve, but I am getting better too. I really want to get lightroom. I use photoshop for editing, but it's more of a pain for bulk editing - lightroom would be great for that. x
ReplyDeleteI loved reading this, sort of seeing behind the scenes of how you work! x #KCACOLS
ReplyDeleteI absolutely love photography. I love reading posts like this, to see what other people use to take photos. I've heard a lot of good things about the camera you have.
ReplyDeleteI used to have the iPhone7 and have only recently upgraded to the iphone8 Plus and WOW.. the difference is amazing! I'd recommend upgrading! x
Thank you for linking up with #KCACOLS this week. Hope to see you again next week.