Hey, how’s it going? I’m Andy Jones and this is episode 99 of the Photography Side Hustle podcast.
So I got 2 voice messages on SpeakPipe this week. The first one is from Michael O’Keefe ……
Thanks for that Michael, the second message from Jeff in Western Australia will be the subject of next week’s episode so only the two of us know what the episode will be about.
As next week’s episode is the 100th I’m going to do a competition/giveaway. So make sure you download the 100th episode, I’ll be announcing the names of the winners in episode 102, so you’ll have 12 days to enter. So that is next week.
This week I’m going to go over the …
I’m going to take it that you have a camera body and main lens that you use for most shoots. Now a regular backpack camera bag can hold lots of stuff and it needs to.
A 2nd Body
So the first thing you need if you are shooting for money is a 2nd camera body. This is to be used purely as a backup. I used to shoot with two identical bodies because I didn’t want to be constantly changing lenses.
If you want to keep your costs down get a second body that is older than your main body. If you currently have a Canon T7 DSLR, today you can get an older Canon XTI 10MP DSLR in excellent condition for $72 on the KEH.com website.
If all you do with this body is keep it in your bag just in case you have a problem with your main body, that’s ok. $72 is a great deal for some insurance and peace of mind.
Just think about only having one body and it fails halfway through a session. You’ll lose a lot more than $72 and gain a bad reputation.
2nd lens
Now you might already have two or three lenses, but you need a lens in your bag that you could use for the full session.
Let's say you have a 24-70 lens for shooting family portrait sessions. You hit it against the corner of a building and the front element smashes.
Your backup lens needs to be either 35mm or 50mm. After you’ve stopped crying over the broken 24-70 you can put a 50mm 1.8 on and continue shooting.
Again, this is ensuring that you can complete the job.
Extra batteries
Turning up for a shoot with only the battery that’s in the camera is crazy. Check out Amazon for original and third-party batteries, they are way cheaper.
Battery charger
Always take a charger with you, just in case.
Memory cards
SD cards are really inexpensive, just buy a recognizable brand like SanDisk, Lexar, or Kingston. Plus get the fastest you can afford.
If you shoot sports and need to shoot in burst mode, you need a fast card to save all the images. I tried some cheaper cards that I use for recording audio in my Canon 1D which shoots 10 frames a second. It didn’t go well, the card couldn’t keep up, and I got 5 shots and then a black screen. So buy lots of extra memory cards.
Lens cleaning kit - maybe tissues too
This is crucial. I once got ice cream on my front element caused by an angry six-year-old who couldn’t get his own way. Luckily I had some tissues and a cleaning kit, and I was ready to go again.
Tripod or monopod
You might want to consider taking a tripod or monopod with you. What happens if you trip and injure your wrist or arm? Even if you keep it in your car just in case, a tripod would let you continue the shoot
Water
Always take a bottle of water with you. A cooler in your car with a few extra bottles is a good idea.
Advil or Motrin
Getting a headache mid-session can put you off your game, so always have a few Advil or whatever you prefer in your bag.
First aid kit
Being able to fix yourself or one of your subjects can be the difference between continuing the shoot or going home.
Flash
You might not think so right now but learning how to use a flash can make your portraits way more professional. You need to use a flash.
Diffuser
This can either be a small translucent plastic part that fits on the head of the flash or an umbrella or softbox for off-camera flash. Without a diffuser, the light can look harsh.
Extra AA Batteries
Take double the number of AA batteries you think you need. Then have more in your car, just in case.
Light Stand
If you are thinking of shooting off-camera flash you will need a light stand.
Flash Trigger
Again, if you are thinking of shooting off-camera flash you will need a light stand.
Reflector
A really useful tool if you are shooting off-camera flash with one light.
Camera Bag Rain Cover
Your camera bag has thousands of dollars of equipment in it. If it’s raining use a waterproof cover to protect your equipment. Most come with a rain cover, but if you don’t have one use a plastic bag.
Lens Hood
I always use a hood on sunny days to stop flaring in my photos. If you are using flash a hood can also help to keep out stray light.
Polarizing Filter
Always useful to have one in your bag to cut down reflections.
Screw Drivers or Hex Keys
I always have a hex key for my monopod in my bag. If it needs adjusting I can fix it in seconds.
Look at all your equipment and take whatever tools you might need with you.
Duct Tape
This stuff can be used to fix almost anything. Even your camera bag can be repaired with duct tape. I’ve used it to hold a backdrop, tape power cables for my studio lights down so no one trips on them and even taped a flash to a fence so I could get a shot.
Treats to Bribe Kids, Dogs, and Adults
Small bags of candy or chocolate bars can make a family portrait session go so much smoother. If you shoot dog portraits a few pieces of dehydrated liver will get any dog's full attention.
Don't rule out bribing adults, heck, I’ll do anything for a chocolate bar.
Polaroid type Camera
Now I used polaroid instant film cameras at weddings and portrait shoots until I couldn’t buy the film anymore.
But now Polaroid and Fujifilm both have instant film cameras available.
Now I didn’t shoot the whole event with one, I used it for a certain type of photo. At a wedding, I would take a polaroid of the bride and one of the groom before the ceremony. Then after they were married I would have them hold their own photos at arm's length in front of them. The photo was focused on the two polaroids side by side with the bride and groom out of focus in the background. They were super popular and I’m sure they still would be. Give it a try, there are so many ways you can use them and have lots of fun doing it.
Ok, I think your bag is full enough now. Remember next week is episode 100 and there’s going to be a competition/giveaway. Not quite like Oprah, a little bit scaled down from that.
Anyway, if you have any questions you can find me in the Facebook group or through Facebook Messenger.
I’ll be back next week with episode 100, talk to you soon,bye.