Since Christmas is only a few days away I thought I’d share my must have’s for photography. Perhaps you have a photographer or budding photographer on your list, this might give you or them some ideas. I always love seeing what other photographers use so here goes…

Let’s start with equipment. I use the Canon EOS 5D Mark III Body. I use Canon because that’s all I’ve ever used. I can’t compare Canon and Nikon for you but I can tell you I love my camera.

My favourite portrait lens is the 50mm and if you’ve taken one of my photography workshops I would have suggested this to you. I use the Canon EF 50mm f/1.2L USM lens. It’s pricey. You can get less expensive 50mm lenses. Make sure you only purchase this one if you have a full frame camera. Less expensive options include this Canon EF 50mm f1.8 STM lens and this Nikon AF-S 50mm f/1.8 G Nikkor lens. If you’re unsure of what you should purchase, ask at one of our local camera stores – Vistek and The Camera Store will always be helpful.
My next favourite lens is the 24-70. Really versatile and the zoom factor is a must have when working with fast moving toddlers! I use the Canon EF 24-70mm f/2.8L II USM zoom lens.


I also use the Canon EF 85mm f/1.8 USM telephoto lens. This one comes out a lot for maternity sessions. And that’s it for lenses! On occasion I will rent a lens from Vistek if I need something different but these are my go-to lenses and they serve me well.
Where do I put all of my gear? I have this camera bag from Kelly Moore Bags that I’ve had for years. It has been good to me and holds all of my lenses, my camera body and the outside pockets are perfect for all the extras I need to stash (keys, memory cards, phone, etc.). However, it’s looking pretty ratty these days. It’s sat in snow, dirt, been rained on…So now I have my eye set on a new one and I’m loving the below two, just can’t decide which one yet.

 

For editing I have the Apple 30 inch Cinema Display. Unfortunately it’s not available anymore but trust me, it’s an amazing monitor. For me the best part is no glare whatsoever. This is really important when editing. It’s also huge which is perfect for being able to see and remove anything I need to from a photo.

The Wacom Bamboo tablet. I almost forgot to include this and I only remember it’s not normal to use this when other people go to use my computer and have no idea how to maneuver around the screen. It takes a little getting used to but now it’s second nature. Basically the pad is representing my screen and I just use the pen to touch and draw where I need to. I find it to be really precise when editing when compared to a mouse. This one doesn’t appear to be available anymore but here’s a link to their new ones.
Last but not least, my iPad with Netflix. I cannot edit without watching Netflix. I feel like I’ve watched all the good series already though! I need a new show soon, recommendations??
Hopefully that’s given you a few gift ideas or if you’re a new photographer simply looking to see what I use I hope it’s helped!