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What’s in my Camera Bag (2025)
This is one of the questions I get asked the most — especially from newer photographers looking to build their kit. To start with, I feel very passionately about Lowepro and Tenba camera backpacks. They have lots of varieties depending on what kind of gear your’re carrying but both of these brands are really well made and have lots of really ingenious features.
What I carry varies a little depending on the session, but these are the core items I use at almost every shoot.
Camera Bodies
Canon 5D Mark IV
I still use (and love!) my Canon 5D Mark IV. Even though mirrorless is becoming the new standard, this body is incredibly sharp, reliable, and performs beautifully in all lighting situations.
Canon R5 Mark II
When I photograph weddings or events that require a second body, I use the Canon R5 Mark II. I highly recommend always having two camera bodies for weddings or once-in-a-lifetime moments. I love that I can still use some of my EF lenses with this adapter.
Backup tip: I always shoot to two memory cards at once, and when I get home I immediately back up files to two separate sources. That’s why in almost 20 years, I’ve never lost a client’s images.
Favorite Lenses
Canon 85mm f/1.2 (My Go-To)
If I could only keep one lens, this would be it. I use it for about 80% of my sessions. The compression is gorgeous, the sharpness is amazing, and it’s incredibly versatile for portraits.
Canon 35mm f/1.4
Perfect for larger groups, tight indoor spaces, or storytelling-style shots. It’s sharp, fast, and great for lifestyle sessions where you want more of the environment in the frame. It doesn’t have the dreamy compression that I love but sometimes you have to sacrifice some bokeh to capture the whole scene.
Canon 28–70mm f/2
This is my event workhorse. As much as I love primes, sometimes you need the flexibility to zoom quickly without swapping lenses — especially during fast-paced moments. The 24-70mm F2.8 is really comparable (and cheaper) and I LOVE that lens too, but this one is so sharp and has beautiful compression (although it is a bit heavier).
Another tip: I always keep filters on my lenses. ND filters are great for really sunny situations and UV filters are just great to keep on each of your lenses to protect them from dust and scratches. This is another situation I wouldn’t go cheap on because it can influence how sharp your images are, but the main reason I do it, honestly, is because accidents happen (and perhaps I’m a little bit of a klutz) and it’s much easier and cheaper to replace a filter than fix the glass of your lens.
Helpful Accessories
Light Reflector
Simple, cheap, and makes a huge difference in backlit settings or when you need a clean fill light. I love having a light reflector with lots of different color options for different lighting situations, but the colors I use the most are silver and white.
Extra Batteries
Always. Always. Always. And keep them charged! I always have at least three batteries with me. Is that overkill? Probably. But I was once having my own family photos done and the photographer’s last battery died and it was really inconvenient and I’d never want to do that to my clients.
Extra Memory Cards
I also always have several cleared and ready to use memory cards on hand. I prefer to use memory cards with enough space on them for a whole session, so I’m not switching them out mid-shoot but sometimes shooting goes long and I’ve been grateful to have a few extras on hand. I can’t recommend using high quality memory cards enough. The one and only time I’ve had a card corrupt was when it was a cheap, no-name brand from Amazon. I always use SanDisk Extreme Pro or The Pro Grade brand from Pictureline. I think part of that is that I’m super careful with my cards. If they’re not in my camera, they’re in the plastic case they come in, or in a carrying case made for memory cards. This is the one I have.
Canon Speedlight
For indoor sessions, receptions, or any low-light environment where natural light just isn’t enough. I love these little diffusers that are easy to have slipped in the back of my bag that work great for my speedlight. I also really love Magmod diffusers, for events and weddings,
Camera Strap
Get one that’s comfortable for you — especially if you ever shoot long sessions or weddings. I recommend one that puts the weight on your shoulders or hip holster instead of your neck for longer shoots. Trust me, you don’t want a camera or two hanging from your neck for an 8 hour wedding. For a normal shoot, I do prefer to have a neck strap like this one, or even the one that comes with the camera, but I really love this one for weddings and events.
Camera weather cover
I know that cameras these days are sealed pretty well but I’ll never be comfortable with shooting in wet weather without a cover. Also cleaning hard water rain spots off a camera lens is less than ideal.
Pepper spray
Okay this one is maybe weird, but sometimes being a photographer means venturing into deserted areas by yourself or with strangers. I’ve been doing this for almost 20 years and while I’ve only had a couple of scary situations, it’s enough that I always keep a little can of pepper spray in my bag. Granted, I work with kids a lot so it’s not in a super convenient spot in my bag where a child would easily find it but I know where it is and can get to it quick enough, if I needed it — which is obviously, hopefully, never. .
A few things that help so much when working with little kids
Smarties
I photograph a ton of families, and these are a lifesaver. They don’t discolor kids’ mouths, they dissolve quickly, and they're easy for parents to hand out discreetly. (Basically: toddler bribery at its finest.) Marshmallows also work for this but a few packages of smarties are easier to keep in my pocket.
Toys
Having a squeaky toy or noise maker for toddlers is super helpful for the end of the session when you need to keep them engaged or need something surprising to shake them out of a funk quickly. I find dog toys work the best and they’re fairly inexpensive and fit easily in with my light reflector or in a side pocket of my bag. I don’t recommend pulling out the squeaky toys until the end of your session or even as a last resort because the novelty wears out fast and they always want a turn to squeak it (naturally) and it might be kind of overstimulating for everyone involved (especially Dads) to listen to a squeaky toy for half of your family session.
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