The Ultimate New Photographer Gear Gift Guide / Idea List
The Ultimate New Photographer Gear Gift Guide
When I was getting started as a photographer, one of the biggest things I struggled with was figuring out which pieces of gear would help me and which ones would just sit in my closet never to be seen by the light of day again. As you will quickly learn photography gear can be EXPENSIVE, That's why I want you to learn from my mistake with this gear list that will help you pick the best pieces for your specific photography style and needs!
(Image via. www.googleimages.com)
Chances are if you're reading this you're probably human, which means from time to time (or if you're like me all the time) your lens will get dirty. When it does you are going to need something to clean it with. As a beginner, you may be tempted to reach for something like a paper towel or the bottom of your shirt. However, this is the fastest way to damage that lens you just dropped a pretty penny on. Instead, I would highly recommend getting a lens pen. Its compact, and has a side for both dust and fingerprints or other harder to remove messes. Keep your lens safe and invest in one of these right away! (Image via. www.googleimages.com)
Type of photographer: Any
Percentage of time used: 100%
Price Point: $
(Image via. www.googleimages.com)
I’ll be the first one to admit, I HATE carrying a heavy tripod everywhere. This is why I love my travel tripod, it weighs less than a pound and its flexible legs can be attached to almost anything. Just be careful when you're buying one of these and make sure the one you get will be heavy duty enough to handle the weight of your camera + lens!
Type of Photographer: Travel photographer
Percentage of time used: 20%
Price Point: $$
Tripods can be a great way to take your shots to the next level. Not only do they free up your hands for self-portraits, but they allow you to keep a low ISO in low light situations by dropping down your shutter speed. Although it may be tempting to opt for a cheap “amazon basics” tripod, you will be using this piece of gear essentially forever. I recommend investing the money for a good heavyweight one with a ball head.
Type of photographer: Any
Percentage of time used: 75%
Price Point: $$$
(Image via. www.googleimages.com)
Like picking a backpack for your first day of school, this is a big decision. While you may be tempted to go with the most “Stylish” option be careful when doing this. You will ideally want a bag with lots of cushioning to protect your gear and ideal one that is waterproof because you never know where you will end up as a photographer!
Type of photographer: Any
Percentage of time used: 100%
Price Point: $$
(Image via. www.googleimages.com)
From lighting a model to freezing time, a Speedlight flash can be your best friend as a photographer. Although there is a little bit of a learning curve with using a flash they are a really great way to add light to a picture no matter where you are without just using a harsh on-camera flash.
Type of photographer: Portrait
Percentage of time used: 50%
Price Point: $$
Extra memory cards:
TRUST ME on this one, you are going to want more than one memory card! I can't tell you the number of times I thought I had a card in my camera just to find out I left it in my computer the night before when I was uploading images. I always keep a backup in my gear bag, wallet and car so I can be prepared no matter what! Although they will cost a little more I recommend getting a “fast card” like the SanDisk Extreme Pro series to increase workflow speed.
Type of photographer: Any
Percentage of time used: 100%
Price Point: $$
Now to be honest I rocked the strap my camera came with for a LONG time. However, as my everyday setup got heavier I would constantly find myself with a sore neck from all the weight. Getting a comfort strap really helped this and now I’ll never go back!
Type of photographer: Any
Percentage of time used: 100%
Price Point: $
(Image via. www.googleimages.com)
Polarizing filter:
There are very few products that on their own will make your Pictures better. However Polarizing filters are an exception to the rule! While i'm not smart enough to explain the exact science of how they work to you, I can tell you that they will give you more vibrant colors and allow you to cut through reflective materials such as glass and water. Not to mention a filter will act as an added barrier to protect your expensive lens glass!
Type of photographer: Any
Percentage of time used: 100%
Price Point: $$$
(Image via. www.googleimages.com)
Aside from just having a cool name, intervalometers let you take really cool pictures. From long exposure, to star trails to time lapse the possibilities are pretty much endless with one of these triggers. The best part is you can set it and forget it and just let you camera roll while you explore!
Type of photographer: Light Painters, videographers, Night photographers
Percentage of time used: 20%
Price Point: $
(Image via. www.googleimages.com)
Like extra memory cards, TRUST ME when I tell you-you will want more than one battery. I hate to admit it but I am notorious for losing my batteries and nothing is worse than realizing you don't know where any of your batteries are 15 minutes before a shoot! Even if you never plan on losing a battery like me, DSLR’s can chew through batteries fast if you are doing video, shooting high volumes or even if you're in the cold. Moral of the story, It's better to be safe than sorry always carry an extra charged battery!
Type of photographer: Any
Percentage of time used: 100%
Price Point: $$
(Image via. www.googleimages.com)
This is a little off the beaten path of normal gear people recommend for a new photographer but personally, I love this one. Tiles are little square keychains you can attach to anything, in this case, your camera or gear bag, that will allow you to track its GPS location right from your phone. In the unfortunate scenario, you leave your camera somewhere or it is stolen you will be able to track exactly where it is an hopefully get it back! Cameras and gear are big investments so it is super important to take every precaution possible to protect your gear!
Type of photographer: Any
Percentage of time used: 100%
Price Point: $$
(Image via. www.googleimages.com)
As a photographer, there one of my BIGGEST fears in life is losing all my images. I help mitigate this fear with my external hard drives. Not only are these devices great for backing up your photo library in a secondary location they will also be invaluable for freeing up precious memory space on your computer! My first external hard drive was 2TB and I am still yet to fill it so it is 100% worth the investment and peace of mind.
Type of photographer: Any
Percentage of time used: 100%
Price Point: $$$
(Image via. www.googleimages.com)
Having a Speedlight flash alone is great however these triggers took my portraits to the next level. They will allow you to trigger your flash without it being in your hotshoe or having to be triggered by another flash, allowing you the freedom to place it anywhere and light your model from any direction!
Type of photographer: Portrait
Percentage of time used: 30%
Price Point: $$
(Image via. www.googleimages.com)
When I first got into photography the majority of my shoots were done in my college photo studio. However when I graduated I still wanted to be able to do indoor shoots without having to pay for expensive studio space. Buying studio lighting was a great solution. While good lights can be expensive they will take your portrait sessions to the next level and are something you can use forever!
Type of photographer: Portrait
Percentage of time used: 20%
Price Point: $$$
(Image via. www.googleimages.com)
The best news about this is its CHEAP which isn't something I can say about many things in the world of photography. Gaffer tape is great for so many things, need to tape off where you want your model to stand? Gaffer tape. Want to tape up all the cracks in your camera so they don't get dirty during a shoot? Gaffer tape. Need to hang your model from the ceiling? Hopefully not but if you do… you get the picture. Now, why not use just any old tape well gaffer tape is super strong but also lifts right up when you're done without leaving behind any residue so it's perfect to use basically anywhere and is a quintessential as a photographer.
Type of photographer: Any
Percentage of time used: 20%
Price Point: $
(Image via. www.googleimages.com)
You may think its weird that I specified a “good” card reader but believe me when I say there are A LOT of bad card readers out there on the market. Not only will they move your data super slow but lots of them stop working after one or two uses (this includes ones even built into computers.) Do yourself a favor and get a nice card reader that you know you can rely on!
Type of photographer: Any
Percentage of time used: 100%
Price Point: $
(Image via. www.googleimages.com)
There will be lots of people out there who tell you-you NEED Adobe photoshop. I am here to tell you that when you're just getting started you DO NOT NEED PHOTOSHOP. Not only is it expensive but the chances of you needing that complex of editing capabilities on a regular basis are pretty slim. I recommend to everyone starting out in Lightroom, become a mater find your style and them move onto photoshop. To this day I do the bulk of my editing in Lightroom, not to mention its where I store all my images. Do yourself a favor and stick with Lightroom in the beginning!
Type of photographer: Any
Percentage of time used: 100%
Price Point: $$$
(Image via. www.googleimages.com)
You may have that 6-year-old laptop from college that you plan on using for photo editing. However while it might have been awesome for using google docs and watching Netflix, you're going to want something pretty heavy duty for running editing software. I had started out using the PC in our family office, it was slow my software was super laggy and I wasn't able to edit anywhere except my own house. My editing really was taken to the next level when I got my first MacBook Pro and was able to edit my picture from anywhere with no lag in my editing software. If you're looking to save money check out used models where you can get a lot more bang for your buck!
Type of photographer: Any
Percentage of time used: 100%
Price Point: $$$$$
(Image via. www.googleimages.com)
I can't tell you how many times I've been running out the door and realized my battery is dead. This is where a car charger for your battery pack will save the day. Look around on Amazon and you can either buy them on their own or often times if you buy a battery they have the option to buy a new one for a couple extra bucks!
Type of photographer: Any
Percentage of time used: 30%
Price Point: $
(Image via. www.googleimages.com)
The right lens for you:
They often say good glass is the best investment you can make. In fact, many people will recommend investing in a lens twice the cost of your camera body. However depending on what you like to shoot the right lens may be different from you than it is for me. My go to is a sigma art lens 18-35mm 1.8. It allows me to have the low aperture for portraits and low lighting situations while still having the versatility of a zoom lens. If you shoot portraits prime lenses with a low aperture are perfect, if you like landscapes a zoom lens might be better.
Type of photographer: Any
Percentage of time used: 100%
Price Point: $$$$
(Image via. www.googleimages.com)
The biggest component of photography is light. Unfortunately, the world is not made for photographers and you will often run into less than optimal lighting situations. This is why I love the lume cube. Zits a tiny little light that you can carry anywhere but don't let its size mislead you these things are powerful. They are perfect for lighting models, backlighting products and everything in between. The best part is you don't have to be attached to an outlet for lighting!
Type of photographer: Portrait, Product
Percentage of time used: 40%
Price Point: $$
(Image via. www.googleimages.com)
Nothing is worse than taking the perfect picture only to realize when you get back home that its crooked! Although you can straighten it out in post you may lose the crop that you wanted. To avoid this problem forever grab a hotshoe level. It connects right to the top of your camera so you can visually see if your shot is straight. We recommend the 3 axis option for the perfect shot every time!
Type of photographer: Any
Percentage of time used: 75%
Price Point: $
(Image via. www.googleimages.com)
Lens hood:
Some people love them some people hate them but, what am I talking about? Lens flares! These beams of light can be a stylistic choice, in fact, some people even add them post processing however if you want to eliminate them a lens hood is a perfect way to do that. An added bonus is that you have an extra level of protection on your lens, and if you're accident prone like me you need all the help you can get.
Type of photographer: Any
Percentage of time used: 75%
Price Point: $
(Image via. www.googleimages.com)
Lens leash:
One of the biggest struggles in photography is taking off your lens cover only to forget where you put it 5 minutes later. This is why lens leashes are such an amazing invention! They are exactly what they sound like little leashes that connect to your camera and hold onto your lens cap when you take it off so you never lose it again, pretty cool right?
Type of photographer: Any
Percentage of time used: 100%
Price Point: $
(Image via. www.googleimages.com)
As someone who likes to go on long hikes with my camera, a battery grip has been a great option. These devices allow you to have double the battery life without ever having to change out your battery in addition to having extra leverage on your camera. Do note this will add bulk to your camera but for me, the payoff is worth it!
Type of photographer: Any
Percentage of time used: 100%
Price Point: $$
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