My Top 7 (Non- Traditional) Gear Essentials
What’s in your camera bag? or What gear do you use?
It’s one of the most common questions I get as a brand/website designer and photographer. My whole kit looks a little different than your average creator because I do quite a few things but I wanted to drop a few of sneaky suggestions beyond just my camera bodies, laptop or lenses. These are the things no one often tells you about that is going to make your life 10x easier whether you’re a designer working from home or an elopement photographer traveling the globe. Here are my top 7 tried and trues, plus links if you’re in the market.
#1 never lose your keys in your bag or in a field again with a carabiner.
I’m perpetually headed to coffee shops to meet with potential clients, driving out to miscellaneous fields for photoshoots and always on the move. Although I typically have my trusty leather backpack with me at all times, by the end of my meeting or sessions I find myself desperately shifting through my bag, pulling everything out and thinking “hmm where have I put my keys. Not the kind of final impression I want to leave with. My client turned friend, Jordan of The Wheeler Photo turned me on to attaching my keys to a carabiner. Let me tell you it has CHANGED. THE. GAME. Now I literally just clip my keys to my belt loop or top strap of whatever bag I’m carrying. No more holy **** moments. It’s an inexpensive fix for people like me who misplace things easily.
#2 a sleek little black fanny pack / belt bag.
Dwayne the Rock Johnson knew exactly what he was doing. Wear it around your waist, cross body or however suits your fancy so you don’t have to keep unzipping your big bag when every time you need a new SD card, battery. I always keep a few spare business cards in my belt bag because you never want to get caught dead without em.
This one comes in multiple colors.
#3 An external hard drive – or five.
As a brand designer and photographer, I’m creating and capturing essential aspects that cannot afford to be lost. You can never have too many backups of backups. Think of external hard drives as a form of insurance. Having a catalog of images and designs tucked away can offer peace of mind should your computer suddenly fail or Adobe not be able to recover designs (which is always a possibility!). I usually have two or three backups on hand at any given time.
#4 leather camera harness.
The Bandit harness was one of my first big investments in my gear. I’ve had mine for the past two years and let me tell you it’s worth the hype. You can easily switch from single camera harness to two with only a few adjustments. Stunning hardware that just looks better with age. Once you wear it in, it’s forever comfy and allows you to shoot for longer without hurting your neck or your back by spreading the weight across your shoulders. Plus, it makes me feel pretty badass when I’m wearing it & what photographer doesn’t want to feel cool during any session.
I have the light brown version.
#5 Apple Airtag.
A part two of sorts to the carabiner solution. I always travel with an Airtag attached to my backpack and camera bag or if I’m traveling with carry on luggage I’ll put an air tag in there as well. It you misplace anything or if it get’s stolen you’ll get a notification on your phone. Always great to have that extra security.
#6 Analog Watch.
This might seem like a weird one. I used to have an Apple watch but I got tired of it buzzing my wrist every time I got a notification. During wedding days or client meetings you don’t want to have to pull out your phone in the middle of important moments to check the time. Last year I finally purchased a simple watch and it’s been one of the best “well duh” buys. You can get a digital watch or even an apple watch if that suits your fancy. To keep professional it’s always great to be able to easily keep track of time without having to rely on your phone. Definitely an essential 10/10 would buy again.
Black leather with gold features. Very on brand.
#7 a dot grid notebook.
I’ve always got my notebook, usually used for client meeting notes, jotting client feedback down, brainstorming new design ideas or creating my task list for the week. I tend to do a ton or doodling, sketching and note taking. I struggle with the idea of having all my notes set-up digitally, I can’t stand digging through folders trying to find a one line note I could have just pulled out of my bag and find in seconds because I remember where I wrote everything.