The Ultimate Photography + Film Guide for Bloggers

Hey everyone! So I (Natasha) usually write all the posts on this blog, and Jarden usually takes/edits all the pictures. Since photography is his area of expertise, he’s taking the full reigns on this one!

We get a lot of questions on the type of gear we use, so below is the full breakdown. We have a overall picture below of all the gear we take along with us. Jarden also explains below each item and shows the type of photo he got with it. Let us know if you have any questions below – he’s a tech nerd!

Canon 5D mk iii

 This camera I happened to stumble upon after a devastating mishap when I accidentally left my 6D on the trunk of my car.  When I lost my 6D, it just so happened a friend of mine was selling his 5D mk iii and I happened to score a decent deal to replace my loss.  This is a full-frame 22.3 mp camera and it shoots video up to 1080p at 30fps.  I’ve not only grown to love the quality of the camera but surprisingly the size as well.  It’s slightly bigger then the 6D but feels like a perfect fit for my hand.  I’ve taken this camera everywhere from the scorching heat of the Nevada desert to the vast glacier lagoon in Iceland, Jokusarlon.

Wide Lens

I currently use a Tokina 11-16mm as my go-to landscape lens.  While I feel I’ve outgrown this lens, it still gets the job done.  This lens is made for a crop-frame sensor camera so I have to keep the focal length at 16mm or my photos will have a fish eye ring effect around it.  When the time is right, I plan to upgrade to a Canon wide such as the 16-35mm or a 20mm prime.

50 mm

The Canon 50mm is my current favorite portrait lens that I used to shoot some of my favorite photos.  This lens is incredible for the price which is why it was coined the nickname “nifty fifty.”  The f stop goes as wide as F/1.8 allowing me to capture detailed “bokeh” photos with blurry backgrounds.  This lens is so good to me I almost don’t see a reason for me upgrade to another Canon 50mm.

Favorite Lens

While I don’t currently own one, I rent one on almost every trip we take.  The Canon 24-70mm F/2.8; not only do images come out crystal clear with this lens but also the focal length is near perfection for an everyday shooter lens.  The price has kept me from actually buying one but eventually I do plan to get one.  Right now, renting this lens has still worked out the best for me.  Beware renting though, because I have damaged one before which resulted in a $550 dollar repair to the lens rental company!

Telephoto

The Canon 70-300mm f/4.0 is actually another cheap lens that I’ve used and had since I was shooting with a Canon t3i.  The range is great while the quality is mediocre.  I can see imperfections in my images as a direct result of this lens, but the photo length when taking long lens images is what keeps this lens in my bag.  Also, the size is significantly smaller than the coveted Canon 70-200mm F/2.8L lens, as well as the $1,800 price difference!

Tripod

There isn’t anything significantly great about my tripod, but the brand is Vanguard.  I pretty much only use it for long exposures  in low light conditions or when setting up shots that I plan to be.  When looking for a tripod, the most important things to me were Amazon reviews, and portability!

Backpack

My old backpack that I used for 2 years was the Lowepro Photo Hatchback 22L AW.  When I got this, I needed my camera bag to have enough space for my camera, 3 lenses, laptop, tripod, have a weather cover and/or be waterproof, and still be fairly small.  Being a fan of Lowepros outdoor gear, this one fit me perfectly.

My current bag is the Peak Design Everyday Backpack 30L – I wanted it ever since they announced it!  While my Lowepro bag has served me well, the zipper for the laptop pocket broke, and for obvious reasons, that is definitely not acceptable when traveling.  I’ve owned a couple of other peak design products for about a year now including the Slide camera strap and the Cuff wrist strap.  Impressed by their quality and durability, I knew that the back pack would be worth the pricey $290.

After traveling on our most recent trip through Belize, Mexico, and Cuba, I can proudly say that this bag has lived up to the hype. It’s a quality bag and it really seems that Peak Design has spared no expense – I love it!

Drone – DJI Phantom 4 Pro, DJI Mavic

We use the DJI Phantom 4 Pro when we’re trying to get the best quality for what ever project we are working on.  The Dji Mavic is great for travel and extremely portable, but the 4 pros camera is a significant upgrade.  The Mavic gets used the most though as it’s convenient for our travel lifestyle.

DJI Osmo

 

The Dji Osmo is a great choice for those steady cam shots without actually using a big rig with a SLR camera.  The camera that it comes with isn’t the greatest but the beauty of the Osmo is you can upgrade the camera and switch them out.  It can literally just twist off and can be replaced by a better DJI camera.

Canon G7X

 

This is probably the best point-and-shoot that we’ve ever owned.  The internal stabilization is great and the footage is so crisp.  The flip screen works best for vlogging!

GoPro Hero 5 (with dome)/ GoPro Hero 4 Session

Before I seriously started to get into photography, the GoPro was my go-to camera in and out of the water.  I started with the original Hero and have been upgrading ever since.  While I mainly use my 5D, the GoPro Hero 5 still has priority of use during certain situations such as action shots or in the water (I don’t have a water housing for my 5D).  Since the GoPro Hero 4 Session only shoots 8mp photos, I mostly use the photos features for surfing because it is so light-weight.  Other than that, I just prefer to use it for video on a mount of some sort.

The dome I use is a Vicdozia TELESIN 6″ Dome Port.  Besides taking amazing “over-under” shots, the dome pushes the image further back while under water creating an overall better quality image.  With as good quality as the GoPro gets with the $60 dome, it’s hard for me to justify forking over thousands of dollars for a dome for my SLR!