These 10 Things to Bring During a Photoshoot

While hiring a professional photographer and a creative team is ideal and preferable, sometimes, we just want to do the process ourselves. There are a lot of resources available to help you shoot and bring out the best in your photos. For the most part, we don’t even need an expensive and high-end camera to achieve a professional-looking image.

Thorough preparation is one of the major keys to a successful photoshoot. If you fail to set adequate time for it, there is a big chance that you will forget the must-haves in order to carry out the shoot.

But, what essentials do you need to bring during a photoshoot? Shrug off the photography stress! Let’s figure out below:

1Camera

Of course, your main gear. You will need your compact, DSLR or mirrorless camera for much crisper and accurate shots. In choosing the right camera, you have to identify what works for you depending on your specific needs.

Point-and-shoot cameras have a non-interchangeable lens. As the smartphone era continually rises, compacts have lost their sense of appeal to the masses. Meanwhile, DSLRs have a gamut from consumer-level to professional. This type maintains an advantage in speed shooting for sports and action photography and has longer battery life. Mirrorless cameras are more unheavy than DSLRs and more superior in image quality.

2Lenses

There are a wide variety of options when it comes to camera lenses. Here are some of the best kinds that will be of good use in your photo shoot:

• Prime lens - this is one of the best lenses that you could ever own. It has a fixed focal length (e.g. 50mm). A prime lens provides you with an opportunity to let more light into your camera and to have a shallow depth of field. Images are sharper and nicer, this lens is best used for portraits.
• Macro - this type of lens is usually employed to take the best close up shots. It has the ability to focus and capture the real-life size of a subject from infinity to 1:1 magnification.
• Wide-angle - its perspective is commonly used in architecture and interiors. Wide angle lenses have the ability to compress and capture much of a scene into a single photo with less distortion.
• Telephoto - the depth of field of this lens is small, but their focal length is much longer. It captures a narrow field of view and at the same time, a magnified image.

Image Source: expertphotography.com

3Batteries & Chargers

When it comes to batteries, you wouldn’t want to run on empty, would you? We all know that batteries eventually die down and photo shoots usually take some longer time to execute than their standard lifespan.

Spare batteries can save you from missing your most amazing shots just because your battery went drained. Be ready with it anytime! As you use your extra fully charged cells, get your chargers and plug it to regain some energy.

Image Source: www.wasabipower.com/

4Tripod

The prerequisite to detailed and striking shots is great stability. Tripod gives you that. It is a stand with three legs as its support which are movable for some adjustments that you might need in positioning your camera.

To alleviate discomfort while carrying your gear, a tripod can be your assistant. It helps you take a superb photo without using your shaky hands that most of the time ruin potential good shots - especially when you are doing long exposure, time lapses, and sports photography.

Image Source: amaperfect.com

5SD Cards & Backup Drives

SD cards are now considered the film of today’s digital cameras. It’s where you store soft copies of your images. Trouble starts when your memory gets full and your camera can no longer record data in the middle of your shoot. What’s worse - some cards get corrupted, so you would really need extra GB for a depot. SD cards and backup drives (at least 1TB) are ideal in giving you larger storage for unlimited attempts to snap that best set of shots.

Image Source: www.wish.com

6Cleaning Kit

Owning a powerful camera comes with the responsibility of taking care of it. Whether you use it or not, you need to make sure you maintain its healthy state through gentle maneuvering and constant cleaning.

No matter where you are, dust, dirt and even moisture can get inside your gears. They can be more susceptible to filth and fragments when exposed outdoors during shoots. Bringing a cleaning kit will allow you to wipe them off before they cause permanent damage.

Image Source: designmom.com

7Reflector

When reflectors are placed on the opposite of the light source, awesome fill light can be produced. How? The light bounces on the reflectors which soften the face of the subject (in portrait sessions). In other words, instead of spending much of a dime on expensive lighting gears, you can actually resort to using a reflector to manipulate light.

It prevents the cast of unnecessary shadows that create a silhouette effect; it enhances products and emphasizes your subject.

Image Source: buybest4u.com

8External flash (Speedlight)

Also known as ‘on camera flash,’ it is a unit that is positioned on the mounting point on top of a camera or the so-called “hotshoe.” Basically, it serves as a lighting gear that gives off better illumination for your photographs, especially when you’re shooting in low or dim lights. But in a deeper sense, this Speedlight can be utilized creatively in your masterpiece.

Why do you need an external flash? First, it softens your lighting which makes the subject look much pristine and without any blemish. It performs red-eye reduction, most importantly in portraits. You also have more control when it comes to angles and lighting with an external flash.

Creativity comes out when lighting bounces off walls or ceilings as you play with positioning your camera all around the indoor location or you can simply focus on achieving the natural lighting effect.

Image Source: www.colesclassroom.com

9Phone Holder

Photo shoots involve a lot of traveling. In order to get to the right location, you will need to do your research about the best place where you can hold your activity. Once you’ve decided just where to go, driving with a map is very ideal. Meaning, you will also need a phone mount as you go on your trip. Indeed, it is a travel and photo shoot essential.

Image Source: www.lamicall.com

10Ziploc Bags and Road Cases

These things are all about protection. Your camera and other gears will need to be in a safe place when you travel and encounter all those bumpy roads and uneven pavements. Of course, riding in your car would mean a lot of shaking and rough stirring. Road cases will be the safeguard of your gears.

Also, the Ziploc bags will serve as containers for the much little things such as your SD cards, chargers, batteries - things that are more prone to getting lost; screws or mechanical tools that can be used for the photoshoot.

Image Source: petapixel.com/

Conclusion

Photoshoots can be very challenging yet fun, especially when you do it yourself. You can encounter a number of impediments along the way but our one and only reminder for you is not to forget all the important stuff. I swear it’s gonna be another level of stress! So, double-check your bags and gears, settle everything before leaving home.