What's In My Camera Bag
My gear list for equine, wedding & senior portraits!
What gear I use is probably the #1 question I see in my inbox over and over! I’ve built my gear list after years of trial and error + finding out what worked best for me.
What’s in my camera bag now did NOT happen over night, this is years worth of saving and building up to this! My very first camera was a Canon 60D, from there I purchased a Canon Mark II, then two Canon Mark III and finally the latest release, the Canon Mark IV. I upgraded my camera bodies only when I had enough money saved up to fully pay for the new body and always kept my old body as a backup. My first lenses were very cheap kit lenses (I actually can’t even remember what they were!) and my first “big” lens purchase was the Canon 70-200mm 2.8. From there I purchased the Sigma 50mm 1.4 ART, then the Sigma 85mm 1.4 ART, then the Sigma 105 1.4 ART. Like my camera bodies, I slowly worked my way to adding to my collection & only purchased new gear when I had saved up enough money.
Your gear, specifically your lenses, will create the vibe of the brand you want your clients to see. I primarily use prime lenses (lenses that do not zoom) to be able to shoot at lower apertures like 1.2 & 1.4 (aka create better bokeh). I love bokeh and love the creamy, dream like images I can achieve with my prime lenses. I also have what is dubbed to be the “go to” lens for equine photographers, the always reliable 70-200mm - but as I’ve honed in on the look of my brand, the 70-200 typically just stays in my bag most of the year.
The more important question people should be asking instead of WHAT gear to get is HOW to use gear. You can purchase all the top of the line gear, but if you don’t understand how to use light and how to use your equipment, it won’t really matter. Just like an oven doesn’t make great cake, a camera won’t magically make great images!
Keep scrolling for full images & details on my gear list as well as links to the products (no, not an ad, just trying to make it easier on you guys to view the products I love!)
Bodies:
Canon Mark 5d IV (my main body) + Canon Mark 5d III (my backup body). With the release of the Mark IV, Canon discontinued the Mark III but you can purchased used gear from places like B&H Photo. Both of my cameras have battery grips so I can have two batteries on my camera & don’t have to swap out batteries as often. The last thing I want to think about while shooting is if my battery is running low!
Lenses:
From Top to Bottom: Sigma 50mm 1.4 ART, Sigma 85mm 1.4 ART, Sigma 105 1.4 ART & Canon 70-200mm 2.8
My favorite gear combos:
What I use for all my equine portrait sessions // Mark 5d Mark IV paired with my Sigma 105 1.4 ART
What I use during senior + wedding portraits // Canon 5d Mark IV paired with my Sigma 85mm 1.4 ART + Sigma 50mm 1.4 ART
What I use for all my horse show arena shots // Canon Mark 5d III paired with my 70-200mm 2.8 + Profoto A1 Stuido Light
What I use for OCF and during weddings // Profoto A1 Studio Lights + Dual Camera Leather Harness
Memory Cards + Batteries
Having a large amount of memory cards is a must for me. I never clear/format a card until the session has been delivered to a client, so I need enough storage to last me about 1-3 weeks of shooting. My Canon cameras have dual card slots, 1 CF slot + 1 SD slot, so I carry both types of cards on me. I shoot RAW on my CF cards & large JPEG on my SD card just for backup. I also have tons of extra Canon batteries + multiple chargers placed in different bags, in my car & in my home so that I always have one nearby when needed. I always have at least two extra fully charged batteries with me along just in case the batteries in my camera body die.
Extra chargers + batteries are from here + my CF card holders are from here.
I hope you enjoyed this post about what’s in my bag! Every photographer is different, so no lens or camera body with be perfect for everybody. When starting out, rental places are a great way to try different bodies + lenses without having the commitment of purchasing them first. My favorite places to rent from are:
www.borrowlenses.com
www.lensrentals.com
Meet Rachel
Rachel Reilly Photography is an awarded Midwest based photographer specializing in equine, wedding + senior portraits serving clients coast to coast.