Okay, it’s really a camera backpack because I’m not about unevenly destroying my shoulders with bags, BUT since today is National Camera Day I thought it would be fun to share all of the fun goodies I’ve got going on inside my camera backpack of tricks! (Aka all the gear I use to bring your brand to life through brand photos and video!)
The backpack I use on every shoot is the Lowepro Fastpack BP 250 AW II Camera Backpack in Black. It’s no Hermione-purse with endless space and no weight, but I super love this backpack. Back in 2018 when I was prepping for a trip to Europe I did a LOT of research before purchasing this ‘cause $90 is a lot to spend on a backpack for me. But I wanted to make sure this bag would fit all my gear, be pickpocket-proof, and comfy to wear all day and take across Europe in addition to having it be practical to use on shoots once I got home.
After extensive researchI landed with this backpack because of the following:
- It’s comfy af even after wearing it for 12 hours packed to the brim.
- It has super cushy padding on the straps and shoulders and has cross-chest and around the waist buckles also which more evenly distributes the weight
- The space!!
- Yeah, I realized this bad boy had even more space than I originally thought upon purchasing. I love that there’s a top shell that you can stuff full with anything from a packed lunch to extra flashes and gear.
- It can also hold a ton in the camera pouch - packed to the brim I can fit two cameras, four lenses, my batteries, external hard drive and Mac laptop charger. Plus my laptop in the side laptop sleeve, lunch, a book and my sweatshirt in the top shell and my tickets, passport, phone, headphones, chapstick, pens, notebook and other snackies in the front pocket.
- Organization for days.
- So many pockets and zippers!! (I love having all these spaces to make homes for my stuff!) SD Card holders, an easy-access front pouch, pen holders, removable velcro dividers for the camera pouch and so many more.
- The size *-*
- I will admit this bag has side-swiped many a tourist in tight quarters but once you’re aware of the issue you can avoid it! It is however just small enough to be allowed as a carry-on (which is awesome since as previously stated, you can stuff this baby to the max!
- Security!
- I totally trust my clients on shoots, however when traveling abroad I became super concerned with how I could safely carry around $4,500 worth of gear around on a daily basis and this bag came with two layers of security to access the camera pouch! First the zippered side-access was awesome for not having to take off this backpack every time I wanted to swap a lens. And then over that zippered pouch you have the cover flap which then buckles over the zipper. So if someone did want to break in they’d have a hell of time trying to do before I noticed!
- Oh yeah and those straps that add an extra layer of security to the camera pouch can lengthen so that you can roll up a blanket or jacket to store underneath the bag!
- Cool rain shield!
- This was more of a bonus perk, but this back has a built-in raincover that’s stored at the bottom of the bag! Yeah, every other inch of me was soaked while hiking through Verona, but my camera gear was safe lol
So yeah, bag backstory! I highly recommend it if you’re a photographer, but even as a traveler in general- you can totally take out all of the camera pouch dividers or just use them to sort clothes and stuff for travel.
But now let’s get on to what’s actually inside during an average shoot!
1. Top Shell:
This is the essay-access top of the bag that houses all of my snacks! (Yes this is first cause it’s MOST important haha). Snacks are usually granola bars that will give me some extra energy and are easy to eat during a break. As much as I love chocolate, I try to avoid it because if I forget I have it in my bag...yeah we know how that all ends once a hot day comes around.
This section also houses my pens and pencils and bandaids (a shoot staple- they have come in handy a lot more often that you’d think). Sometimes I also put in sunscreen and extra water if it’s gonna be hot and depending on the location of where we’re shooting you’re branding session I may also bring a flash and my “otter” batteries hehe.
2. Front Pocket:
Cell phone, earbuds, (very old and need to be replaced) business cards, bobby pins and hair ties, an extra USB, hand lotion and Blistex. Y’know, the essentials.
3. Side Pocket:
Usually houses either a water bottle (VERY important to stay hydrated throughout a session for me and you!) or a tripod depending on the type of photos I need to get!
4. Camera Pouch:
The front pocket to this pouch will usually house my battery chargers just in case my three sets of batteries per camera do not last me the whole shoot!
Inside the camera pouch I have my primary DSLR camera, my Canon 5D Mark IV with a battery and SD card already loaded in along with two backup batteries and multiple SD cards. Same goes for my secondary camera (primary for video), my Canon Rebel T7i!
As for lenses, my 85mm f/1.8 is my all-time favorite. I will literally use only this lens if the space allows it! (It produces beautiful portraits with super blurry backgrounds!)
Next up is my nifty fifty 50mm f/1.8 (a great cheap lens that has stood the test of time!) and finally, my Sigma 17-55mm f/2.8. It sometimes has focusing issues so it’s not my favorite, but until I can save up for my 35mm dream lens, this one is my go-to wide lens!
Other little goodies I have are a lens wipe, extra lens caps, and my ExpoDisc! This nifty little device gets the most accurate white balance for your photos! (Basically it helps me achieve more accurate skin tones so there’s less I need to edit later!) SO if you see me holding this in front of my camera taking pictures randomly up at the sun, don’t be afraid, there’s a good reason haha.
So that’s my camera bag!
Collectively all these things aid me in getting you personalized, brand-aligned images for your business or craft! I am a bit of a find-one-thing-I-love-and-stick-with-it kinda gal, but I also enjoy renting and trying out new gear just in case there’s something that peaks my interest.
Let me know if you have any questions on what gear does what during your branding session and I’d love to answer them for you!
