I have to be honest, the tech side of photography isn't something that I've ever been that interested in. What I love about photography is creating something, having a vision and putting it into action. Not talking about focal lengths and the depth of a certain lens. But there is quite a lot of tech that I use on a daily basis to create content for this blog and here are all the details on those pieces;

CAMERA

A couple of years ago I upgraded my camera to the Canon 700d, it's not my dream camera by any means. As, of course, I'm sure like most people who take pictures on a daily basis I'd love a 5d mk3 but it's just not in my budget right now. And the 700d is an absolutely fantastic camera, it's so easy to use and it's lightweight which is something that is super important to me. As well as the ease of use and a super simple menu to follow the fact it has a flip out screen is incredibly useful. Especially if you want a DSLR that you can film with as you don't have to faff around with connecting a laptop to be able to see what you're filming.

LENS

I've used quite a few lens over the last 10 years and for a solid 7 of them, I didn't use anything else than a 50mm lens. Which I truly believe is the best lens to use if you're just starting out on your photography journey as I've found it absolutely integral to learning about composition. As of right now I have two main lenses and they are the Canon 40mm and the Canon 24mm, the majority of pictures that you see on my blog are shot on a 40mm. It's not too far away from a 50mm but it's just that tiny bit wider which I find absolutely perfect for flat lays. And as well as having that little bit of extra width it's also a macro lens meaning you can get incredibly close to items to capture those details which is absolutely lovely to have when it comes to photographing beauty products. I don't use the 24mm all that much as it's obviously quite wide but it is amazing for getting interior shots. If I had to choose just one lens to use only it would definitely be a 40mm.

TRIPOD

For a long time I absolutely hated using a tripod as typically they are quite cumbersome but recently I was kindly gifted a new one from Calumet Photographic*. It's nothing too complex but it's so lightweight considering how sturdy it is and if you angle it right you can use it for flat lays too without the addition of an extendable arm. It's super easy to use and to store most importantly as it folds down so neatly making it much easier to take on the go as well. As it's typically quite dim in the UK I always make sure to use a tripod as it means I can shoot at the lowest ISO and not to have to worry about how slow the shutter speed I'm using is. If you live somewhere that's not all that light then a tripod can make a huge difference to your image outcome and something I can't recommend enough.

ACCESSORIES

CALUMET PROTECTIVE CAMERA WRAP*

Whilst I obviously know that the design of a camera bag is the last thing that I should be thinking of when their job is to protect my kit they are typically so ugly and so bulky. So for that reason, I've never wanted to invest a tonne of money in one nor have I ever really needed something that big either. And for so long I just wrapped my camera up in a scarf [very professional I know] and put it in my bag but now the Calumet Protective Camera Wrap* has solved that problem for me. It's a padded camera wrap that can securely hold your camera, lens and a few other small items and it's really slim and lightweight so I can pop it in whatever bag I'm using. I'm still getting all the protection I need without having to carry a huge bulky bag and it also makes it a lot easier to store equipment at home too.

CALUMET OPTICAL GLASS CLEANING KIT*

An obvious thing for any photographer to have in their kit and something that is so important. It's all too tempting to just quickly clean your lens with whatever top you're wearing but that can be so dangerous to do. Having a dedicated glass cleaner around for your lens, laptop screen, phone screen or even your glasses is something that has been a complete game changer for me. It's all too easy to forget what we put our kit through on a daily basis so just giving things a quick clean once a week can avoid any of those annoying little smudges that you don't notice till it's too late.