Gear Use to Create (2022)

This is not today's post, but just for those who may be interested in what we use to create.

Gear is by no means a measure of skill, and is often looked at as a liability rather than an investment, especially to people starting out. But gear also has the ability to force you to learn, inspire you to learn, and can allow you to create something unique that aligns with your professional or creative vision. My rule of thumb is if the gear goes unused or does not pay for itself within a year or less I sell it while I can. 

Ten of my favorite pieces of gear as follows:

1. 85mm Canon RF 1.2  this lens is amazing for portraits, particularly natural light portraits. The compression and the ability to stop down to 1.2 is great for creating a dream like image.

85 mm at 1.2 Strobed using High Speed Sync

2. 70-200mm ii Canon EF gives me the reach I need at events, wedding or is useful for portraits. At 200mm 2.8 the compression gives you the look a prime lens would.

70-200 at 200mm natural light.

3. Profoto B10 Plus with Air Remote I have 4 of these lights which are great for studio or location shoots alike due to being battery or AC powered. Hard light it or diffuse it based on the look you are going for. Strobes require a different style and settings for your camera but give you a styled and custom look. I only shoot in M (manual) mode on my camera, giving me more versatility in how I style a photo.

4. 50mm Canon 1.2 RF is my favorite lens for all purpose shooting. 50mm gives you very little distortion and is most compared to how the human eye sees the world.

5. Canon EOS R5 my workhorse of a camera. As a hybrid (photo and video) shooter it was a no brainer to invest in this camera body when it came out in 2020.  45mp for photos 20 fps (photo), and 4k 120fps (slow motion) with auto eye focus and even 8k RAW video files with internal stabilization for handheld use. Great dynamic range. One limitation is overheating during heavy use for video work especially in 4K HQ (5k) mode.

6. Nanlite Pavotube LED 4' battery powered and AC these are very versatile light I use on professional or creative shoots alike. Great for video work and photography. They offer many different modes such as flashing to give a subject the look as if they are watching a TV at night, or even red and blue cop car lights style lighting effect. You can set them to any color you desire.

7. 2019 MPB I9 with 32gb ram 1TB internal 40TB external gives me the ability to process high quality photos and video. It easily handles LOG footage or Prores codecs. I use Adobe PS and Apple FCPx for photo and video editing.

8. Rode Mic Go ii is handy for on the go monologues or dialogues, great for light interviews or youtube/voice over work. I would not recommend for podcasting but would work and is very convenient to throw in your kit bag.

9. Aputure 120d and 300x continuous lights are a must have for lighting a set or a subject in video work. Great for interviews, music videos or short films alike, I have also used them for photography.

10. Prograde CF Express 256gb and 512gb are what I use in the R5 to record all the footage both photo and video alike. While very expensive they are more reliable than SD cards, hold more information, and record faster.

That sums it up...

Not pictured is my 24-70 f2.8 which I use for 90% of my studio work and weddings or events. It would have made the list but I sold it to invest in a Canon 28-70 f2 which will be my new go to zoom lens when it arrives later this month; with the 50mm being my go to prime lens. 

I did not mention some of my other favorites that are just givens, things like the Ronin RS2 stabilizer, Manfrotto tripods, Avenger C-stands, diffusers, backdrops, and of course my Iphone 12max pro for bts or DJI Mavic Pro Drone for establishing shots. They did not make the list but deserve a mention.

If this article helps in anyway please let me know, posts that you all engage with let me know to do more of like those. Any shots you like of Steph or tutorial type posts like these feel free to let me know.