6 Investments That I Made in 2018 That Were Total Game Changers
The unfortunate truth of the matter is, you have to spend money to make money. Sure, I could have booked a few more sessions using my second hand 50 mm and Canon Rebel XSI, but without investing in these 6 things I wouldn’t be proud of the work that I am putting out there. Even if you are taking up photography as a hobby (which is what I started out as), these are things that will be just as beneficial to you! I promise.
1. Full frame camera: Canon 6D Mark ii
So this is a pretty big investment, but one that was absolutely worth it. I have people asking me every week what equipment I use for photos, most of which are also asking what camera they should purchase if they want the same photos. First things first- buying an expensive camera is not the ticket to getting professional photos (but that is a blog for another day!). I have pretty mixed feelings about people who are interested in getting into photography buying higher end consumer camera bodies, but I am probably bias to my own experience. What I mean is that there is so much more to be appreciated about those cameras when you LEARN how cameras work on the crappier ones. . I started photography on a Canon Rebel XSI, which I don’t even think you can buy anymore! I used the crop sensor camera with a second hand 50 mm lens. And I loved it. It’s the best feeling to have a cheapo camera and while you’re learning your shooting style and how cameras even work. What’s better is that you will also eventually learn what qualities that YOU specifically would like in a camera down the road. After traveling with my husband and doing some shoots around the house for product photography I knew exactly what to look for before I bought my Canon 6D Mark ii. And it was such an AMAZING feeling to know that I graduated from my first and moved on to the bigger and better thing. In my opinion, buying the big dollar camera would rob you of that joy and achievement. But hey, people do it errrday.
Anyway, after months of research I finally bit the bullet and took home a smooth and shiny box with the Canon 6D Mark ii inside it. I was so dang excited. Infact, this is the first picture I ever took on it! This was right after opening the box. HAVE YOU EVER SEEN SUCH JOY?
Reasons I went with the Canon 6D Mark ii in order of importance:
Full frame (as opposed to the crop sensor I had before)
Articulated Screen (fancy way of saying the screen moves)
26.2 megapixels because WOW that’s crystal clear!
Bluetooth and Wifi capabilities
Relatively lightweight
The high number of AF Points (45)
Touchscreen
2. Online Courses
This is absolutely #1 for the best investment I made in MYSELF in 2018. I had no idea how much buying class in February would impact my life. Sounds dramatic, but it’s true. All I’m gonna say is that God for sure had a plan for this one. I bought “The Photo Fix” by Kyle Schultz Photography, which is geared towards parents who want to learn photography to capture their kids and every life. Odd choice for a 20 year old at the time, but I really only wanted to learn to take better pictures of my everyday life and travels. So it seemed like a good fit. There will always be a great classes out there, I certainly don’t swear by Kyle Shultz’s Photo Class, but he explained things in a way that set the course for me to get to where I am today. I would spend entire days off going through the courses over and over again. The key to any photography class is simple: get your camera out and practice. This stuff ain’t easy to master. So be patient, and don’t play the comparison game with other photographers. Do you boo boo. (Also I’ve been going through another course on lighting by Katelyn James and it is oh-so-wonderful).
3. Tripod
Because I KNOW I am not the only one out there who wants photos of myself that can’t trust handing the camera over to someone else 90% of the time. And while I love him to pieces, Blake does not aspire to be any sort of #instahusband. A tripod hasn’t just been great for me to have when I want photos of myself, but I have found myself using it a lot more for still or product photos to make sure I can get crisp shots. It can get annoying to lug around, but it’s a great friend.
4. Backpack
You GUYS. I went into buying a camera bag thinking I had to give up any sense of style if I wanted it to be practical, but I get SO many compliments on my camera backpack. I highly recommend the Camden backpack from amazon. It’s been the greatest for everything from travel, sessions, to everyday shooting. It gives me the chance to be see something that inspires me to take a picture, unzip the zipper on the side and whip that sucker out and snap the photo. I also feel like an absolute BOSS for having a specific and easily accessible camera compartment in the bag.
5. Hardrive
Don’t be like summer of 2018 Abby, where you are sitting on a porch sipping sweet tea on family vacation and having to painfully delete photos from that day specifically because your computer doesn’t have any more storage and you don’t have another solution. Just don’t. Buy a dang hard drive. A good one. Because these memories that we spend so much time shooting, editing, and posting (or framing because print is not dead!) deserve better. And it’s truly amazing to be able to find that ONE photo that you were thinking of from a year ago - with a good hard drive organization method at least.
6. Plane tickets
This one was pretty important for me, but it might not be for everyone. I am so inspired by other places. I am content in my home town and can totally find beauty in my everyday, but something gets sparked in me when I have my camera in other places. Travel photography is for sure one of my favorite things to do. I feel like it makes me appreciate moments and places so much more because I am constantly thinking “where is the best place to get a shot?”, that question really pushes you to go out and explore a little more than you might have before. I am even more excited about the plane ticket I bought for 2019! Norway here we come!