As a photographer and content creator, I often get questions regarding photography tools and what I use on the daily. So I decided why not dedicate a post to talking about just that.
As a photographer I have always believed that it is not so much the tools but your eye that is the key to creating stellar compositions. Now, yes, tools do help a lot but I feel that if you don’t train your eye enough, they will always fail to help you create something magical. And yes, you can train your eye. It is not always something you’re just born with. I am actually thinking about writing a separate post on that and will link it here when I do so, stay tuned 🙂
Photography Tools Guide
Hardware
Thanks to the crazy technological advancements, your phone has enough capabilities to capture stunning images. However, I personally love and recommend shooting with a DSLR if you’re thinking of getting into photography seriously. Having a DSLR gives you more control and even though you can take stunning images with a phone, you will always find yourself limited every now and then.
Complete disclosure, I had been shooting with my Canon Rebel t3i for the past 8 years till I got the Sony A7r two months ago. This goes to show that you don’t always need expensive gear to do photography, but yes it does help and is eventually needed to upgrade, which is what I did.
Based on my personal experience and on what I have researched, I highly recommend the mirrorless cameras as they are smaller in size and lighter than compared to regular DSLRs. I am extremely happy with my Sony A7r and highly recommend it. Ultimately, the Sony A7riii is the winner but it is pricey.
Now, these are all full frame cameras which come with a higher price tag. If you’re just starting out, you may not need to dive into the photography realm with a full frame camera. You can start off with the basics such as the Canon Rebel series, which is what I did, they are a good set to start off with and come with affordable prices.
Software
Lightroom
In addition to the camera and lens, you will need some software to help you work on the images that you take. I usually use Lightroom CC which is the most commonly used software when it comes to editing images. There are a lot of presets available for purchase if you do not want to get too deeply into editing images yourself. I really like the VSCO desktop Lightroom presets, as that’s what I initially used to edit my photographs. However, I will highly recommend learning the software as much as you can so you can create unique edits that match your style as opposed to having edited images that very similar to others using the same preset. The software has both desktop and mobile apps. I mainly use the desktop as I feel it gives me more freedom to edit. I am also thinking to do a step by step editing guide on Lightroom to show you how I edit my pictures, so stay tuned for that 🙂
VSCO
I love VSCO! This is the mobile app that I use to edit images after I import them to my phone. It helps me add some final touches before I post on my Instagram. My favourite filters are 04, 06, A6 and E4. I usually use these filters at 50% so they don’t alter the image by a lot.
Afterlight
I mainly use this tool to add vintage scratches and textures to my images that I use on Soul of Orion’s Instagram. There are a lot more features that this app provides I just haven’t explored it much yet so I can’t really say much on that.
Snapseed
Snapseed is a photo editing app by google. I have just started using it so I am still trying to figure it out. However, I have seen pictures edited with the app and they’re gorgeous! So I am sure this tool has a lot to offer, just gotta need to figure it out more.
That’s it! These tools are all that I use for my pictures, both for my blog and photography services. Like I said, it is 80% your eye and 20% the gear and tools that help create stunning imagery.
Practice really does make perfect or at least very close to it. I have been taking pictures and editing for some 7 years now and I still feel like I don’t know a lot – which is what keeps it exciting for me. So key is to keep shooting, experimenting and taking risks.
Hope this was helpful in shedding some light on what I use when taking and editing pictures. If you have any other tools that you really love using, please do mention them in the comments section below as I am always looking for new ways to elevate my photography skills 🙂
