As someone who specializes in senior portrait photography, my bag is chock-full of important gear that I need for every session. I have experienced a lot of trial and error over the years, figuring out what works and what doesn’t. Now, my gear list is consistent, reliable, and everything I bring only betters my senior experience! Without further ado, let’s dive into it!
First off, let’s talk about my bag! I use the Kamrette Lyra backpack, and it’s my favorite! I love having a backpack style bag for my gear, because it allows me to easily transport my stuff from spot to spot while keeping my hands free. Plus, it’s wicked cute! This particular bag is just big enough for all of my necessary gear, without being too bulky or overwhelming. As a wedding and senior portrait photographer, this bag is versatile enough for any type of session. Click here to get your own!
Next up is my camera body! I use a Nikon D750 and I have for the past five years! It’s an incredible full frame DSLR and has always served me well. I buy almost all of my camera equipment from B&H, click here to shop the exact body that I have!
As for my lenses, I have a few! However, I only bring TWO for senior sessions: my Nikon 50mm f/1.4 and my Sigma 85mm f/1.4. Both of these lenses are perfect for senior portrait photography, and the two different focal lengths ensure that I’m prepared for all sorts of situations. I love that both of these lenses are capable of such a wide aperture, because they create silky smooth backgrounds like these!
I also store loads of spare SD cards in my camera bag, as well as extra batteries! Although my batteries can last for up to 5-6 senior sessions, it’s always good to be prepared.
As for other essentials, I always bring my handy-dandy reflector and a pop-up changing tent! My reflector helps me bounce light back onto my subjects’ faces, since I am almost always shooting backlit. I even wrote a whole blog post about this, click here to check it out! My pop-up changing tent has always been a fan-favorite, and allows my seniors to change anywhere without having to find a public bathroom or walk back to their car. Click here to shop the one that I use!
I also bring my “bag of tricks” to every senior session, which is a little bag filled with random essentials such as bug spray, blotting sheets, and more. I made a whole Youtube video that goes over everything in this bag, check it out!
And that’s everything that I bring! Make sure to follow me on Instagram and YouTube, as I’m always sharing behind the scenes of my senior portrait sessions!
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