As a travel and brand photographer who’s been in the game for over ten years – I can tell you this: your gear doesn’t need to be the fanciest, latest greatest model. It just has to work for you.

When I first started taking photos – we’re talking wayyyy back in my first year of college – I relied on a camera that I could check out from the library and my iPhone (PS; here are my best tips for iPhone photos). It wasn’t until I was about three years into photography that I got my first DSLR, and it’s still the same one that I shoot with today.

That being said, I’ve definitely built out my gear kit in the last few years – AND I’ve got my eye on a few new pieces that I’d love to add in the future. So, if you’d like to know what I carry in my camera bag – keep reading.

1. A good camera bag

First things first, let’s start with the bag. I have three – a backpack to carry ALL of the gear, a small bag for active projects, and a discreet camera bag for travel projects. Really, I recommend keeping two in your kit – a larger backpack and a smaller bag – just to give you a bit of versatility in your carrying options mostly because you won’t always need ALL of your gear when you’re ready to pull out the camera.

The Heyday Camera Backpack

This is my holy grail of camera bags. It fits all of the gear – from camera to extra lenses, external hard drives to lighting & tripods.

The Gatta Camera Bag

My Gatta Camera bag is the perfect day bag to keep my camera base, an extra lense, charging cables & a slim light for on-the-go shots. I usually take it with me for weekends away when I’m taking my camera with me.

The Tenba Camera Bag

For active day shoots where I only need a few pieces of gear – this one’s my go-to. Think skiing, hikes & outdoor shoots.

2. The Camera

I love shooting with a Nikon camera. It was the camera I used when I would check out my university library’s camera, and it’s the first (and only) camera I’ve ever owned. Right now, I’m shooting on a D3300, which is great for beginners and seasoned pros alike – although Nikon has since discontinued this model, the D7500 is a fantastic option at a good price for someone looking to invest in a new camera. And let me just say, the auto-focus on that puppy is sweeeeeet.

Sometimes though, I like to play around on my old Coolpix camera for a fun, filmy look.

3. Lenses

I shoot with a grand total of three lenses. One is my trusty workhorse, the 35-55mm Nikon VR lens. The second, an 18mm-200mm lens with a BEAUTIFULLY low f-stop (great for those super creamy backgrounds), and a 35mm portrait lens that I can’t get enough of. A great option if you don’t want to buy new, is to try and see where you can source resale lenses  – my 35-55mm is a second-hand lens, and easily my most-used of the three!

4. Tripods

Believe it or not, my most-used tripod came from Amazon, and was under $30! It’s lightweight and made for your phone (or a ring/softbox light) – but if you’re looking for BTS/B-roll shots for social media, it’s a great tripod! Plus it comes with a Bluetooth remote, if you want to snap or record video from your smartphone without running back to hit the button (or use the self-timer) all the time.

If you want something for a camera mount, I love this one from Sunpak. It’s got a removable sled that you can attach to the bottom of your camera for a super secure attachment, and the legs are easily extendable.

5. External Lighting

The lighting that gives you the *perfect* glow, even when the sun won’t cooperate. This little gamechanger never gets left behind – it has a huge range of color flexibility, light patterns if you shoot video, and even remote app control for when you’re trying to do the most with only two hands.

6. Photo Transfer Cables

I keep one of these babies with me AT ALL TIMES. Because like any photographer, sometimes I get a little impatient and want to upload *at least* one of the shots straight away. You know the drill – import, pop on a cinematic preset, post.

7. External Hard Drives

If you shoot in RAW – which you absolutely should be – this will be a lifesaver for you. An external hard drive is kind of like the shelf where you keep your extra books, just for photo files. I love this one from Amazon and personally have two of them to keep up with the giant mass of photo files and lightroom catalogs that I’m constantly sifting through.

8. Battery Chargers

A necessity – for camera and phone. I keep one of each on hand.

9. Memory Cards

Kind of self-explanatory, but I always make sure to keep at least two or three of these in my bag. You can never take too many photos!

As it goes, each photographer’s camera bag looks a little different – but the gems inside tend to be pretty similar. You don’t always need to have the latest and greatest gear, just a good eye and a willingness to find your unique perspective.