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- Light reflectors with removable covers (2) these bounce light and help shift (or sometimes eliminate) shadows around your subject.
- Tripod I have a second one with the pan-and-tilt head
- Canon remote This is one of those things where you have to buy the name brand. I had 2 “generic” ones die on me.
- Clamps (2) these hold the reflectors onto the stands.
- 5 lb. saddle sandbag when you start using heavier lenses, you need to weigh down the tripod.
- Reflector stands (2)
- Dimmable LED lights (2) these can also be used for lighting photos.
Another must is having a couple extra batteries for your camera. Totally save some money and skip buying the ones made the camera manufacturer. The generic ones work just as well but definitely read the reviews first as they may vary from brand to brand.
- Canon 70d I actually have the older 60d model. I upgraded from a Rebel t2i about 3 years ago.
- Tokina 11-16mm f/2.8 this is my main lens for videos since it’s so wide it’s perfect for shooting directly above.
- Sony A5100 I originally bought this as a travel camera but I now also use it as my second camera when shooting videos to capture a different angle
- Canon 35mm f/2 Though I don’t use this as much as before, it’s a great wide angle prime lens for both videos and photos
- Canon EF 24-70mm f/2.8 This lens is uh-mazing. I used it for nearly every one of my blog photos and about half of my videos. I rented it several times before Kevin surprised me with it 3 or 4 Christmases ago. He bought it used on Amazon and saved a ton and it was like new.
editing software
Final Cut Pro X – if you’re wanting to get serious about making videos I highly recommend investing in this program. It pro-level software but I’ve found it to be much more intuitive than Adobe Premiere. It’s actually quite similar to iMovie but it’s got tons of more features including custom video sizes, which is how I easily create square videos! It’s only available for Macs. If you’re on a PC and already a Creative Cloud subscriber, I’d recommend Adobe Premiere.