In today's blog I'm going write about what I keep in my camera bag when I'm out shooting on location.
Koolertron Vintage canvas large shoulder bag
A functional bag with loads of space, it can fit a lot of kit inside. It’s also a great size for my laptop when I need it to edit on location. It’s a little more exciting than the standard camera bag, and doesn’t advertise the fact it’s full of camera equipment.
Canon EOS 30
My dad gave me this, last year when he was getting rid of his film camera equipment. It’s in fantastic condition, so I’ve adopted it as my main film camera. You can buy them from second hand camera shops and eBay for less than £100 in various conditions.
Canon 17-40mm f/4.0
A great lens for street photography, I particularly love shooting architecture and interiors with this lens. As it’s quite wide, it warp the perspective of the image, but i love the sense of space this lens can give an image
Neutrogina Norwegian Formula Unscented Hand Cream
I get incredibly dry hands, particularly in the winter, so I always have this with me. It’s an really intense moisturiser, and I strongly recommend not putting it on then standing on a bus - you’ll be swinging around the hand rail, knocking people over. I know that one from experience.
Denman Compact Hairbrush
Just one of the items I have in my bag to make me look like less of a hot mess. I’ve been using these for years, they’re very small and light, and have a very useful mirror inside.
MyTeaBott
I’ve had a MyTeaBott for a few weeks and I love it. It’s an insulate glass bottle with a diffuser, so you can use it to brew tea and coffee on the go, or flavour water with fruit (my personal favourite being mint and strawberries).
SanDisk Compact Flash Extreme
I always buy these, they're extremely reliable and have become much cheaper in recent years. They have a fast recording speed, so they're great for quick burst shooting and video.
Canon 5D Mark III with 50mm f/1.4 & spare battery
I’ve had my new Mark III for less than a week and I cannot express quite how much I love it. The 50mm lens was a mainstay on the Mark II, and it’s very much the same for the MIII. It’s a great all round lens, and fantastic for full length fashion images. Canon’s batteries have a long battery life, but I always like bringing a spare.
Kiko Kiss Balm
Whilst we have Kiko in the UK, I went a bit crazy in the Venice (and then the Verona) Kiko cosmetics stores when I was in Italy over the Summer. This is a tinted lip balm, with spf. I try to have SPF in my cosmetics whenever possible because I’m frequently outside shooting, but have pale skin and sensitive skin. The benefit of a tinted balm means it’s fairly low maintenance, but I look a little more put together. Colour shown is Blackberry.
InTempo Firenze Stag Notebook
I have an obsession with stationery. Particularly notebooks. I know I’m not alone with this obsession, because Paperchase make loyalty cards. I’ve always taken notebooks with me when I go out, ever since I can remember. When I was a child I’d draw dress designs for my Barbies. As a teenager it was drawings and sketches of people, ideas for designs and concepts when I studied Textiles at university, and now I use it for photography ideas and shoot concepts (and the occasional sketch, prop or costume design). I found this black leather one in a TK Maxx, which I highly recommend for other paper addicts.
Ilford HP5 Plus ISO 400 35mm Film
As I’ve previously mentioned, I have a growing interest in film photography. I briefly studied black and white development on my art & design foundation course. Ilford films are fantastic, and I was recommended this black and white film by Campkins Cameras, my local independent camera shop. I also recently discovered that they offer a good range of films as well as development (which is getting increasingly harder to find!).
This Works Stress Less
I have an unfortunate tendency towards anxiety and stress, so this little roll on bottle is perfect to help me chill out a bit whilst I’m out shooting. It smells incredible, using eucalyptus, frankincense and lavender oil to help me relax.
Chanel Chance Eau Fraiche
I was given this perfume by one of my sisters a few years ago for my birthday, and it’s still one of my favourite scents. It’s an incredibly refreshing, yet calming scent. I find if I’m travelling (particularly on the tube) it’s nice to freshen up during the day, and goes some way to feel slightly less like I’m covered in city grime.
