Gear you should have as a Portrait Photographer
E aí, guys! My name is Priscila Elias and today we will talk about all the gear you need as a portrait photographer.
I will share all the equipment I use to do portrait photography as well as what I believe is the most important gear you should have as a portrait photographer.
Portrait photography was the first type of photography I did when I first started as an amateur about 10 years ago. It was also the type of photography I did when I first started working as a professional about 3 years ago. And, even though I do other types of photos, it is still one of the main types of photos I do up until today.
Throughout all these years I’ve tested many different types of equipment until I got to the setup I have today and I will tell you all I use in order for me to get to the photo result you see in my videos and on my Instagram.
Also, I will leave a link for each piece of gear I mention on this video at the end of this post so you can check everything out after you read this.
- The Camera
The main camera I use not only for portrait photography, but for any photography and videos I do is the Canon 5D Mark IV. It is not a mirrorless camera and even though I would love to buy an R5, my budget still does not allow me to do that (maybe next year).
I’m pretty happy with this camera though, and especially for photography, it is awesome. For portrait photos, it is an amazing camera and it never disappointed me. It is a full frame camera that takes amazing sharp and very accurate photos.
If you’re starting out just now and you still haven’t bought your camera though, I recommend you compare it to some newer models, as you might find some very nice models with upgraded functions that will be on a similar price range as this one.
2. The Lens(es)
The second item I consider essential for good portrait photography is a prime lens. This does not mean you cannot do portrait photography with a zoom lens, but I really love the depth of field and the bokeh I get out of a fast lens.
My favorite lens for portraits is definitely this 85mm f/1.8. I’m sure a f/1.4 would be even better but I only have the f/1.8 and I am very happy with the results I get from it.
It is not an expensive lens. You will find it on Amazon for around U$350,00.
If you have a crop sensor camera though, or in case you want a cheaper option for a prime lens, I really recommend you check the 50mm lens. If you go for the 50mm f/1.8, you will pay around U$130 and if you choose to go with the 50mm f/1.4, you will find it for about U$400.
The reason why I say that if you have a crop sensor camera this might be a better choice for you is because with an 85mm lens, for example, in case you shoot in small places, it might be an issue as you will have your image cropped to something equivalent to a 120mm lens or so. If you have a crop sensor camera and use it with a 50mm lens you will get the image cropped in a way it will feel like you’re shooting with an 80mm or something close to that. As a matter of fact if you have a crop sensor camera, you might even consider getting a 35mm f/1.8 lens, especially if you’re shooting indoors in small places. Since my camera is a full frame that is not a lens I have in my kit.
If you intend to start with an unique lens, I recommend you check out this video to see the difference you will find in portraits when shooting with different lenses. I shot the same portrait with several different focal lengths so you would be able to see in practice how much different lenses influence the result of your photos. That way you can decide what you think looks best.
3. A reflector
The next thing I consider crucial for portrait photography is a reflector. I couldn’t see the importance of this until I made some test photos shooting with and without a reflector. Depending on the size of the reflector you get, you will spend from U$15 to U$40 and it will help you to bounce the light you have available to light your subject perfectly in many different situations. It will definitely increase the quality of your portraits if you use it wisely.
If all you have is a camera, a good prime lens and a reflector, great! You’re good to start! You can certainly do great portrait photos already, especially — but not only — outdoor shots during the day!
4. Light
If you want to be more versatile and be able to shoot in pretty much any situation, the next thing I would recommend you have and something that I use a lot, specially here in Sweden where I have very little day light during good part of the year, is an external source of light.
I have quite a few of them but the most versatile and practical one I have that works pretty well for me for external shots, many times even in pretty much complete darkness, is the Aputure Amaran MC RGBWW Led Video light. Besides it being super small and light, it is battery powered and it allows me to change intensity, color and saturation of the light, giving me so much versatility. I am amazed with the shots I can get only by using this light. Plus, it is not a very expensive light. You will find it for around U$90 on Amazon.
I also have an external flash that I sometimes use for portraits. Believe it or not, I usually use the external flash I have for daylight shots though, mostly when I want to overpower the sun keeping the sunset while still having my subject well lit for the shot.
My main speedlight is the CANON 600EXII-RT and my backup one is the YONGNUO YN600EXRTII. You will find the Canon for around U$500 and the Yongnuo for around U$120. In case you want to learn more about when and how I use this speedlight, check this video out.
And if you want to know what the differences between the Canon and the Yongnuo external flashes are, I also have a video talking about that. Click here to watch it.
For my indoor shots, nowadays the light I use for my photos is the same I use for my videos, which is the Godox SL 60W along with a 90cm Neewer octabox.
I used to use strobes with umbrellas but I think the continuous light is so much easier, especially because it’s so much more versatile and easy to check the results on the go.
With the strobes and the umbrellas I need to click and check, click and check… while with the continuous light, I can actually see what I’m getting just by looking on the screen before actually shooting.
So this an umbrella with white interior is something I still use for my portrait shots, but pretty much only when I do outdoor shots. Then I use it with my external flash to have a softer and more diffused light when I want to light my subject to overpower the sun as I just told you.
5. A Tripod
Something I cannot live without for my portrait shots, especially — but not only — because I do many self portraits, is a tripod. The tripod I use is not a hell of a tripod, but it does it’s job. I’ve been shooting with it for about 3 years now and it is still standing, so if you’re on a budget and don’t want to spend much money on a tripod, this Andoer costs around U$50 and I totally recommend it.
6. Other accessories
SD cards — I recommend you have at least 2 of them.
I have around 10 of them but it’s because I also shoot a lot of videos and events, so I end up needing more of them. Most of my cards are 64GB and they’re great for me. Two cards of 32GB might be enough for you, if you’re not doing very long sessions. I prefer having two smaller ones then a big one, that way, if one of them fails, I still have another one to go.
Also something I use a lot and a piece of gear I started using as soon as I started shooting portraits, is an external HD.
Pictures are getting bigger and bigger as cameras evolve, they take a lot of space and I definitely cannot live without an external HD anymore.
Besides, I always edit straight from my external HD, that way I have my computer storage pretty much free at all times, which makes me think it is worth investing in a good external HD. That’s why I bought myself this Lacie. You will find this external HD from U$90 to U$200, depending on how much storage you need. I have a 2TB one that lasted for about 8 months and I just recently got a new 4TB one, since now I’m doing many videos and that takes even more space to keep.
In case you want to know more about how I edit my photos straight from my external HD without having them in my computer, check this link out.
Finally, the last piece of gear I use as a portrait photographer is…
7. A backpack
The one I take for my portrait sessions is a Benro Ranger 300.
I also have a bigger one on wheels which I mainly take to the events I shoot, but for portraits, this one is usually more than enough.
It’s tough, not too heavy, it has a waterproof coat inside in case it rains too much but it is also water resistant. I’ve had this for around 3 years now and I’m very satisfied with it.
MY PORTRAIT PHOTOGRAPHY GEAR
THE MAIN CAMERA — https://geni.us/Dq2Yzfn
THE BACK UP CAMERA — https://geni.us/UlPvn
MY MAIN PRIME LENS — https://geni.us/4xte
THE 50MM PRIME LENSES — https://geni.us/tTYipt or https://geni.us/BgEJfb
ANOTHER OPTION OF PRIME LENS FOR CROP SENSOR — https://geni.us/v7D4
THE REFLECTOR — https://geni.us/u34vQQc
A DECENT TRIPOD ON A BUDGET — https://geni.us/UT7hf23
THE CONTINUOUS LIGHT — https://geni.us/ZSooax
THE DIFFUSER FOR THE LIGHT — https://geni.us/7ZGtdhE
SMALL LED LIGHT TO TAKE EVERYWHERE — https://geni.us/jIyQbGd MAIN SPEEDLITE: https://geni.us/wz2aE3
SECOND SPEEDLITE: https://geni.us/jDou
SPEEDLITE TRIGGERS: https://geni.us/Sj4kieM
UMBRELLA I USE WITH SPEEDLITE: https://geni.us/V2Bius
SD CARDS I USE: https://geni.us/hkDy
PORTABLE EXTERNAL HD: https://geni.us/oY7WC8 MY
BACKPACK FOR PORTRAIT PHOTOGRAPHY GEAR — https://geni.us/7Bnggo
SUBSCRIBE TO MY YOUTUBE CHANNEL — https://www.youtube.com/c/priscilaeliasphotography?sub_confirmation=1
JOIN ME ON INSTAGRAM — https://www.instagram.com/priscilaeliasphotography
For more PHOTOGRAPHY TIPS & TUTORIALS — http://www.youtube.com/priscilaeliasphotography
I hope this helps you to choose your portrait photography equipment wisely.
All the best! :)
