Blogger Photography: Our Gear And How We Edit
We have been asked a lot recently about our blogger photography, what we use for both photos and video, and how we edit. But, with so much information to give about those questions, we thought it best to put all the information her to refer you to.
So first things first, what Camera do we shoot most of our blogger photography on?
Rob has always been a Nikon photographer. Two years ago, when this blog started to take off and Rob began the idea of doing photography for a living, we invested in a new set up. We shoot pretty much all of our photos on the Nikon D750 with the Sigma 35m F1.4 DG lens. This is also what he shoots with professionally and is so crisp and sharp. When Rob is not around, I use my own Fujifilm X-T20 with the Fujifilm 56mm F1.2 lens. The body is a bit slower than I would like, but the photos have a beautiful color to them. As for the lens, I love the bokeh (blurry background) that it gives, but you need to be quite far away from the thing you are shooting. I also have the 23mm f2 lens which is great for those wider shots, especially indoors but doesn't have as much bokeh. This is also the lens and camera we use to film a lot of our youtube videos. The big thing to remember when you are investing in cameras and lenses is that generally, the more you spend, the better your photos will be. We always use the word investment when it comes to our camera gear instead of an expense. And, speaking from total experience, when you spend the money to upgrade your camera gear, you better your business. Since we made the investment, our blog and photography business has skyrocketed.
Video
When it comes to video, like I had said in the last post, we use the Fujifilm X-T20 with the 23mm lens. Because of its autofocus setting, you don't hear the lens refocusing like you would with the Nikon, and it's phone app allows video easily so you don't need a second person. But, to be totally honest, we usually just use our iPhones. We both have the 8 plus and this is what our Vlog series is filmed on.
Camera Accessories
There are lots of things we may use when it comes to getting the perfect shot for paid campaigns or when Rob is at a shoot.Tripod- a must for anyone with a camera because you never know when you will need it.Soft Boxes- these are lights on tripods that we use a ton in low light or for video.Flash- We don't use flash photography often, but during weddings and low light photoshoots, we love THIS flash. the key is to angle it into the corner of the room behind you so that it lights up the room and gives a softer look to a dark photo.DJI Osmo- because we film so much on our phones, this little device is great for stabilizing the video and is now with us wherever we go.
Editing Photos
We do all of our editing on Lightroom. We have used it for a good 3 years now and allows you to do so much with a photo. We also have created our own presets (a filter that changes the coloring of your photo) to make our brands both distinct and streamline. That way, our feed and websites all blend well together. One huge tip we will say when it comes to making sure you get the best photo and edit, is to shoot in raw ALWAYS!!! they are larger files, but will allow you to take your editing to the next level.
Editing Video
When it comes to YouTube videos, we are still very beginner level with our editing and only use iMovie. We are right now looking at Final Cut Pro, hearing amazing things but trying to budget for the $400 one time fee. We will keep you updated!If you have any questions about our process, please don't hesitate to reach out!