Taking A Self-Portrait is Easy
You know I modeled my own jewelry. Photography is one of my hobbies so I invested a little bit of money into my studio.
The first thing that motivated me to invest on decent photography equipment was the lack of resources to hire out. I wanted to sell my jewelry as soon as I finished it. If I had to ship out my jewelry to be photographed, I’d have to wait a few weeks before I could list them and it’s not exactly feasible since my jewelry are mostly one-offs. All in all, the pros of investing my money on photography equipment outweighed the cons.
My main avenue was selling online through my website. To minimize risks for both parties, I wanted my customers to know the size of the jewelry they’re buying. You know how a simple product photo without context can deceive the viewers. That’s why I decided to model my jewelry to show them how they hang and look on a real body.
Can'T I use my smartphone instead?
Sure you can. But I wrote this blog for those who wanted to invest on a DSLR/mirrorless camera.
Smartphone cameras are getting better and better, no doubt about that, though I still find the quality of the camera on my Galaxy S8 smartphone is lacking compared to a DSLR/mirrorless camera. Editing the colors on a smartphone is annoying as heck, IMO. I prefer to do my editing on a desktop computer. More power, more precise, bigger monitor.
Don’t get me wrong… you do NOT need an expensive set of equipment to start. I did start by taking photos with a simple point-and-shoot camera next to a window until I earned enough money to upgrade my tools one by one as I go along.
When you’re ready to take the plunge, here’s a list of the photography equipment you need to take better selfies. Are you ready?
Keep reading.
5 photography Tools you need to take a GREAT selfie
The 5 essential photography tools you need:
Optional:
Disclaimer: This blog post may contain affiliated links. It costs the same to you but it gives me a small commission when you buy the products from my links. My thoughts and reviews are honest from my own experience with the products.
My thoughts on each of these photography equipment
ESSENTIALS:
Canon EOS Rebel T6i with a flip screen
The 18-55mm zoom lens that came with it is decent enough for a selfie. The flip screen is important to have! The T6 model is cheaper but it doesn’t have a flip screen so you can’t see yourself on the LED screen.
You can buy a refurbished one from Canon USA website for less. The best price available online is usually on Cyber Monday for US shoppers but they do have various online promos on select major holidays.
Wireless remote
A wireless remote for your camera is essential to take a selfie. You can use the timer in the camera but between hitting the button manually and posing, sometimes it disrupted the mood. With a wireless remote, you simply hit it after you set your pose so there’s a lesser chance to fail.
Continuous softbox lighting kit
This kit comes with floor stands and daylight bulbs. The nice things about continuous lighting is you don’t have to deal with light meters and strobe light that the professionals use. It simplifies things. As there’s no dimmer, to get stronger or less light, you simply move the light closer or farther away from you or the object.
There are 2 lights in the kit to get even lighting without harsh shadows.
Tripod
The free standing tripods work best. Don’t get the one with the horizontal bars on the legs. I know the tripod I linked here is a bit pricey but it’s the best tripod I’ve got. Sturdy and the legs can be adjustable in many ways. I’ve gone through $20 and $50 tripods and there’s no contest. You get what you paid for.
The cheaper tripods are built with mostly plastic head so they’re not holding your camera as secure as the more expensive tripods with powder coated steel head.
This tripod has a moveable horizontal arm that can be useful for taking product photos such as flat lays.
Grey Card
A grey/white card is needed to adjust the white balance inside your camera. When your white balance is off, that’s when you get the bluish or yellowish tint on your photos. To set your custom white balance ahead of shooting will save you from doing too much post process editing and will ensure your photos look great and uniform.
This video will tell you how to set custom white balance with a grey card on a Canon camera.
OPTIONAL:
Canon 24mm f/2.8 STM lens
18″ ring light kit
LED panel lighting
100 watt equivalent LED daylight bulb
Fabric backdrop
Which one of these photography equipment are on your wishlist right now?
Discuss it in the comment.
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