Geek alert: a list of gear that has transformed my photography
For those that know me personally you know that I am kind of obsessed when it come to researching new gear. I seem to be a sponge for information and before every purchasing decision large or small I delve deep into all the pros and cons. I usually purchase multiple items every year to add to my collection. I was excited because this year I added several pieces of gear that truly changed the way I shoot. So without further ado here is my top purchases of the year based off price range.
Best purchase under $50 – Fotodiox oval 5-in-1 reflector 48×72″
$50 doesn’t usually get you far in the photo world, but this item is a steal at triple the cost. I take this thing with me on every single shoot it is that useful. Its large size makes is useful for lighting 1-5 people easily. What this reflector does is help to bounce a natural soft light back onto my subject helping to reduce contrast and provide beautiful modeling on their faces. A secondary use is to remove the cover and use the translucent section as a screen between the Sun and subject. 
The photo on the right you can see a large white catchlight in Sunny’s eye. This a direct fill. On the left you can see the couple standing a diffused shadow being caused by the translucent scrim. Without the scrim the couple would have been standing in unattractive harsh light. 
At $50 (currently $58) this reflector does more for my photos than any other item. Best value.
$50 runner up – Nikon Nikkor 55mm f3.5 Micro
Modern Nikon Macro lenses cost a between $500-900 these days. However the best thing about shooting Nikon is that there are a huge variety of legacy lenses out there that can still be used. Including this 40 year old beauty. For being so old this manual focus lens takes beautiful ring shots. I bought my particular lens off craigslist for under $50.
Best investment under $200 – Think Tank Steroid Speed Belt System
I officially caved this year and surrendered whatever coolness I had left. I purchased what I call my batman harness. Previously after shooting a 10 hour wedding day my back would be way too sore from lugging my camera bag around. This bag distributes the weight onto my hips and therefore off my bag. The accessibility of all my gear is fantastic and well thought out. I cannot tell you how happy I am to have made this purchase.
Runner up under $200 – Nikon 50mm 1.8G
Everyone needs a 50mm lens in their bag. I have owned the nikon 50mm 1.8d followed by the 1.4d. These lenses left something to be desired. They both weren’t as sharp as I’d like, they had focusing issues, and they were simply getting old. Both were still around from when film ruled the photo world, which meant that they weren’t optimized for today’s super resolution sensors. Nikon has a tendency of shooting itself in the foot by releasing outstanding “cheaper” versions of their more expensive glass. From what I have read and seen this lens is cheaper than its more expensive brother. This little bundle of joy is my go to detail lens. Prime lenses are great for low light and give that lovely soft faded background that everyone loves. I got this on rebate for under $200.
Best investment under $500 – Nikon 85mm 1.8G
At under 1/3 the cost of the more expensive Nikon 85mm 1.4G this lens is in my opinion the best bang for your buck lens Nikon makes. While being a rather boring looking device with its basic stubby and squat appearance it has become my go to favorite portrait lens. Super sharp focused area couples with creamy soft bokeh and a perfect focal length make this lens a perfect fit for my photo style. This lens can be used in low light situations as well. The only problem with this lens is that it happens to also be Tash’s favorite as well. This lens really is the secret to how we get those creamy soft out of focus areas. These go on sale for under $400 from time to time, at this cost it is a no brainer. Between this lens and the 50mm above I was able to sell my 24-70mm 2.8.
Best Investment under $500 Runner-up – Godox Witstro AD-360
Code word for Very powerful, ultra portable light. This light is really awesome because it delivers so much punch in such a small and brilliant package. It also give me the option of shooting bare bulb, which means nothing to most of you. 🙂 Essentially this is an awesome light because it will keep up with me during a reception, I can get a whole group photo shot through an umbrella, and it is light enough that I don’t mind lugging it around everywhere I go. Plus the battery on this thing could shoot 3 weddings without running out.
Best investment under $1000 – Nikon 16-35mm f/4 VR
Bought this bad boy on sale for $996. I had been longing to add a ultra wide angle zoom to the arsenal for some time. Adding new gear like this helps to diversify my portfolio as well as give me more creative license to explore my ideas. Using this lens has been awesome this summer. I actually retired my 24-70mm 2.8 in preference to this lens. Using this lens I can go a wider than ever before making certain shots more dramatic than ever before.
Possible Runner Up under $1000 – Pentax 645 with lenses
This is my newest addition to my gear pile. A beautiful 30 year old Pentax 645 medium format film camera. While only costing me $400 for the body plus 3 lenses and a bag I am sure the total investment in this camera is going to climb closer to $1000 once all is said and done. While only running four rolls of film through this camera thus far I can tell you that I’m in love with this beast. The ugly step child of much prettier systems such as the Contax 645 and Mamiya 645 AFD this thing is a tank, and is truly the funnest camera I have ever shot. The black and white images I received back from the lab were spectacular. They conjured instant nostalgia of the “good ol days”. This is something I am DEFINITELY going to be offering as and add on to all of my 2015 wedding packages.
