All the Camera Equipment You Need to Take Professional Photos of Yourself
All the Camera Equipment You Need for Taking Professional Photos of Yourself
No photographer? No problem. Here’s a complete list of camera gear and camera equipment you need to start taking photos of yourself NOW!
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When I first started blogging, I honestly couldn't afford to pay professional photographers for all of the photos I constantly found myself needing. If you are unfamiliar with my evolution, I initially jumped into this creative space as a "fashion blogger". I loved clothes and knew that fashion was the niche for me. But I quickly learned that fashion blogging required multiple photos from different angles of one outfit and its accessories. That's when I realized photography for a fashion blogger could get EXPENSIVE quickly!
Why I Started Taking Photos of Myself
In an effort to save money, my solution was to begin taking a few photos with my own camera of myself. I was going to be my own photographer.
Admittedly, I was nervous but really excited to give it try. But when I mentioned my master plan to a trusted friend, "they" were anything but encouraging. In fact, "they" laughed at me, told me it was a bad idea, and informed me that everyone would be able to tell I wasn't using a professional photographer. Challenge accepted!
Listen, if you tell me that I can't do something, I make it my personal mission to succeed. My laser-focused stubbornness led me to really learn about photography and photo editing. And the more I learned, the more and more I fell in love with taking pictures.
Who This Guide is For
Maybe you are just like me and don't have the budget for a professional photographer. Maybe like me, you love to travel and want to capture epic photos of yourself in cool destinations while traveling solo. Like me, maybe you feel uncomfortable in front of the camera or haven’t found the right shooter that truly understands your own style yet. Maybe trying to figure out what gear is best suited towards capturing images correctly can be a daunting task- but hopefully not anymore! If any one of these resonates then this guide is written specifically for YOUR needs!
Ready to take your photos to the next level? Be sure to check out the best free photo editing apps for Instagram, my FREE Lightroom preset, and the easy guide to installing Lightroom mobile presets on your phone too!
Must-Have Camera Equipment - My Basic Set-up
Taking amazing photos of yourself can be super fun and a great way for you to discover your own style. All you need to get started are a few basic pieces of camera equipment. The list I've compiled of self-photography equipment are things I've used and highly recommend to any beginner photographers wanting to start taking great photos of themselves. Keep reading to see what I personally use for my photography.
Camera
Before we begin, let's get a few things straight. . .
First, the most important factor in taking good pictures is the photographer, not the camera. I can't emphasize this enough. Most people believe that if they purchase an expensive camera, their photos will be better quality. So without any prior knowledge or understanding of how to use a camera properly, they'll go buy a $2500 camera.
Second, the best camera is always the one that you have on hand. This includes your phone camera! You don't need an expensive DSLR or mirrorless camera to get a great photo. I've gotten plenty of amazing shots with just my iPhone.
So which camera should I choose?
If you are new to photography, a beginner DSLR camera like the Canon EOS Rebel T8i I would highly recommend. It's affordable, has a flip-out touch screen perfect for taking self-portraits and recording videos for your YouTube channel, 24.1 Megapixels, shoots video in FHD 1080p or 4K, has built-in WIFI for uploading photos directly to your smartphone, and is compatible with multiple lenses.
I began my photography journey shooting with the Canon T6i (an earlier model) and loved it. And as my photography skills have grown, I've upgraded from a DSLR camera to a mirrorless camera, the Canon RP.
Camera Lenses
If you ask most photographers, they'll tell you that your lens choice is more important than the camera body. And I'd be inclined to agree with them!
The lenses you choose will give your photos a professional and specialized look. And for beginner self-portraits, I recommend having at least one go-to lens on hand.
My go-to self-portrait lens is the Sigma Art lens 18-35mm f/1.8 for Canon mount! In three words: it's hella versatile. This lens captures wide angles at 18mm and can even zoom in to 35mm for close-ups. Plus, it has a wide aperture of f/1.8 which helps blur backgrounds (bokeh effect) and gives your photos an aesthetically pleasing feel, even if the lighting isn't perfect!
For an affordable lens that still gives you great quality photos, I recommend something like the Canon EF 50mm f/1.8 Stm II, also known as the "Nifty Fifty". It is lightweight, compact, tack sharp, and creates blurred backgrounds (bokeh effect) too! In terms of affordability, the "Nifty Fifty" is an excellent choice and is priced under $150.
Tripod
A tripod is a must-have piece of equipment if you want to take high-quality self-portraits. You don't need an expensive tripod, either – I have two myself but this one is my favorite by far. It's very lightweight and can easily fit into a carry-on suitcase. In fact, it probably deserves its own passport at this point! This tripod has been all around the world with me and seen some amazing places (literally).
L-Bracket
An L-bracket is a piece of photography equipment that allows you to mount your camera both vertically and horizontally. Most photos posted on social media are taken in portrait orientation (vertical); however, flipping your camera on a tripod without an L-bracket can be dangerous. Why? With the addition of a camera lens, a camera can become heavy. Not using an L-bracket with your tripod can throw your camera off balance, fall over, and can potentially lead to damaging your camera and even worse, your lens. equipment damage. So, investing in an L-bracket will save you a lot of trouble (and money) in the long run! Bonus: L-brackets are inexpensive.
Wireless Remote Control
A wireless camera remote is your best friend when taking self-portraits. Some call it a "selfie trigger", I call it magic!
In the beginning, I would set a 10-second timer on my camera and run like hell to get back to get in front of it before the shutter went off. And I would hope and pray, I was in the frame and in focus. But then I found out about wireless remote controls and my life changed forever! With a wireless remote, you can take pictures of yourself from up to 16 feet away. All you have to do is flip the camera screen around to see yourself, press the button on the remote, and voila! You're in the picture. And this remote control is small enough to hide in the palm of your hand and easily slip into a pocket before the picture is taken.
Intervalometer
Most cameras have a self-timer, but not all cameras have a built-in intervalometer.
So what's an intervalometer? An intervalometer is an extremely useful device that helps you take taking photos at regular intervals. It's great for taking self-portraits in various poses without having to hit the shutter button or remote each time. You can adjust the timer and number of shots so it takes exactly what you need! For example, you can program it to take 10 pictures total at an interval of 1 picture every 3 seconds. So set it and pose away!
Looking for Beautiful Places to Take Pictures?
Be sure to put these places on your list:
Don’t forget to check out my Travel page to find inspiration
Other Essential Camera Gear
Memory Card
Word of advice: Get a fast memory card. I had absolutely no idea that the speed of your memory card had any effect on the speed of your camera. Trust me, it does. Having a slow memory card causes your camera to stall and can compromise the quality of your photos and videos. When looking for a memory card, look for one that is 170 MB or higher.
Portable Hard Drive
I never store my RAW or jpeg photo files on my computer. Why? Because they take up an incredible amount of space, and if anything happens to your computer, all your progress is lost. Following some difficult lessons, I now save my photos and videos on two portable hard drives. One drive is what I use to actively edit photos and videos; the other holds double backups of everything I've done.
Which portable hard drive should I pick?
If you are going to cut costs, a portable hard drive is not where you want to skimp. A reliable hard drive is important for storing your valuable photos and videos. Investing in a good one will save you time, money, and headaches down the road. Choose a portable hard drive with enough space to store all of your files from shoots. I recommend getting 2 portable hard drives with at least 1TB of storage each. I use LaCie Rugged external hard drives. As the name implies, they are made to withstand drops and are water-resistant to a certain point.
Artificial Lighting: Ring Light and SoftBox Light
I shoot most of my self-portraits using natural light; however, there are times when natural light isn't enough. This is where artificial lighting comes in super handy. I use both a ring light and a softbox light to help illuminate myself. A ring light with a stand is great for self-portraits giving you even lighting around your face and making shadows disappear. It's even adjustable so you can get the right amount of brightness for any given situation. Plus, it can be used with any camera and lens combination. If you want something more powerful, then the softbox light option is great for producing soft, diffused light. It is easy to set up and makes you feel hella professional when taking your self-portraits.
Photo Editing Apps
Adobe Lightroom
When it comes to editing photos like the pros, Adobe Lightroom is the industry standard. Adobe Lightroom Photo and Video Editor is free on their mobile app and is great for editing photos on the go. I wholeheartedly recommend upgrading to the paid version of Lightroom (Lightroom Classic) so that you can edit photos on your laptop or desktop computer. The features in Lightroom Classic are much more comprehensive than those in its mobile counterpart, providing you with greater power and control over your photo editing. And at only $9.99/month, it's honestly a steal.
Photo Presets
Did you know that using photo presets in Lightroom is an easy way to make your self-portrait photos look even better? Photo presets are like custom filters for Lightroom, and not only do they save you a ton of time, but they also give your self-portraits and photos that cohesive and professional look with just a few clicks. They come in all sorts of styles, from vintage-inspired to modern and colorful. Installing presets into Lightroom is simple too, so you can get started editing your self-portraits right away.
Download FREE Lightroom Preset: The Instant Upgrade
While there are many presets available to purchase on Etsy, I've created my own FREE Adobe Lightroom preset, The Instant Upgrade. It'll take your pictures from "wow" to "WOW!" Oh, and did I mention it's F-R-E-E?!
Other Photo Editing Apps
If you don't want to invest in Adobe Lightroom, there are plenty of other apps that you can use to help you smooth skin tone, remove objects, and more. To help, I've put together a guide to The Best Free Apps I Use for Editing Instagram Photos.
Final Thoughts
Remember, you don’t need to be a professional photographer or have a lot of overly expensive equipment to take amazing self-portraits. Just follow my tips and you’ll be taking beautiful photos of yourself in no time! With the money you save by not always relying on hiring a professional, you can invest in some great camera gear that will help you up your photo game.
So what are you waiting for? Get out there and start taking some awesome self-portraits!
Thanks for reading!
-XOXO (as always)
Mel D.
Photography by Melissa "Mel" Drake
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*Originally published February 4, 2021, this post has been updated by Mel Drake to add " and images that weren't included in the original post. The post was also updated with structural and grammatical changes as well.