As a photographer, I get questions about what camera to buy and what lenses to use. Here are some of the most important things you can add to your tech bag to take the best possible photos for your ministry:
- Item: Camera bodies
- Options: Canon Rebels, Nikon D3000-D3400 series, Sony a58
- Cost: $500-$800
- Why: A quality camera will give you better images than photos taken with your phone. These images can be used for social media posts, graphics, advertising about your ministry and for future needs.
- Item: Lenses
- Options/Cost: 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 (comes in a kit), 70-300mm f/4-5.6 ($140-$200), 55-200mm f/4-5.6 ($150-$200), 50mm f/1.8 ($100-$125)
- Why: Find something with a range if you are packing light for a trip and want freedom to take close-ups and wider angle shots.
- Where: Some company options are Sigma, Tamron, Nikon, Canon and Sony. Do your research and ask people around you for advice. Be sure to look for deals, there are plenty out there. B&HPhoto.com or Adorama.com are great places to start.
- Item: Tripod
- Cost: Don’t pay more than $50
- Why: They help with steady shots, posed group photos – those self timer photos that everyone loves – and they are especially good for night shots when you have low light.
- Item: Selfie stick
- Cost: $10-$20
- Why: These are just great to have for fun and quick group shots. You can put a GoPro or a phone on the end and it makes it super fun and super easy.
- Item: Hard drives
- Cost: $50-$150 (depending on how much space you want)
- Options: 500 GB, 1 TB, and 2TB. It depends on how many images you think you will take on your trip. It doesn’t ever hurt to plan for more space. Any Lacie product and My Passport for Mac by Western Digital are good hard drives.
- Why: Use hard drives to dump all of your photos into as a storage space for all of your photos.
- Item: Editing software
- Options and Cost: Lightroom combo ($10 /mo), GIMP (free)
- Why: We want to ensure the quality of our images that we are using for images. Our ministry deserves good work and editing our images is the final detail to ensure that quality.
Lindley O’Brien is a photographer with Cru. She graduated from Appalachian State University with a degree in commercial photography with experience shooting a wide array of subjects from weddings, fashion, to food.
