What’s in my camera bag? This is one of the questions I get asked most frequently is what camera and lenses do I use. While I’m more than happy to answer those questions I will mention that the gear does not make the art…the photographer does. Focusing on creating your art, visualizing what you want the final image to look like, educating yourself, practice, practice, practice, and growing in your photography is the only road to creating better photographs.

So, with that out of the way, here is what I use and why.

First of all, I’m a Canon girl all the way.

The Camera Bag:

I loooove my Kelly Moore bags. The Libby bag is my all time favorite.

The camera bodies:

Canon 5DMiii

Canon 6D

The Glass:

Every photographer loves different lenses for different reasons. Some lenses are better suited for different situations and are chosen accordingly to suit the photographer’s needs and style.

I’m a prime lens (fixed focal length) girl all the way. They’re tack sharp and fast and allow me to shoot in low light situations. I don’t mind using my “feet” to zoom in and out.

The Canon 35 mm f/1.4L

I love this lens and use it almost exclusively for my indoor newborn and maternity portraits. There are two main reasons I use this lens. I shoot in a small space and need the room. It helps me capture the images I love so much with negative space. And, I’m short, so I need the room overhead to get an overhead shot. I do not feel comfortable standing on a ladder over a baby and this solves the problem for me. I will also use this outdoors during a maternity and family session. This lens is great for full body shots and to take in your surroundings.

35mm f/2.0 ISO 640 SS 1/250

35mm f/2.8 ISO 160 SS 1/160

35mm f/2.8 ISO 160 SS 1/160

35mm f/2.0 ISO 400 SS 1/500

35mm f/2.8 ISO 640 SS 1/500

Canon 50 mm f/1.2L

I use this almost exclusively for my indoor baby portraits. This lens allows me to sit closer to the baby so I can interact and get those super adorable expressions.

50mm f/2.8 ISO 160 SS 1/160

50mm f/2.8 ISO 160 SS 1/160

50mm f/2.8 ISO 160 SS 1/160

Canon 135 f/2L

This is by far my favorite lens in my bag. It’s the sharpest lens I own and the bokeh is amazing. I use this outdoors due to it’s long focal length. Some may not like this much distance between themselves and their subject but it doesn’t bother me at all. I also love the ability to shoot close up with this lens without my clients feeling like I’m right in their face.

135mm f/2.8 ISO 640 SS 1/800

135mm f/2.8 ISO 640 SS 1/400

135mm f/3.2 ISO 320 SS 1/500

135mm f/3.5 ISO 640 SS 1/500

Canon 85mm f/1.8

This used to be my go to outdoor lens for all my sessions but it has quickly been replaced by my 135. This is a great lens with beautiful bokeh just like the 135 but this focuses much slower for me and has become used less and less often.

85mm f/2.8 ISO 400 SS 1/320

Canon 100mm f/2.8 macro

I love this lens for getting close-ups of all those itty bitty newborn details. I will also take it outside to photograph nature’s beauty.

100mm macro f/5.0 ISO 320 SS 1/640

100mm macro f/3.2 ISO 250 SS 1/500

Lensbaby Velvet 56mm f/1.6

The newest toy in my arsenal. This lens produces soft, dreamy images reminiscent of old film. This is a fairly weighty lens and requires manual focus. For this reason I use it only on subjects that can hold still for a bit.

56 mm f/4.0 ISO 400 SS 1/250

So there you have it. That’s what’s in my camera bag and those are main go to lenses.

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Amy Odom Photography is a maternity, newborn, baby, and family photographer serving the Central Texas area including Copperas Cove, Killeen, Harker Heights, Temple, and Austin.