Taking your own photos can seem daunting and a little embarrassing if you’re doing it in public but guess what? You’ve gotta hustle girl + we live in a digital age now that most people know exactly what you’re doing and simply walk by. OR they stop for a bit to watch out of curiosity then move on. I’ve only had a handful of people talk to me while out in public shooting photos and for the most part they were all super kind and just wondering what was up. In this blog post I’m going to share why I started taking my own photos, the gear you need to take your own photos successfully, and share some of my favorite photos I’ve taken with my tripod.

HOW TO OWN TAKING YOUR OWN PHOTOS + THE GEAR YOU NEED

WHY I STARTED TAKING MY OWN PHOTOS

When you need a photo taken but don’t want to hire a photographer or have someone to take it for you, you’ve gotta learn how to take them yourself! I have pretty much mastered this over the years from when I started in 2014 to now! My parents bought me a Nikon D3300 in college for our trip to Jackson Hole and Yellowstone National Park. So basically I had this awesome camera and knew how to use it but couldn’t take my own photos so I went on Amazon, bought my first tripod, and she’s been my camera gal (plus Andrew & my mom) ever since. My tripod truly saved me when I moved to Tulsa after graduation. I didn’t know anyone there and family was more than a couple hours away so I had to get really comfortable taking my own photos in public if I needed them!

One big reason I love taking my own photos is that I can slow down a little and really adjust things on my own time! When you hire a photographer you’re being charged by the hour OR when you have a friend of significant other taken your photos you’re taking up their time as well. When you’re doing it yourself you can take a couple photos, stop, adjust, take them again.

WHAT TECH DO YOU NEED TO TAKE YOUR OWN PHOTOS?

I started taking my own photos with an iPhone because to be completely honest I thought my DSLR camera was “hard to use”. I was honestly just too lazy to watch some YouTube videos on it which is exactly what I did a couple years later. Now I only use my Nikon DSLR camera for photos and iPhone for videos. Anyway, if you want to use an iPhone right now that’s a good start just know you’ll have to evolve into something more high quality if you want brands to buy your photos. Read more on that specifically in my blog post, THE INSIDE SCOOP ON WHAT BRANDS ARE LOOKING FOR FROM A PROFESSIONAL MARKETER, here.

If an iPhone is what you’re comfortable with right now, that’s totally fine! You’ll just need a tripod and an iPhone attachment. This is the exact tripod I have as well as the exact iPhone attachment. I now use these both to take TikTok videos, Reels, and IGTVs! I used to hook up my iPhone to my tripod and then put my iPhone on a timer and run back to be in the photo OR if you have an Apple Watch you can open up the camera app and use it as your remote. It’s great because you can see yourself and adjust accordingly.

Additionally, this tripod works for my camera as well as many others. I have a Nikon D5600 now and love it! It’s really about researching what works for you as far as a DSLR camera goes. For beginner cameras, they’re kind of all the same. I ended up getting a Nikon as my first camera and then just upgrading from there because all my lenses were Nikon and work for all their DSLR camera. A lot of people have Sony and Canon cameras but really at the end of the day you just have to feel out what’s best for you. I suggest going to a camera store or Best Buy and looking at all the different options each one has. I believe all of those camera brands have an app that allows you to download photos directly to your phone and use your phone for remote photography. So I’ll just connect to my app on my phone and then pose in front of my tripod and hide the phone haha!

I wanted to list out everything I take with me when I shoot my own photos including some of my favorite lighting attachments below.

CLICK A PHOTO BELOW TO SHOP

Now let’s talk about all the different types of photos you can take on your own to prove that you don’t NEED a photographer to take an awesome photo! You can truly create some amazing photos on your own with the right gear and confidence.

OUTDOOR PHOTOSHOOTS

INDOOR PHOTOSHOOTS

COUPLE OR FRIEND SHOOTS

PORTRAITS

Portraits are some of my favorite photos to take: 1. because you don’t have to wear pants and 2. I looooove being creative with props! Some of my favorites being: fruit by the foot, sprinkles, flowers, glitter, and giant lollipops!

You can do anything you set your heart to, queen!

XOXO

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