Let’s keep this straightforward and simple for you, this is not a definitive list but ensuring you have some sort of semblance of these 5 essential keys will ensure you’re well on your way to making consistent, quality content and more $$$! I’m using the broad category of content creator, so we’re talking someone who’s doing a combination of photo/video media, and maybe one or two more skillsets?! So If you’re new to photo/video, this list will really help you level up, and quickly. This list is the perfect mix for the unexperienced creator, giving you some more insight into photo/video essentials. Your high effort level and commitment to improve will accelerate the learning curve! For the experienced creator with this list, plus your skillsets, you’ve got a winning combo of information to help you feel, and look more professional, plus command a higher price for your work.

If you’re already a photographer looking to add video to your portfolio, this list may help you out. As someone going from photo to doing more video everyday, the learning curve is nowhere near as steep but you will can likely pick up a few things, especially tip #3!

Lastly, if you’re a photo/video person wanting to take things to the next level, this list might be redundant but you’re likely at the point of adding better quality options of these items is where you’ll be more interested in. Thanks for sticking it out for this blog, hopefully you pick up on a hot tip or two.

At the end of the day, I’ve created this to help the everyday creator with some tips I wish I had in starting my career in photo/video, then going from doing photos to doing more video, and now almost video exclusively! I cannot forget the transition I’ve seen in the two plus years of going from part time to full time content creator. All along the way I am learning how to do things better, more effectively, and slowly acquiring the skill sets to produce higher quality media, charging more, and having more $$$ to invest in my business. These 5 tips can help you as well tremendously, so strap in and let’s go!

Here’s the list and we’ll break it down below:

Knowing how your gear works
-Difference between 24/30/60 FPS, how to switch from photo/video quick
Accessories; having extra and extras
-filters, batteries, hot shoes, mic
Keeping things steady - tripod, gimbal, different sizes are a good thing. Having some variety
Gotta be able to haul it all
How are you going to get that photo/video out there?

Know how your gear works

This goes without saying but you wouldn’t believe how many people have all this equipment with little clue on how to really use it. There’s so many features that your camera, not just the modes but also setting parameters - not letting ISO above 1000 for example or bracketing exposures to get that High Dynamic Range effect (HDR). So on to of using manual mode, knowing when to what settings and that you can use some automatic settings based on the environment is super important. I use AV (Aperture priority) a lot while shooting on the fly at events, or going from indoor to outdoor content. Not always is it important to know how to shoot manual but all the camera settings that you have to your disposal is so crucial. Different FPS for your video settings, having custom buttons setup when you’re needing to go from photo to video or even just different video settings, if you shoot 24FPS and want to capture some slo-mo in 60 or even 120FPS!

Your camera, mirrorless or DSLR has come a long way in the last 5-10+ years. Remember, like anyone who’s great at their craft - the fundamentals are there for a reason, and that comes with consistently using the product over time and repetition. Know and understand your composition, framing, ISO, Aperture, Shutter speed, custom button settings, going from photo to video, what frame rates to shoot at for what type of subject. This all comes with practice, learning, making mistakes, and learning from them. It’s the hardest part to teach, and you can learn, watch as many Youtube videos, tutorials as you’d like; nothing is the same when being on location and having a variety of demands or constraints around you to work with.

Optimizing my camera for how I use them has been key, I use Canon for both my cameras and have the same colour profile (neutral 98% of the time) - the 6D Mark II DSLR, and the Canon EOS R Mirrorless camera are my weapons of choice. I love the setup, they are great, not perfect but great for what I need. This is what I use most for speeding up workflow Custom buttons. Most if not all cameras have it, so if your camera has that option is a fantastic tip to use, this should allow you to go from your photo to video if using the same camera without any delays when you might need to capture different forms of media content at an event or hired for a shoot of any type. It’s likely the most underused feature of most modern day cameras, so get comfy with it and practice it A LOT!

On the EOS R - the slider bar is my White Balance adjustment (in Kelvin’s), and I have my C3 custom Video settings preloaded up, so being in photo mode, I can just press record; instead of a three step process to go from photo to video (EOS R owners will know and have griped about this).

On the 6DM2 - The LCD screen is used a lot for filming tutorial content, and video blogging style content. So, the simplest attachment of tape increases the functionality of the screen going from behind the camera to first person view. Credit to Casey Neistat ‘Neihack’ for that one.

Accessories, have extra and extras of extras

There’s so many items here but let’s break it down for some of the essentials you will need, as some of the other accessories are covered in my post! So read on!

There’s nothing worse than showing up for a shoot without the right gear, and knowing what you need for each shoot may differ slightly, so a great hot tip, or best practice is to have a checklist you use. Take it a step further by having it sync with your devices if it’s digital or print out a stack of them if you like to use paper to check everything off your list! I’ve gone years without a checklist, which is not a good idea. I’ve now been able to create a checklist for each type of photoshoot, or video or both that I’m booked for! As you may be expected to use both photo/video for a shoot, here’s a few essentials you MUST NOT forget across the board:

Batteries (charged) and extra
LIGHTS, LIGHTS, Lights
SD cards (formatted) and extra
ND + Polarizer filters - you never know when they come in handy
Camera straps - can double as a stabilizer (see #3)
Different focal length lenses, to a reasonable degree
Spare hot shoes
Multitool and pocket knife - to attach gear or fix gear
Blower - nothing worse than debris on your lens/sensor
Audio recorder - capture specific audio of a conversation or SFX
Zip ties, gaff tape, duct tape, lip chap x 2 (one for you and a new one in case for a model)
Everything else you might need…Lol

I’m sure there’s many more, and if you have a few essentials - please toss them below and help the community! I will do a few separate spotlights on some of these, especially lights and how it really can improve the professional quality of your work!

Keep things steady - Gimbal and stabilizer options

This is one of the keys to improving the video quality of your content, and quickly! Keeping your video steady is essential to better quality products at the end of the day. So, it can be an expensive endeavour if you’re looking at gimbals, from $500+; great for panning, walking, anything in motion and for B-roll it keeps the eyes locked on your content. It can be overdone, and there’s plenty of other options to look at if you’re not ready to dive in!

Cheap and cheerful - Use your camera strap, every camera comes with them and it can be used to steady your shots, not just look like a stereotypical tourist snappin’ photos. I honestly use my camera straps more than I thought I would, and given that 0:03 is what I run b-roll scenes at; when slo-mo’d down you have so much footage to work with!

Got a tripod, that works! - Even a Gorilla pod style works well and is almost easier based on the type of content you’re shooting ex: Vlog vs. Events. Take your tripod up a notch by adding a video grip style tripod head, to add panning shots and more movement.

Got a bigger budget? - steady everything! Meaning, you can invest in a gimbal and get really good at using it; along with a slider to really improve the professional, cinematic look with your video, and photo work! A gimbal or tripod is needed for any bracketed (HDR or High Dynamic Range), astro photography, long exposure, and self portraits too!

Can you haul it all?

Unfortunately, there’s nothing that does it all - compromise is the most talked about word when finding the right fit for bags, or even the right brand/camera body. Finding a couple effective options - in the small, medium, large category is how I found the options that are doing well for what I need.

Small - I have the Brevite Jumper pack, it’s not huge but it does haul a bunch plus look sooo retro and discreet. Can carry 1-2 camera bodies, a few lenses and has room for non-camera gear too. I don’t have to take it off my back to access the camera pouch; which helps when on the go!

Medium - Lowepro tactical 350 pack. Originally having the 450, after a trip to Asia in 2018, I realized it’s just too big. It’s the pack that you’d see the Navy Seals rock out and feel like I need 100m of lead rope and tactical armour when rocking it.

Large - Pelican case - if you’re traveling anywhere, it’s an essential must have. Wheels, water proof, and fits in an overhead compartment. Definitely a professional way to haul your photo gear to any shoot.

You definitely cannot haul it all, suggest you have a few smaller bags, like shoe bags for example, to keep your cords, accessories, and everything else together. Hot Tip - pick items that are not black to store it in, nothing worse than looking for all black painted accessories in an all black shoe bag… Part of the reason why I have a yellow bag, and the inside of the Lowepro is grey. So having a combo of 2 or all 3 should do the trick, along with a dedicated duffle bag, and gear bag for your lights, and the rest!

How are you going to share it??

There’s so many ways to get your content out there, the question is how are you going to do it, again, and again, and again, and again, again. Hone your craft, get really comfy getting uncomfortable, and you’re good to go! If you’re not sharing on Youtube yet, WHAT ARE YOU DOING?!

So, if you’re new to photography, likely you’ve already researched the or you’re already using some editing software, along with social media, and are building up a website. If you’re not there yet, give it time, keep honing your craft and my best recommendation is to try a bunch of options to find what suits your needs and style. Try and stick to buying the items that suit you and your needs best. I use Canon, is it the best??? For me, I really like it. Sony, IMO gives you a better image and has better cameras that bridge that gap between consumer, professional, and cinematic caliber of cameras at equal price points, if we are being honest here. Plus, the RX100 MV is the best point n’ shoot I’ve ever had my mitts on.

If you’re a seasoned photographer, you’re likely using one or more of photoshop, lightroom, luminar, capture one, etc. If you’re familiar and competent with a video editing application it’s likely one of the Big Three: Premiere, FCPX, and Da Vinci makes the cut, imo.

Take your photo editing skills to colour grading, and if you’re like me doing multiple projects - get a quality set of LUTS - Alen Palendar’s is my recommendation!

There’s no better time to take advantage of it; if you’re serious that is. Read that again and really let it sink in. There’s no better time to take advantage of it. Hone your skills, and with this article you now have a HUGE headstart on most of the other creators out there, especially if you’re just getting going here in 2022!

So what are you waiting for?! Let’s Gooo!

Got any Q’s - Find me on Youtube here, you can send me a message on Instagram or email here. Happy to help you navigate this digital world and make your mark on it!

It’s so important, if not crucial in this creative industry but basically any professional industry if you want to thrive in it and not just survive. There’s a HUGE difference, we’re going to talk about it a bit more in this post. So, if you’re new to creating photo/video and digital media content; you’ll learn a bunch of tangible info you can implement here that’s not easy but doable for anyone out there reading this today. If you’re a seasoned pro, or shifting career paths - my biggest recommendation for you, although ‘cliche’ - make it a mantra: KEEP GOING! My Youtube channel here is a great POV for the keep going mantra - It’s a statement that will refocus you when you get in a rut, get stuck or feel like you’re not growing your business like you should. I’ve been there, and arguably there right now, so it’s a reminder to myself to keep going, striving, improving and honing my skill set.

For me, a varied experience for nearly ten years in digital media that was, by necessity brought on full time due to the pandemic. I had years of knowledge and experience acquired from just grabbing my camera and creating content in many facets that we’ll talk about during this blog series. From photos on trips; to social media posting and taking the occasional freelance hobby project, it all has gotta start from somewhere. With the video aspect, my experience reaches back to filming for our fitness business for online content, demonstrations and coaching. Blog experience in some capacity or another starting in 2012, then again in 2014, and 2018, and again now in 2022! Oh, how I wished I would have never dropped it as it’s still completely relevant and a great funnel for your business. For me, it started as a small part of our business, plus a way to for me to create, learn and document the process and learn along the way. My man, Gary Vaynerchuk with a bit more on that here in this video.

To trust the process takes a lot of patience, practicing gratitude and a desire to change your life, the outcome and how you make a mark on this planet during the time we are here. There are no guarantees but if you’re willing to grind, be open to opportunities and be patient enough, it will happen for you. During that time, get really really good at everything from the fundamentals to those things that might set you apart. Let’s go into this a bit further so you know more on what I mean here.

Get the fundamentals down, like a professional athlete

Get the fundamentals down; there’s not much of a way around it. All you have to do is look at most professional athletes who excel in their craft - they still practice the fundamentals regularly and often. It’s one of the unavoidable tasks as part of mastering your craft and becoming one of the great’s in your field - so don’t avoid it!

For me, what has helped me with the fundamentals is when working on a project that required lots of different styles, capturing content indoors/outdoors, multiple looks and going from photo to video. Knowing the shutter, aperture, and ISO for similar settings from previous projects always helps me do my work more effectively and efficiently. At the end of the day, my work is better because of it. The fundamentals are just part of my workflow and doesn’t get in the way of the process.

It’s not supposed to be easy

If it was easy; everyone would be doing it! Pretty simple words to hear but so much depth behind it. First off, if it’s worth it in life, it’s not easy. So, now that we got that outta the way. The best way to make it as easy as possible is to absolutely go ‘all in’ on it. Have your camera with you at all times, practice daily, put yourself in situations that get you to really have to focus on that content, whether it be a time constraint or otherwise. Immerse yourself in learning - should be what you watch most on Youtube. The type of content you create and consume on social media. This is an incredibly powerful tool as it will align you with others in your field but also, over time help you become recognized as one of those standout performers in your industry. So make it part of everything you do!

CHALLENGE YOURSELF TO IMPROVE - Read that statement over again. All too often, we get in a comfort zone or don’t want to be a noob at something but if you really want to excel, and standout in your field - it’s going to come from growth outside of your comfort zone. There’s really no other way to make it happen!

Just keep going

All too often, we want to quit when it’s not going our way or the way we anticipated but if it’s like that. You’re on the right path, so keep going! So many people give up on their dreams, don’t ever become the creator they’d want to watch on Youtube, etc. The difference is, those that are doing it, didn’t give up. And, hopefully after you read this blog, you’re fired up to not give up and keep on pursuing your dreams!

Got any Q’s - find me on Youtube here, you can send me a message on Instagram or email here. Happy to help you navigate this digital world and make your mark on it!

The Digital Focus Blog

5 keys for every content creator