IN AMANDA’S BAG
01 Canon EOS 5d Mark III
WEB: www.canon.co.uk
This camera is light and powerful, and ideal for when on location. I move around a lot when shooting, and this sits comfortably in my hand and produces good hi-res images. I love the silent shutter mode and large screen, and also the quality of the Raw images; I always shoot Raw, and the manageable file sizes make the images quick to process for immediate viewing.
02 Canon EF 85mm f/1.2l II USM
WEB: www.canon.co.uk
This is my go-to lens. I like to shoot with a wide aperture to create that fabulous bokeh effect and create some mood with a little light flare. It’s extremely fast, and so is incredibly versatile for challenging lighting situations. My work is a mixture of natural light and strobe, and this handles both very well.
03 Canon EF 24-70mm f/2.8l USM
WEB: www.canon.co.uk
This was my first lens, which I bought along with my first Canon camera. The zoom facility makes it flexible in dealing with variable situations, which is great for editorial work and getting a different take on a shoot. I tend to have this as my second lens and it’s a proper workhorse; I know the kind of results I will get from it and it’s super-reliable.
04 Apple Macbook Pro 13in with Retina display
WEB: www.apple.com/uk
NOT only do I use this laptop for shooting tethered, it has become my portable office, which is great for when I’m working on location. If I’m shooting a large job I will shoot directly to the laptop so we can review the progress; it makes working so much easier as we can make necessary changes as we go along, the client has the reassurance we are on-brief, and shots can be dropped into a template to quickly check layouts.
05 Samsung 2Tb portable storage drive
WEB: www.amazon.co.uk
IT’S essential for me to have a portable backup hard drive;
I can store a job on this as I’m shooting and then take it to the office for post-production. I keep it in a Case Logic QHDC-101 zip-up case to protect it, along with its cable, so it keeps everything in one place.
06 Lowepro Pro Runner RL 450 AW II
WEB: www.lowepro.co.uk
love the versatility of this bag; it can accommodate my whole kit, including my laptop, portable drive and cables, while allowing easy access to everything. The best bit is that it has wheels and a retractable handle, making it perfect when on the move and navigating the London Underground during rush hour, and because it’s so compact it fits next to me on the train and the escalator.