I get asked a lot about what cameras, equipment, software etc that I use so I decided to make a master list of what resources I currently use and provide links for you to check them out. Beside each item you will find a small description of what it is and why or how I use it. As always, if you have more questions please feel free to reach out.
Hardware
Cameras
Here is a list of all the camera equipment that I use for photo and video.
-Sony a6400 – This is my primary camera for photography. Even though this camera released in 2019 it is still a great camera. It is very compact, infinitely customizable and has that great Sony quality in its photos. https://amzn.to/40WwRuR
-Sony FX30 – This is my primary camera for video. You can find plenty of reviews online so I won’t bother with that. I will just say that you will not be disappointed with it. https://amzn.to/3IspJQL
-Canon 5D classic (from 2005) – I like to use this camera for nature and portraits. It’s old and lacking a lot of new features but it has a great color science and you can find them used for really cheap. https://www.mpb.com/en-us/product/canon-eos-5d
-Fuji Instax Evo – This is a hybrid digital/instant camera. Quality is great for an instant camera, lots of fun to use. https://amzn.to/4lZNAFB
-Olympus Stylus Tough 6020 – This is an early 2000’s pocket digital camera. Don’t expect to get new camera quality out of this, but it has a unique look and is fun to use. Plus it is waterproof, shockproof and built like a tank.
-Casio EX-Z1080 – This is an early 2000’s pocket digital camera. Don’t expect to get new camera quality out of this, but it has a unique look and is fun to use. Has some of the best natural colors in good lighting.
Lenses
-Sigma 16mm f1.4 – This is my go to wide angle lens. On an ASPC (crop-sensor) camera it is perfect https://amzn.to/3IABq7S
-Sigma 30mm f1.4 – If you need a “normal” looking lens but are confined to small rooms this is a great lens. Similar to a traditional 50mm lens but wider. https://amzn.to/3GRoxWq
-Sony 85mm f1.8 – I use this lens more than any other one I have owned. It is great for photo and video, gives you good reach on ASPC cameras and will also work on full frames. https://amzn.to/4nZ7zGA
-Sirui 75mm f.18 1.33 anamorphic – This is a more specialized lens that I do not use often. It is a “cinema” lens and is great for when you need anamorphic, but not an everyday lens. It is heavy, manual focus and will need to be de-squeezed in post production https://amzn.to/3IsqbhV
-Canon 50mm f.18 FD mount with Sony E mount adapter – A classic vintage lens that can be found on eBay or other used sites for cheap. Grab a cheap lens adapter to fit your camera and you will have a lot of fun.
-TTartisans 24mm f2.8 – Hard to describe, but think of it like using a Dispo Lens but better quality and you can change the aperture https://amzn.to/46NXgPf
Devices
These are the computers and devices I use on a regular basis for editing and design
-Apple MacBook M3 Pro – This is my current computer for everything. It handles everything I throw at it including 4k video, photo editing, graphic design etc. This link is to the configuration I use. https://amzn.to/4nRExbA
-Apple iPad (A16 chip) – Standard iPad, does what I need it to do. https://amzn.to/4eTAPdH
-Apple iPhone 16 Pro – With RAW and AppleProRes capabilities you can capture amazing photos and videos with this phone. I use it quite a bit.
Misc Equipment
These are miscellaneous accessories and peripherals I use
-Logitech MX Master 3 Mouse – Never thought I would pay this much for a mouse but I can use it for hours at a time without my hand hurting and it is so customizable and has tons of app specific features https://amzn.to/40RHkI0
-Hollyland Lark 150 Microphone Set – Inexpensive great quality 2 wireless mic set for cameras and phones https://amzn.to/4kUCv8c
-Shure MV7 Podcast Mic – This is the best quality USB mic I have ever used https://amzn.to/4m4WHVP
-SmallRig Camera Cages – I use these cages on all my cameras to allow different accessories to mount.
Software
This is the list of software and apps that I use on a regular basis as well as some alternatives I have used in the past.
Graphic Design
-Adobe Photoshop – I use Photoshop for the majority of my graphic design work. Often in conjunction with Illustrator.
-Adobe Illustrator – This is my go to for vector graphics but also used in connection with Photoshop for different design needs.
-Canva – I don’t use Canvas often but it is a great online/app based tool with lots of pre-made templates. Useful for teams.
-Affinity – It has been a long time since I tried any of the Affinity tools. They are great, non-subscription pricing, and easy to use. Will probably work for most people but there are some features missing that Adobe products have.
-GIMP – This is what I started doing design work with. It’s clunky and not as intuitive as Photoshop or other tools but it’s free.
-Inkscape – Same as GIMP but for vector graphics. It works, its free, it’s NOT as good as Illustrator.
Audio
-Adobe Audition – For years I used Audacity to edit my audio but since I pay for the whole Adobe Creative Suite I switched to Audition as it has more tools.
-Audacity – Hard to believe it is good as it is for free. Can’t recommend it enough.
Video
-DaVinci Resolve Studio – Used the free version for years. If you do serious video work and don’t want to pay the subscription for Adobe Premiere then try DaVinci Resolve
Photography
-Adobe Lightroom Classic – I have tried a lot of other photo editors and they do not compare to Lightroom. Classic does so much more than photo editing, it is also great for photo organization, culling large photoshoots quickly, batch edits and exports and more.
-Adobe Lightroom Mobile (phone editing) – Mobile version of Lightroom. Works great on phones and tablets.
-Aftershoot – I have only used the AI culling tool but it is great. Being able to sort and cull 1,000’s of photos in minutes is a huge time saver. It does a surprisingly good job of weeding out blurry photos, photos with closed eyes etc.
-PixieSet – Easy to use photo gallery tool for delivering photos to clients.
Website Resources
https://prochurchtools.com Paid and Free creative and social media resources for churches. Great videos, newsletter, blog and paid products.
https://churchcircle.com A great community of church creatives. Good way to connect, ask questions, get advice and more.
https://www.pinterest.com I use Pinterest almost every day to save design inspiration, creative ideas and more.
https://podcast.adobe.com/en – AI tools to enhance and clean up bad audio.
https://color.adobe.com/ This is a very useful color tool that can extract color schemes and palettes from photos, designs and more. You can also generate random color schemes and then sync them with your Adobe library and they will be instantly accessible in all of your adobe programs.
https://www.myfonts.com/pages/whatthefont Have you ever wanted to know what font was used in a design, this tool will tell you.
Austin Kleon blog Austin Kleon is a huge source of creative inspiration. Subscribe to his newsletter and buy his books. Thank me later.
Storybrand Website, book, AI tool centered around branding. At least read the book, it will change your view on marketing.
ChatGPT Excellent AI tool. Even the free version has a lot of usefulness. I need to write a whole separate blog post to explain everything I use it for.
Tutorial Resources
All of these YouTube accounts are great resources for photography, video, social media and more.
https://www.youtube.com/@prochurchtools
https://www.youtube.com/@PeterMcKinnon
https://www.youtube.com/@BrightCoal
https://www.youtube.com/@NikGoodner
https://www.youtube.com/@TomProductions007
https://www.youtube.com/@JasonMorrisphotocinema
https://www.youtube.com/@JevenDovey
https://www.youtube.com/@KofiYeboah
Books
Steal Like An Artist – I have read this book through multiple times. Great for creative inspiration. https://amzn.to/3IBctJn
Steal Like An Artist Journal – Notebook/Journal to go along with the Steal Like An Artist book. https://amzn.to/4kJeLDC
Keep Going – This is a great book to read after Steal Like An Artist. It’s all about maintaining creativity, managing your time and more https://amzn.to/4nUE4W4
Show Your Work – A good all around book about creativity, building community and using your art to make connections https://amzn.to/3GSY7DN
Art and Faith: A Theology of Making – This book is Makoto Fujimura’s broad and deep exploration of creativity and the spiritual aspects of “making.” What he does in the studio is theological work as much as it is aesthetic work. https://amzn.to/44DuwaF
Draplin Design Co.: Pretty Much Everything – Draplin Design Co. includes examples of Aaron Draplins work—posters, record covers, logos—and presents the process behind his design with projects like Field Notes and the “Things We Love” State Posters. Draplin also offers valuable advice and hilarious commentary that illustrates how much more goes into design than just what appears on the page. One of my favorite creative books and really helped me out in my work.
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