The Ultimate On-The-Go Photography Kit Essentials for Students
Inspiration can strike at any moment which is why you should be prepared to capture any moment with a travel photography kit with the right equipment. As a student working on your portfolio, you can find picture-worthy moments at different times of the day in the most unexpected locations so it would be beneficial if you had the essential photography items in your bag.
Even if you’re more focused on staged and planned photo shoots, having an on-the-go photography kit can make any shoot easier especially if you have multiples planned throughout the day. Let’s look at some options if you’re assembling a photography kit along with some ready-made kit options.
Cameras and Lenses
You can’t even think about assembling a kit without a quality camera that is ideal for shooting under different situations. Selecting a camera is an important decision that will be affected by different factors including price, your photography style, and features. Each camera whether you choose to go with a Canon, Nikon, or Sony model to name a few, has its unique functionality so choose wisely as this is the foundation of your kit.
Lenses are equally important, and you'll need at least two types of lenses in your kit so you can photograph subjects placed at different distances. Include a standard 50 mm lens in your kit for producing crisp images as they are perceived by the human eye. A 35 mm prime lens should also be a staple in your kit as it is versatile and produces zoomed-in images for a unique perspective.
Lighting
When photographing on the go, you might not always find your subject is properly lit which can ruin the essence of a photograph. Adjusting lighting is simple enough with the right equipment including a small handheld flash such as the PIKA200 PRO Portable Pocket Flash. The equipment comes with interchangeable flashes capable of short flash durations of up to 1/15,380s ideal for producing sharp images in different lighting styles with a recycle time of only 0.01-1.8s allowing for multiple shots to be taken before you can select the perfect shot reflecting your vision.
PIKA200PRO Portable Battery Powered TTL Pocket Flash (GODOX AD200PRO)
Lighting Stands
If you have space to spare in your kit and prefer to use lights that can be easily set up leaving your hands free to focus on capturing the image, we'd recommend investing in a lighting stand. The Ultra-Compact Nanopole Stand can be used to mount any flash or light as long as it doesn’t exceed the 3kg weight limit. The collapsible stand can be folded down from 190 cm in height to 49 cm making it easy to fit in a backpack while the lightweight Aluminium ensures it’s not too heavy to carry to different locations.
Portable Light Weight Foldable Nanopole Light Stand (190cm)
Reflectors
Even after introducing your own light source, there might be instances when the light is not hitting the subject just right. In this situation, you might consider using a light reflector that effectively redirects light to illuminate in all the right places by eliminating shadows and softening the light. Typically reflectors are large but there are some portable options such as the PiXAPRO collapsible 100x150cm 5-in-1 reflector which comes in a range of colours including black, gold, silver, white, and translucent white to provide more control over lighting in different environments. This reflector has a flexible frame that can fold the sheet down to 1/3 of its original size so it can be easily stored in the included carrying bag and used in studios or on location for subjects of varying sizes.
5-In-1 Collapsible Reflector (100x150cm) 39.3"X59.0"
Backdrops
An ideal shot might not have the ideal background to go with it which is why it is extremely convenient to have a bad crop that can help set your subject apart from the surrounding environment. The PiXAPRO Grey/White Anti-Crease collapsible background is excellent for location photography and isolating subjects with the dual coloured backdrop depending on the effect you’re hoping to achieve. The background is also easy to fold and transport without creasing the material and it can be opened and set up in seconds with the durable double-riveted frame saving time smoothing out any lines in the fabric.
2x2.3m Anti-Crease Dual Sided Grey/White Collapsible Background
Carrying Case
Traveling with equipment is not easy as it takes up a lot of space and is extremely delicate and fragile considering most equipment features glass components such as camera lenses and light bulbs in lighting equipment. as you can't simply throw everything in a rucksack we recommend investing in a proper backpack or carrying case to safely transport your equipment. The PiXAPRO backpack is made specially to carry photography equipment in one bag. The thick and padded lining provides sufficient protection from any bumps during the journey and the case even comes with adjustable dividers so you can ensure the equipment does not get damaged by colliding with other pieces in the bag.
Ready-Made Kits
If you choose to go the other route of purchasing a ready-made kit to meet all your photography needs for studio and location photography without taking up a lot of space, we have some well-rounded portable kit options depending on your photography preferences.
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Portable Pack PIKA200 PRO TTL Flash Kit (AD200PRO):
This flash kit features the PIKA200 PRO TTL pocket flash with interchangeable heads and high-speed syncing for a quick response. If you're looking for more diffuse lighting, the kit comes with an easy-to-setup 48 cm softbox for a more natural effect. Both the flash and softbox can be easily mounted on the lighting stand which is light and portable for added support. To wrap it up, the kit comes with a foam-lined backpack to keep your lighting equipment safe enabling you to take beautiful photographs while travelling light.
A powerful 200W flash with two head options including a Speedlite styled Fresnel head and a Bare-Bulb flash styled head for different light intensities. The barndoor and honeycomb grids allow control over the light while the coloured gel frames provide a different hue to images. The kit also comes with reflectors and an octagonal Speedlight Softbox to produce a softer lighting effect while being easy to set up. This kit comes with all the right pieces for enhancing your subjects thereby making it ideal for any photography excursion.
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Li-ION580II Speedlite All-In-One Student Complete Twin Kit:
If you’re looking for a Speedlite kit heavily focused on perfecting lighting by using accessories and modifiers, this kit can help you create a range of effects with its constituents. The Li-ION580II Speedlite All-In-One Student Complete Twin Kit has been designed to be the perfect two lighting set-up for students as it comes with a range of different modifiers and accessories to offer a varied lighting set-up. The CIO1 Speedlite offers a fast flash duration of 1/20000s and a recycle time of less than 1.5s for crisp shots and long-lasting lithium batteries offering 480 full-powered shots per charge. The kit also comes with a light stand and a range of softboxes to use for different lighting situations including the ring, octagonal and rectangular shapes. The translucent and silver bounce umbrellas also come with a hot-shoe attachment for additional diffusion lighting.
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LUMI II 200 Complete Student Studio Twin Kit:
TheLUMI II 200 Complete Student Twin Kit is created especially for students with all the required equipment to create a professional studio environment at an affordable price. The kit comes with a LUMI II 200 flash which is a strobe monolight providing a flash duration of up to1/2000th of a second and recycling times as low as slightly over a second which has 3 times more power output than a flashgun. Softboxes of three different sizes are also included in this kit and it also comes with two umbrellas so you can have sufficient control over lighting and have different setups for shooting different subjects.
Conclusion
As a student, whether to set up a home studio or for on location, you might experienced with limited space or lighting gears. This is not the end of the world, all these will teach you to be flexible, matching the tools to the situation, not an idealized fantasy of how professional photographers do. You can build your lighting gear gradually when you need to without large investment.
