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What's in My Camera Bag?

May 31 2020 | By: C. T. McGhee Photography, LLC.

What's In Cornell T. McGhee's Camera Bag?

I’ve been taking photos since my late teens–early 20’s, but I did not pursue it professionally until 2013. Before that, I served in the military and traveled throughout Europe.

I specialize in portraiture, glamour, fine art, and sports photography.  I live in the greater Houston, Texas area and shoot wherever and whenever I can both on personal projects and commissioned work.

When teaching photography workshops, a frequent question is, “What gear should I acquire if I am just starting my professional photography career?”  Although this is an open-ended question, there are as many answers as there are stars in the sky!  That being said, my answer is based upon 20-20 hindsight and personal experience.  I try to live by the credo, buy once, cry once, and don’t look back.

PORTRAIT CAMERAS

My primary camera for portraits, fashion, glamour, and bridals is my Fuji GFX 100 ii.  This camera is fantastic.  I love the image quality of the larger file sizes.  Focusing is fast and most importantly, it meets my needs.  I also use a Fuji GFX 100s as a backup body.  These are medium format mirrorless cameras.  The image size is larger than a traditional full-frame camera capable of capturing minute details of your subjects.

PORTRAIT LENSES

I use the following lenses with the Fuji system: Fuji GF80mm F1.7 R WR, GF120mm F4 R LM OIS WR Macro, and the workhorse GF45-100mm F4 R LM OIS WR.

LIGHTING

My lighting gear is the most important part of my kit. I originally started with an on-camera flash, but there are several reasons to avoid using them.

  1.        You cannot control your highlights and shadows with an on-camera flash.  In looking at portraits in museums and art galleries, there is a distinct location of shadows on the subject focusing your attention where the artist intended.
  2.       I discovered they could not keep up with my ADHD and OCD nature.  Having to stop and change batteries every so often was a downer.  Also, when using an on-camera flash in a rapid-fire situation, I noticed some color shifts. You do not see a shift in color with higher-quality camera flash gear.
  3.       Generally, an off-camera flash will provide you with more powerful lights which can be used in more difficult situations.
  4.       I use Profoto lighting.  My kit includes studio and battery-powered portable lights.  I own several modifiers, including a Beauty Dish w/grid, a Mola Setti 28”, deep umbrellas w/diffusers, and a variety of softboxes.  I also own several light stands, C-Stands, boom arms, gels, etc.

I use the Think Tank Photo Airport International V3.0 Carry-On as the go-to camera bag.

Fujifilm digital camera with zoom lens on a dark background.

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