All My Travel Photography Gear – Exactly What Camera Equipment I Use as a Travel Influencer & Photographer

One of the most common questions I get asked is what camera equipment I use to get the beautiful photos you see on my instagram. As a luxury travel blogger and influencer, having a good camera for travel photography was the best investment I could have possibly made when I started this blog. But, it’s not JUST about the camera – you need the base camera to be good, of course, but you need a good lens, a good tripod, and some really good travel photo presets to create epic travel photos. 

I’m a self-taught professional photographer, and I’ve always loved taking photos. I’m not technical about my photography, so I’m not going to talk to you about aperture or sensors or f-stops, but I am going to tell you what I use in my travel photography. I love using a photo to tell a story about a place, and remember a memory of a vacation or destination. And I think a high quality DSLR photo is the best way to do that. 

My camera:

The Sony A7RIII, but I was using this much less expensive A7II for YEARS

You are definitely going to want to invest in what’s called a full-frame camera – this just means the camera has a larger sensor area and therefore creates higher quality photos. 

I prefer Sony’s mirrorless over other DSLR options because they’re lighter-weight than when you’re comparing camera brands like Nikon or Canon. I had a Canon before my Sony and I loved it! But when it comes to Canon versus Sony for travel photography, Sony is in a league of its own. I love my Sony SO much. 

Available on BHPhoto, new 

or I recommend buying the camera on eBay – where you can get it brand new but save hundreds of dollars, and there’s buyer protection so you can make sure everything is in tip top shape.

You really only need the body, since it’s a good idea to invest in a high-quality lens to go with it, and ‘kit lenses’ or the lens that comes with the camera are never as good – so most places will sell it with the camera body only. 

If you want to save some money, you can also get an older model like the Sony A7rii – which is really good too! 

The best camera for beginner travel photographers and the best camera for beginner travel bloggers 

Or, the best budget DSLR camera for beginners -The Sony A6000

The Sony A6000 is such a great starter DSLR – it’s not quite as bulky as my A7RIII, but takes INCREDIBLE photos. My fiance Kenny had this camera and I used it all the time getting started with my blog before I invested in my big camera. 

My Lenses

As I said before, I’m anything but a technical photographer – so I like having ONE lens I can rely on for all kinds of photos – and that’s this G Master lens . The lens is so much more important than the camera base (which is why lenses get so pricey) but this baby is the MOST important thing I own for my travel photography. It’s the best. 

I also have this lens for portrait photography which I LOVE. I use this for engagement photos or any photography I take for Watercolors Swimwear.

My drone

I use this drone for all my aerial photos! Highly recommend.

Underwater Photos

I use this exact gopro (on sale right now) with this dome to get cool half underwater/half above water shots (but it’s fine to just use fully underwater too!) The quality of this gopro is AMAZING, and I use it a ton for land photos and videos too, but the clarity underwater is UNREAL.

How I take my photos

Another question I get a lot besides what camera equipment is best for a beginning travel blogger is how a travel blogger takes her photos.

Usually, my fiance Kenny takes my photos (and he has an amazing article on How to Be a Better Instagram Husband that you all should read and send to your significant others – it’s hilarious and SO helpful!), but, if you’re traveling solo or don’t want to rely on an instagram husband or a friend to help take your photos, a tripod is going to be your best friend.

The tripod I use:

For a more budget-friendly lightweight travel tripod, I used this one forever and loved it! 

The remote control I use to take my own photos with a tripod:

This one. You’ll need a remote control to push the camera’s shutter from a distance away – this comes in handy when you want to take your own photos or get couples photos! 

My camera bag

I can’t recommend this camera bag enough – I’ve had it for 3 years and it looks BRAND NEW. It’s such a cute camera bag and worth every cent. For way too long I was carrying around an ugly black camera bag – but this one changed the game – it just looks like a cute purse! I’m obsessed with it.

My drone:

Highly recommend this drone – it’s super lightweight, and takes REALLY good quality photos.

How I edit my photos

I recommend you use Adobe Lightroom on desktop and their free mobile app for easy, amazing travel photography editing. Over the last 5 years of being a travel blogger and mastering Adobe Lightroom, I’ve developed my own style of editing for my photos around the world. On my presets shop, you can find all of my editing presets that I use for Adobe Lightroom desktop (which you need an Adobe Creative Cloud subscription for), and one collection specifically made for Lightroom mobile – which is a free and easy-to-use photo editing app that I use all the time when editing up photos for instagram and instagram stories!
 
While I have always loved photography and taking photos every chance I get, Lightroom presets changed my travel photography. They create a consistent aesthetic for your instagram and blog photos, and are an easy way to make your photos even better. Even when you think you have a perfect photo – some post-processing takes it to the next level. These presets are the exact edits I use on my photos throughout my travels!
 
Check out my preset collections here, and give them a shot! Whether you edit more on your phone, or are looking to really take your photography to the next level with the desktop version, these presets will help your vacation photos POP!!

By the way – did you guys see I’m now offering high-quality prints, framed prints, canvas prints, or digital downloads of some of my absolute favorite Jetset Christina images on my site?

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Christina is a leading luxury lifestyle and travel blogger with over 2 million readers. Follow her on instagram @jetsetchristina.

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