Tech Must-Haves For Bloggers/Youtubers

Blogging/Vlogging/creating content in general is an investment. It’s not just about dressing up in pretty outfits and posing in front of a camera. I mean, it is, but it’s more about what happens before, after, and behind the scenes of all the glamorous stuff. 

I would say that 90% of the work I do for my blog or videos is the prep time, the production, the editing, the scheduling, and the planning of it all. The “glamorous” stuff makes up for maybe 10%. It’s all fun, but it’s also an investment – an investment of time, energy, and resources.

For those who blog, they definitely know what I mean. And if you’re an aspiring blogger/youtuber, I hope this post is helpful for you!  I’m rounding up all the not-so-sexy (but secretly, I find it sexy) tech stuff that I use behind the scenes to make content. It’s all from Amazon, because I typically find that that’s the cheapest, quickest, and most reliable way to pick this stuff up. There are also some incredible deals at Best Buy  via Wikibuy if you’re looking to save some extra dollar.

From lighting, to camera equipment, to planners, to props, here are my must-haves for creating content. 

Beast Mode – Nikon D750

Meet your new best friend – your camera. It becomes attached at the hip with you and it helps you create the magic. What’s important to remember, is that the body only goes so far (the lenses are just as important) and that your best camera is actually your eyes.

Beyond that, you want to make sure you have a reliable camera. Nikons/Canons tend to be crowd favourites, and if you want to level up, having a “full frame” camera makes a huge difference.

The “Blurry Background Maker” – Prime Lens

Ever look at professional photos and think, why in the world do my photos not look like that? Why doesn’t it have that blurry fuzziness behind the subject in focus? Yeah, I did too! 

That blurry background is called bokeh and it’s created by the depth of field around your object. Having a lower F stop allows your photos to blur out the background a bit more. This lens costs a pretty penny, but it’s 100% worth it. It’s all you’ll ever need and it’ll make your photos look super pro.

The Vlogging Pro – Canon G7X

By far the best thing I’ve picked up for my foray into the world of video. This year I made a commitment to work on my video content and this is the camera of choice for vloggers. After I picked it up I found out why. 

It’s not the cheapest point and shoot on the market but the usability is incredible. It has quick presets that bloggers care about (saturation, color tone, cropping), has adjustable FStops (for those blurry photos), and the stabilizer for video is amazing.

The trademark flip-up and touch screen also makes vlogging and selfies so seamless.

iPad Air 2 – 128 GB

Planning, planning, planning. That’s one thing they don’t tell you about blogging, eh? I find myself on the go needing to blog, write, find inspiration, and schedule my posts on the road. And let me tell you, opening up your laptop every time I need to check in on a campaign totally sucks. 

My iPad is my savior. I don’t edit my photos on here, but I know a lot of bloggers do (especially instead of their phones because of the size of the sceren). 

I mainly use it for planning. My content calendar is on here, as well as Planogram for my Instagram feed, my campaign schedule in Google Docs, and I check my site statistics on here via Google Analytics.

Quick Fix – Continuous Softboxes

As you start developing your content, you start to realize what matters to you, what doesn’t, what you need, and what you don’t. Lights are one of those things. 

We all know that in photography, lighting is everything. And when the lighting sucks, well, you need back up. It doesn’t need to professional studio quality, but a set like this really comes in handy. The light bulbs create a cool tone instead of a warm glow (like inside your house), so you don’t get that ugly yellow color. 

They’re also extremely affordable! 

That Glow Giver – Ring Light

Ever wonder how make up Youtubers and beauty bloggers’ faces all look flawless? Maybe it’s their make up skills, maybe they were all born with flawless skin… either way, they use this handy machine. 

It’s a ring light and it creates beautifully natural contours of a person’s face. It makes your eyes light up and your skin glow like you were born with highlighter. 

You set it up and your camera sticks right in the middle of the ring light. Use these with the 2 soft boxes above and you’re basically a full timer!

Make-Up-On-Camera Mirror 

This is something you need, not just as a blogger, but as a girl. I got sick of bending over the sink to do my make up, which is why I originally picked a table mirror up. 

These new ones get fancy though! They’ve got built in lights, dimmers, and some have a tray. If you’re into beauty blogging, you likely already have this in your repertoire. If not, they’re super affordable on Amazon. I’d pick up 2!

Marble Obsessed

Last but not least, us IG-ers don’t just wake up to a house in marble to conduct flatlay on. Often times we scour the city’s coffee shops just to find that perfect, elusive marble coffee table. 

I recently realized that they sell them on Amazon and they’re so cheap! I picked up one in each color and am on my way to collecting enough marble to essentially build a marble house. 

At the end of the day, it’s not the equipment that makes who you are or what you have to say to the world great. It stems from you. The tools just help you along the way. Hope this was helpful friends! Happy content producing