I originally bought a camera to photograph everyday things like clouds, buildings, and an occasional rainy N.Y.C street. The goal was to make prints, pillows, and other decorative items for my home.

Over time I become more involved with my hobby and I wanted to expand on what I was able to photograph. I realized that the 18-55mm stock lens that came with my camera was great if I wanted to photograph a well-lit scene but if I wanted to capture a starry night sky I would need something with a wider aperture. Eventually, I realized I wasn't able to go further with my existing setup, so I researched and purchased some additional gear.

Below are my recommendations.

Software

Adobe Photoshop and Lightroom

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Nikon AF-S DX NIKKOR 35mm f/1.8G Lens

This Nikon 35mm prime lens is amazing. You can shoot in extremely low light. It's especially great for, urban night portrait photography (see my examples below) astrophotography, and landscape photography.

It's also an overall great everyday lens. It's one of the best, inexpensive investments I've made into my equipment over the past few years.

Nikon 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6G

This lens came with my camera and I still use it alot. It's a very inexpensive lens that works great for a wide variety of situations. I use it for portrait and landscape photography.

It’s a great lens.

Nikon D5200

This is a great camera. All my model, landscape, and urban imagery have been photographed using this camera. I strongly recommend this camera if you:

• want to upgrade without breaking the bank

• want to make the jump from mobile or simple point and
  shoot photography

• want more control over your photos

• want the option to shoot HD video

Please know that this is not a full-frame camera.

by PEAK DESIGN

I can't say enough great things about this messenger bag. It's stylish, modular, and holds a ton of stuff. When shopping for a new bag I wanted something that not only carried all of my equipment but would also be comfortable to wear. What really sold me on the design was the way it holds a tripod.

This bag is very well designed and is currently my “everyday” bag.

The "Proline" series tripod by Dolica is a great inexpensive and lightweight product. It's sturdy, easy to carry, and fits comfortably into the camera bag listed above.
I use it with the “Wimberley Clamp” and the “5 in 1 reflector disc”.

This is a great inexpensive wireless flash set. I've used this product on multiple shoots. Coupled with the Neewer compact tripod (see below) and you've got a great way of removing unwanted shadows from your subject. I especially recommend this for urban portrait photography.

The Altura Photo Universal Speedlite Flash (AP-UNV2)

Neewer 20 inches/50 Centimeters Portable Compact Desktop Macro Mini Tripod

FOR ILLUSTRATION or PHOTO-RETOUCHING

All monitors will display colors slightly different from one brand to the next. To help make sure your tones are displaying correctly I highly recommend using the Spyder X Pro from Datacolor. Just plug this into your computer, follow the on-screen instructions and it will calibrate your color based on your monitor’s settings.

This is a game-changing piece of equipment. The WACOM Cintiq Pro 24 is what I use to illustrate and retouch my photos.

I originally bought this model for almost $2500 in 2019. At first, I was hesitant about spending that kind of money on this product but it absolutely changed the way I design and create.

I highly recommend buying one.

Add-ons

These items are always good to have.

OP/TECH USA 9001132 Rainsleeve

Pro Battery Grip for Nikon D5100 5200 DSLR Cameras