15 Sep What's in Her Bag: Veronica Gillas, of Veronica Gillas Photography
Tell us a little about what’s inside.
Oh gosh, is it awful if I tell you that I had to clean out my bag for this post? There’s an abundance of fruit snacks (bribery for toddlers), wet wipes, batteries, hoods, filters and chargers in there! I carry my gear in a Jo Totes Missy, in Mint, which isn’t too big or too small. I have people approach me regularly and ask me where I got my adorable purse!
Inside my bag, you’ll find Charlotte (my Canon 5D Mark III), my planner, my iPad Mini (I give it to clients to view their portraits at their proofing session), my Photovision Target, my iPhone (with Square attached), business cards, and my three most favorite lenses. My fantastic NAPCP colleagues made a ton of suggestions last year when I trying to narrow down my lens collection, and these were the beautiful end result: Canon 24-70mm 2.8L, Canon 135mm 2.0L and the Sigma ART 35mm 1.4.
What’s your go-to lens?
My 24-70mm is what I probably use the majority of the time for families; it is really versatile in all kinds of lighting situations and the compression at 24mm is an effect I like to have fun with. My 35mm is my go-to when I am photographing newborn babies in their homes; I can sometimes be dealing with tight and/or dark spaces so I need that focal length and aperture. My 135mm helps me get away with a more photo-journalistic approach when I am with families and children who have a hard time warming up to the camera.
Most used item in your bag?
Besides my actual camera, I would have to say my planner. I’ve seriously tried dozens of ways to get myself organized electronically and I just can’t do it. I only seem to be able to get things done when I put a pen to paper and end up with written lists scattered all around the house (maybe this is why I have an affinity for good old fashioned paperback books?). I’ve seen some really pricey day planners, but I picked this one up at Target for ten dollars, and I love it. It does the job and prevents me from having to fumble around with my phone when I need to check my schedule or add something to my ‘to do’ list.
Least used item in your bag?
Probably my Photovision target. When I bought it, I used it mostly for newborns, whose skin when they’re sooooo little can be really red or really yellow. Now I just seem to bring it as insurance in a tricky situation, or with a really jaundiced baby. I think the longer you do this, the better you get at figuring out the white balance situation just by eyeballing it.
Thank you, Veronica, for giving us a peek inside your bag. We can certainly identify with needing to write everything down!
More About the Contributor: Veronica Gillas is a natural light photographer in Portland, Oregon, specializing in newborns, children and families. When she’s not with her amazing clients, she loves to knit, challenge her 10 year old to a high stakes game of Mario Kart, play dress up with her 7 year old, tickle her 2 year old’s feet, and snuggle on a picnic blanket with her husband. You can visit her website, Facebook page, or help her manage her Instagram obsession here.
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