Your eye is more important than what you’re packing in your camera bag. Work with what you have right now, and shoot every single day. Shoot anything. Photograph your bowl of cereal, your shoe collection, branches outside your bedroom window—anything. Little by little you’ll start honing your eye to see light in a different way, pattern and movement, and yes—the best angles. Here’s my recs for the “I want to be better at taking photos, but don’t know where to start.”

1. “The Nifty Fifty.” The FIRST lens you should buy outside of your kit lens (what comes with your camera) It’ll change your photography game for the better, and will give you that confidence boost you’ve been wanting. And for only around $100. Great for: portraits, vignettes.

2. 35mm prime lens. A prime lens means it doesn’t zoom. It stays at 35mm. This focal length is my favorite. It’s that point-and-shoot snapshot look. These are entry level lenses because an L series 35mm (made of real glass) checks out at almost $2K, while this one is $500.
Great for: travel, photojournalism, candids

3. Canon EOS Rebel T7 With over 1,200 5 star ratings, it’s rated one of the best entry-level DSLR cameras you can own. My very first camera over 10 years ago, was from the Canon Rebel family and that work horse showed me the ropes for years and years. The $450 price point feels doable and approachable for anyone who knows they want to venture beyond the limits of their camera phone.

4. Canon EOS Rebel SL3 $200 more for a lighter, smaller and more sophisticated camera with a couple more bells and whistles, like its touch flip-out screen, and films in 4K.

5. The beginner light set-up I swear by. 2 continuous lights come with the stands, bulbs, and your carrying case. Only $60! Great for: food, product, kid portraits.

6. Tabletop Reflector This was one of the first things I bought when I started experimenting with food photography. Reflectors can teach you so much about how to direct natural light you have available to you. Create shadows with the black side, bounce light with the white side. Great for: food & product

7. Canvas Camera Bag Even if you are a beginner, a black velcro shoulder bag with your camera’s powerhouse logo slapped on it isn’t a look. (And yes, it was exactly my look in 2010.) There’s also the look of just walking around with the camera strapped around your neck as it swings left to right across your chest. Do we even need to go there? This small vintage bag is low-profile, and completely padded inside to keep your camera and you, in good shape.

8. The Madewell Camera Bag This is on the list because you should know that Madewell has a version of a camera bag and sometimes we have to really look the part until we are the part. Fake it until you make it, this bag is ga-hor-geous!