What's In My Bag: 2 Zooms & 2 Primes For Food, Lifestyle & Hospitality Photography

Reading Time 3 min.

Author Jane Yun

Date 2024.03.18

Jane Yun (@janeyunphoto) is a food, lifestyle and interior photographer based in Austin, Texas. She previously worked as the in-house photographer for a PR agency, but she's recently taken the leap to pursuing her own business full-time. She's pursuing projects in the food and hospitality industry with a lifestyle focus, as well as in-home family lifestyle sessions. “My goal when shooting is to share the storytelling in a scene," she says, "whether that’s capturing a chef finishing the final garnish in the kitchen, models enjoying a glass of wine on the patio, or a family making grandma’s cookies in their kitchen. I need my gear to be reliable as I’m always on the go usually on-site at a restaurant or in a family’s home." Yun use the Sony Alpha 7R III and she switches between a few lenses, both zooms and primes, depending on whether she's photographing food, interiors or people. Keep reading as Yun shares what's in her bag along with some of her work.

Product Preview – In This Article You'll Find:
–Sony Alpha 7R III
–Sony 55mm f/1.8
–Sony 24-70mm f/2.8 G Master
–Sony 90mm f/2.8 Macro G
–Sony 16-35mm f/2.8 G Master
–Sony HVL-F45RM Wireless Radio Flash
–Sony G-Series TOUGH Memory Cards

Jane Yun's kit for Food, Lifestyle & Interior Photography

Camera

Sony Alpha 7R III: My Sony Alpha 7R III has been by my side ever since switching to the mirrorless side back in 2017. I was only in undergrad at the time, but was starting to build my portfolio shooting restaurants and CPG brands and believed that mirrorless was the future. I was ready to invest in a full-frame system and sold my Canon crop-sensor DSLR and haven’t looked back since. It’s compact yet a complete powerhouse to create beautiful imagery for editorial and commercial use.

Photo by Jane Yun. Sony Alpha 7R III. Sony 55mm f/1.8. 1/100-sec, f/4.5, ISO 400

Lenses

Sony 55mm f/1.8: The first lens I bought with my camera and it served me well in so many different situations. It’s lightweight, discreet, and great for low-lighting situations with a wide aperture of 1.8.

Photo by Jane Yun. Sony Alpha 7R III. Sony 55mm f/1.8. 1/160-sec, f/3.2, ISO 1600

Sony 24-70mm f/2.8 G Master: This was the fourth lens I bought, but honestly, it should’ve been the first. It’s on my camera 70% of the time and for good reason. The range offers so much flexibility with what I can capture. I’ve shot anywhere from fast-paced food festivals to in-home family lifestyle sessions with this. Many of my shoots occur on-site at a restaurant and this one lens has allowed me to be super minimal with my gear which I greatly appreciate.

Photo by Jane Yun. Sony Alpha 7R III. Sony 24-70mm f/2.8 G Master. 1/125-sec., f/3.2, ISO 250

Sony 90mm f/2.8 Macro G: This macro is incredible. It’s perfect for capturing all of the micro details in an intricate dish and is my favorite when capturing headshots or portraits. It’s sharp and the detail it provides is unmatched.

Photo by Jane Yun. Sony Alpha 7R III. Sony 90mm f/2.8 Macro G. 1/100-sec., f/2.8, ISO 2500

Sony 16-35mm f/2.8 G Master: The 16-35mm lens is great for capturing interiors, but I’ve also used this in settings with larger-scale flat lays.

Photo by Jane Yun. Sony Alpha 7R III. Sony 16-35mm f/2.8 G Master. 1/320-sec. f/4, ISO 320

Accessories

Peak Design Everyday Sling 6L: If I’m trying to keep equipment minimal, I’ll just carry my camera in this Peak Design bag. It fits my Sony Alpha 7R III with a 24-70mm f/2.8 G Master and a speedlite.

Moment MTW Backpack 17L: If I’m committing to lugging a wagon or cart, this is my go-to backpack to fit extra accessories like my laptop, hard drive, tethering cord, batteries, and of course, snacks.

Sony HVL-F45RM Wireless Radio Flash: Fast, easy to pop on and off my camera, and gives the perfect punch of lighting when shooting events and keeps my equipment minimal.

Photo by Jane Yun. Sony Alpha 7R III. Sony 24-70mm f/2.8 G Master. 1/250-sec., f/4, ISO 100

Sony G-Series TOUGH Memory Cards: I always keep a case full of empty ones ready to use for every shoot.

Godox XProS Wireless Flash Trigger + Godox A400Pro Strobe: I would say I currently shoot 50/50 natural light and artificial light (though I’m sure this will heavily favor artificial lighting very soon). This is my go-to for off-camera artificial lighting. It’s powerful and can connect to more than one strobe if I’m needing the extra punch of light.

Giottos Rocket Air Blaster: So simple, yet so effective in removing sensor dust.

Extra camera batteries: Essential for long days of shooting and never hurts to have a back-up or two on hand.

See more of Jane Yun’s work on Instagram @janeyunphoto.

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