A friend once told me, “Any gear is good gear!” And I would say this can be true — but let’s take a step back to determine what your goals are. What is it you’re trying to capture? 💡 The Real Deal: Jen and I both started with what we had. No fancy rigs, no massive budgets — just a love for visual storytelling. And trust me, that’s exactly where you should begin. The truth is GEAR CAN MATTER! What are you capturing? Because the right tools help you tell the story in the right way. 🎥 For example in videography: • Weddings? → Are you capturing “content” for the wedding, or are you capturing “a cinematic story”? Content means a phone is probably fine. But what if you want to capture a cinematic story? Well that’s going to require something like a gimbal for smooth flowing shots and a camera that can shoot 24FPS (frames per second) for a cinematic look along with the ability to capture LOG footage for the most dynamic range when coloring in post. You will also want a nice lens and possibly the ability to shoot in 120 FPS for beautiful slow motion. • Music videos? → you probably want cinema quality gear or something handheld with dramatic lighting and bold angles, maybe you want to use a fog or haze machine to add a level of intensity to your shoot. • Documentaries? → Lighting (maybe 3-point lighting setup, but definitely a key light) DSLR camera with the a high quality lens, and great audio capture. 🧠 Here’s the mindset: • If you don’t have all the gear mentioned above then start with what you’ve got. You may be surprised what your current gear can do if you really learn how to use it. • Learn the fundamentals: composition, lighting, framing, movement. • When you’ve mastered what you do have, then start building your kit with intention. • Each piece of gear should be able to capture your vision and should be something you’ll use. (trust me, We’ve made the mistake of spending $$$ on things we thought we would need only to discover we never used it outside of making sure it works. 😩

We are thrilled to officially launch SHUTTER SOCIETY — a creative community for photographers and videographers who want to sharpen their skills, grow together, and create with purpose. Whether you're just starting or years into your journey, this is your space to: • Learn new techniques • Get feedback on your work • Connect with other passionate creatives! Built by Paul (videographer) & Jen (photographer), this is the kind of space we always wished existed — now we’re building it with you. Tons of good stuff coming soon: workshops, challenges, editing demos, tools, and more. Join now and be part of the founding crew. — Paul & Jen