There was a time when someone had to be either extremely privileged or super lucky to have even one picture taken of them during their lifetime. Photography required heavy equipment and real knowledge of how to work those giant cameras. It’s so much different nowadays, some days we take over 100 images and all we use is our cellphone, a device that can fit in the palm of our hands. But there are still some of us out there holding onto professional cameras and lenses due to the fact that photography is our craft or just a dear hobby. This article is for those true “photographers at heart” with a big or small collection of camera equipment to show them how to organize and store it all with grace.
Gather, Sort & Group
Gather your cameras, lenses, filters, tripods, wires, chargers, batteries, memory cards, flashes and any other thing that you use when you take pictures. Once you gather all the items, group them based on their function and how you use them. Do you take all the lenses with you when you go for a shoot? Do you only charge your camera at home? Do you need extra SD cards with you? These are the kind of questions that will help you group your items based on your needs.
Designate Space
Now pick a space in your house that will work to store this equipment that is safe and out of the way. A shelf in your office is an ideal space but any closet or storage that is well protected and climate controlled can do the job. If you only use these items on very rare occasion, store them on the top shelf. On the other hand, for more frequent use, choose lower shelf or a more accessible spot. Put them in a location that makes most sense to you. For example, our clients who use their pro camera gear during a trip have everything set up next their travel section in the closet.
Contain
Now that you have your grouped items and figured out the space it is time to contain these objects.
Cameras, Lenses and Flash
Camera bags are great for storing your cameras and lenses. If you travel with your camera, a camera bag is essential. Choose one that is good quality, comfortable and best fits your camera. Baskets or closed clear containers are also perfect for gathering these objects together in one place.
SD Cards
If you have only one SD card it probably lives inside your camera. But if you have more than one memory card make sure you keep each of them individually in their protective case. You can use custom made pouches for SD cards or any small pouches like small coin purses to group them together in one spot.
Wires
Photographers need chargers, connectors, release cables and card readers so it is wise to give wires their own container or basket in the same area as the other camera equipment you own. Wires are so entwined with our lives that we wrote a whole article about how to organize them. You can see the full article here.
Extras
Batteries, lens wipes, tripod shoes, parts and any other loose-end items you have are best contained together with the use of a small pouch or divided box. Once contained, you can store them with rest of your photo equipment.
Tripods
If you can store your tripods in the same spot with your other camera supplies, that is ideal. You can use hooks to hang them on the wall or store them upright in a tall and skinny bin like an umbrella bucket. They can also be laid flat on their side on a shelf as well.
If you follow these steps, you should have a good system to keep your photo equipment safe and organized. Make sure you put the stuff back where it belongs in order to maintain the system. If several people use the cameras and tools make sure you label the containers and boxes so everyone knows the place for everything. Now all that is left is to get out there and capture the wonders of the world.
Whether you are an amateur or professional photographer, it is also important that you streamline the photo process and maintain a productive workflow. One vital component in this process is organizing your photos. Would you like to know about 25 Photo Organizing Software and Apps of 2021? Read more here.
