Basic Mobile Photography Kit

I just had the pleasure of spending 15 days traveling through Europe.  When I was packing, I had to make a decision on my camera gear, what to bring and how much of it I wanted to carry.  The other factor I had to take into consideration was the weight restrictions and number of bags you are allowed to carry onto airlines. 

After taking these factors into consideration, I decided I was only going to bring a small mobile photography kit focused around my Samsung Note 20 Ultra.  You can find everything here in my Amazon Store. 

The first piece of equipment is a small tripod with a ball head. I like the GorillaPod made by Joby.  The one I use is the GorillaPod 3K Flexible Mini-Tripod with the Joby BallHead 3K.  This combination is lightweight and compact but it still gives you a sturdy platform to mount your phone to.  

With the tripod, you need a phone mount.  For my basic setup, I use the Joby GripTight ONE Mount.  This mount is small in size and does not take up a lot of space. Note that it will only hold the camera in a horizontal format.  I use this mount if I will only be shooting in a square format or if space and weight is extremely limited. 

The only additional accessory I will always carry is a ND (Neutral Density) filter.  A ND filter will reduce the amount of light coming in through the lens.  This will give you the ability to use a slower shutter speed allowing you to add motion to water.  The nd filter will also give you a more uniform exposure between highlights and shadows.  

I carry the Cokin Square Filter Full ND Creative Kit.  This kit gives you 3 ND filters to pick from, depending on how much light you want to reduce your exposure by.  To use the filter, I will have the phone on the tripod and I will just hold it in front of the lens.  ITs simple, but it works. 

The last piece to my basic kit is a case to hold everything.  For this I use a Tenba Tools Tool Box 6.  This case is compact to fit into a carry on but has enough space for all of my gear.  I will also carry all of my required charging cables in the case as well. 

If you are looking for a more advanced mobile photography kit or are planning on shooting more video, watch out for my Advance Mobile Photography Kit post.