I’m curious about what piece of gear everyone picked up in 2024 that really made a difference in their work. For me personally, I decided to bite the bullet and get a pair of 4x4 scrim jim frames. I can use them for diffusion or negative fill depending on what the shot needs. Being able to control and modify light sources has completely changed how I approach interview setups. Even something as simple as taming harsh sunlight coming through windows has become so much easier. The flexibility they give me for shaping light has honestly been incredible and I wish I had made this purchase sooner. What about you all? What gear investment really paid off for your workflow this year?
Had a totally different experience this year - grabbed a motorized slider that’s been a game changer for product shots. Used to do everything handheld or with basic static setups.
The automation sold me. I can program exact movements and repeat them perfectly for multiple takes. Super handy for A/B testing different lighting or when clients want variations.
Didn’t expect how much time it’d save on solo shoots. Instead of constantly repositioning myself and the camera, I set the movement and focus on lighting adjustments.
If you’re thinking about building your own setup, this tutorial covers solid DIY approaches:
The precision from motorized movement really steps up production value without needing a full crew.
Just upgraded my tripod after years with a cheap consumer one. Got a carbon fiber setup that’s lighter but way more solid. The stability difference is huge - especially for long exposures and video. What shocked me was how much faster I work now. The leg locks and head adjustments are so smooth that setup takes half the time. The balance is good enough that I can trust heavy lens combos without worrying it’ll tip over. One of those purchases where you kick yourself for waiting so long since it helps every single shoot.
Wasn’t planning any big purchases this year but finally caved and bought a proper color calibration monitor. Got sick of client projects looking completely different on their end - endless revisions because what looked perfect on my cheap display was way off for them. The difference was immediate and honestly embarrassing. I’d been delivering off-color work for months without realizing it. Now I can actually trust what I’m seeing and deliver confident work. Client feedback’s been way better and I’m doing way fewer corrections. Funny how the boring gear upgrades end up making the biggest difference in your work quality.
i totally feel you on that! upgrading to a good mic is a big step. i had a similar experience when i switched from my old condenser mic to a dynamic one. audio quality really matters, and it’s nice that clients notice the difference!
Workflow automation changed everything for me this year - not new gear, but actual workflow stuff.
I was wasting tons of time on boring tasks: organizing files, sending client updates, tracking project status. All that manual work killed my creative time.
So I automated the repetitive stuff. Now when I finish a shoot, files sort themselves into the right folders, clients get their preview links automatically, and my project tracker updates itself.
What used to eat 30 minutes after every shoot? Done instantly. I get hours back each week for actual photography.
Best part is linking apps without any coding. Camera uploads trigger processing, which sends client previews, which updates billing. Everything connects.
New gear’s fun, but automating your workflow is the real game changer. More shooting, less file shuffling.
Want to try it? Check out https://latenode.com