To see all of my video and studio gear, check here.
NEEWER 18″ LED RING LIGHT
If you want BRIGHT, DAYLIGHT light, that is BRIGHT enough to use for either talking head OR artwork videos or photos, I would highly recommend this light.
This is my new favorite thing. The light is so bright and clean. My room is very dark, so I invested in this second ring light, and I am so glad I did. It’s dimmable, and easy to operate. Comes with tripod stand, and has a gooseneck, so you can adjust the angle easily. Comes with snap on warm filter, which I don’t use. I use the following instead:
LIMOSTUDIO WHITE CLOTH DIFFUSER FOR USE WITH RING LIGHT
Well worth the $7. I use this with the above ring light. It diffuses the bright light perfectly.
NEEWER DVR-160TVC RING LIGHT
If you want a softer light and the ability to easily switch between warm and cool light, this is your light.
If your face is on camera, you have a dark shooting space, and you want to look decent, this is a good buy. I really appreciate the dimmable light feature, and the adjustable warmth/coolness built right into the light. You can also turn off a quarter of the circle of light independently. Upper left quadrant, upper right, lower left, and lower right all operate by switches on the back of the unit that you can turn on and off, if you want. I don’t know when I’d ever use this feature, but you might have a reason to use it, that I haven’t thought of! The carrying case it comes in is four star. This ring light requires a tripod.
LITEVER UNDER-COUNTER LIGHTING
This under-shelf lighting works great! You can get it hard-wired by your electrician, or use the plug with on/off switch or dimmer. The six-light set comes with all options. I have these under several shelves in my studio, and in my kitchen now, too. Super easy to install yourself.
ARKON RECHARGEABLE SELFIE LED CLIP-ON RING LIGHT
I have always been very dubious about these phone clip-on ring lights. I love gadgets, but I absolutely hate buying disappointing crappy products. So, I have always stayed away from these. Well, unsolicited, the folks at Arkon sent me one to try. I am hooked. This thing is very high value for the price. the clip-on mechanism is smooth and seamless. The feel of the plastic clip is comfortable. This light is charged through a USB (no batteries!), it has three types of lighting (cool, warm, neutral), and it even has a dimmer. Yes, a dimmer, on a little phone ring light. The price of $15 is kind of shocking to me. Given the quality and sound design of this thing, I could see this at retail for $25 without blinking.
Table lamps
OTTLITE D26008 DUAL HEADED TASK LAMP
This is my “Holy Grail” studio desk lamp. The lighting is “daylight” quality, even and bright. The heads swivel to each side, which is helpful for photography and video shoots. I have two of these lamps. They’re not the only lights I use for shooting photos or videos, because they don’t throw off enough light by themselves (my room is pretty dark) however they are my favorites. I’ve had two for about a year, use them heavily and haven’t had to change the light bulbs yet. They give off a beautiful and even light, the base swivels 360 degrees, the heads turn, and there’s a handle in between the light heads for easy transport. The con: it’s not-height adjustable. There’s always books.
VERILUX NATURAL SPECTRUM LIGHT GOOSENECK LAMP
The light quality this lamp provides is similar to the Ottlite lamp, but it’s smaller. The gooseneck is very flexible. This lamp is easy to move around and the base is nice and compact. The base features a USB outlet and a two-prong plug. I’ve never used either feature, but they’re worth mentioning.
To see all of my video and studio gear, check here.
VANGUARD ALTA PRO 263AGH TRIPOD
This is my “Holy Grail” tripod. The features are too numerous to mention here. I bought this to hold my DSLR camera while I shoot videos on my desk. And when I shoot with my iPhone, I can use it for additional lighting. It’s amazing — a real acrobat!
ARKON KITCHEN DESK TABLE STAND FOR LIVE STREAMING
This is a metal stand that can position your phone directly over your table so you can shoot video of your hands doing things. It’s adjustable in both height as well as arm length. The base is sturdy and has a smallish footprint. Depending on the weight of your phone, you may have to counter-weight the base with a dumbbell or something so it doesn’t topple over, especially if you use an additional extender. Those are available direct from Arkon, for $15 each. I purchased two, and though they were expensive, they are definitely worth it. The longer arm provides additional flexibility.
RETICAM TABLETOP TRIPOD
A lightweight tabletop tripod that is sturdier than many I’ve seen. This is good for holding your iPhone or additional lighting. It is NOT heavy enough to use with a DSLR camera.
AMAZON BASICS 60-INCH TRIPOD
A great basic tripod that totally outperforms it’s price point ($24). I would not use this as my main tripod, or for outdoor use, as it is not heavy or sturdy enough. However, it is a perfect ring light holder for me. It would hold an upright DSLR camera just fine.
VONJEAN UNIVERSAL SMARTPHONE TRIPOD ADAPTER
I love this thing. It allows you to mount your phone in either horizontal or vertical configuration, and at any place in the length of your phone. So it offers FLEXIBILITY which is so important when you are trying to record your hands drawing! I did a ton of research on adapters before I bought this one, because I was tired of continually buying adapters that broke or that a new camera no longer worked with. This has proven to be a very flexible adapter that has grown with my needs.
RETICAM SMARTPHONE TRIPOD MOUNT WITH HAND GRIP
This is a phone holder attached to a strong handle, made of metal with a textured rubber grip. It’s a well-made product built to last. But on first look, it appears to be only useful for one thing – hand-held videos. And yeah, that is what it does. However, it’s so functionally sound and performs so well, that with a little ingenuity, you can use this as an iPhone mount in some tight situations. Drop the handle in a tall, sturdy vessel (a heavy glass, or a vase) for a standing iPhone mount. Hold your iPhone with the mount if you’re watching or reading something while lying down.The handle / mount has a way of steadying the camera very well and with a minimum of effort on the holders’ part. The difference is dramatic. The more I use this thing, the more functionality I find it provides.
To see all of my video and studio gear, check here.
IPHONE 11 PRO MAX
I only shoot video using iphones these days. This is my main iphone and it is what I use for almost all video.
IPHONE XS
This is my back-up iphone. I use it for some video.
LOGITECH C930E USB 2.0 1920X1080 WEBCAM
A high-quality webcam. I use this for any video needs when I’m on my computer. It is easily movable and adjustable. When I first bought this, I almost returned it. I am so glad I didn’t. I use it constantly, and absolutely I love it.
To see all of my video and studio gear, check here.
To see all of my video and studio gear, check here.
BLUE YETI USB MICROPHONE (SILVER)
Refurbished one here
This comes with a cute little instructional booklet explaining all of the settings for the technologically-challenged, like myself. I love this mic. It does everything I want it to do, it is the right mic for my particular needs. It’s got four general settings, and I now know what they do, and which setting is right for which situation, thanks to that little booklet.
