In My Notes: My Camera Roll Setup
A little camera + editing deep dive. Answering your DMs on what I use to shoot & edit my content.
I had a few questions recently over on Instagram @kimturkington_ about what camera I use for my photos, how I create my reels, and what apps I edit everything on - so I thought I’d put it all in one place.
📸 The Cameras
I’ve always loved shooting with a “real” camera - I actually dabbled a lot with it during uni, and it’s kind of what got me into this line of work in the first place. So while iPhone makes up a lot of my day-to-day content now, photography still feels like a bit of a hobby for me and will always have my heart.
When I do use a camera, it’s usually one of two:
Canon 5D Mk IV — my go-to for most shoots.
Canon G7X — usually when I need flash, or want something smaller and easier to carry.
Recently I got to try the Leica Q2 which would be my dream to own some day.
That said — most of the time, iPhone content resonates better on Instagram. It feels more real-time, more casual, and honestly the iPhone camera is so good these days.
I also love the look of film… and maybe some day I’ll get my hands on a Contax in the meantime I use the Olympus Muji ii film camera.
📱 The iPhone Setup
At the moment, I’m using an iPhone 15 Pro Max for almost all of my reels and a lot of my photos. I am tempted to upgrade to the 16 Pro Max soon - but let me know if you have it and if you love or hate it? For video, iPhone is just so easy - shoot and straight to edit. These are my settings below, not sure if these are good but they seem to work for me.
Editing My Reels
All my video content gets edited in CapCut. I’ve been using it for so long that I have so many saved clips there, which is making it hard for me to fully transition to Edits by Instagram but from what I’ve tried, it does seem really good.
Editing My Photos
If it’s a photo off my Canon, I’ll bring it into Lightroom first. I usually tweak:
White balance
Exposure
Highlights (always my favourite thing to adjust and usually lower)
Grain (I like to add a bit for texture)
For iPhone photos, I usually bring them into VSCO for a quick edit. My go-to adjustments are pretty simple:
Highlights down
Grain up
A bit of tweaking depending on the light and vibe
Overall
Honestly you don’t need fancy gear to create great content. iPhone can take you so far but for me, playing with a proper camera is still a little creative outlet, and I love being able to blend both into my content.
If you want more behind-the-scenes content like this - the apps, tools & little tricks I use - make sure you’re subscribed so you don’t miss the next one 💌