Sony Artisan Monica Sigmon opened her portrait studio in 2000 and quickly built a successful business with a reputation for excellence and cutting-edge imagery. As the portrait photographer and owner of Gittings Houston, her high-end, frameworthy portraits demand the best gear. Keep reading below as she shares what you’ll find in her studio portrait photography kit – and if you want to learn Monica’s secrets to family portraiture, make sure you take her free class on Alpha Camera Academy.
Shop This Kit:
–Camera: Alpha 7R V
–Lenses: 24-70mm f/2.8 G Master II, 85mm f/1.4 G Master II, 50-150mm f/2 G Master
–Accessories: VG-C4EM Vertical Grip, TOUGH Memory Cards, NP-FZ100 Batteries
Camera
Alpha 7R V: The Sony Alpha 7R V is the most intuitive camera I have ever worked with. The speed with which this camera operates, being able to track my subjects, track the children – running around, twirling, whatever I need, is all baked in, allowing me to concentrate on the subjects in front of me and not worry about the technical aspects of the session. It feels like it’s operating as an extension of my brain - It’s really a joy to shoot. Also, I need the resolution. We sell large wall portraits for families and children, so I need to be able to get these large scale. I can also crop in on that final frame. So if I’m shooting a wide full-length pose, but I want a tighter crop for the wall, I’m not losing information. I’m not sacrificing quality.
Photo by Monica Sigmon. Alpha 7R V. 50-150mm f/2 G Master. 1/125-sec., f/2.8, ISO 250
Photo by Monica Sigmon. Alpha 7R V. 24-70mm f/2.8 G Master II. 1/160-sec., f/9, ISO 200
Lenses
24-70mm f/2.8 G Master II: The Sony 24-70mm f/2.8 G Master II is the workhorse for my studio sessions. When I’m photographing families, children, groups, I have to keep things moving and oftentimes I don’t want to break the rhythm of the session by stopping to change lenses. The versatility of being able to shoot a full-length portrait, and then just quickly zoom in for a half-length or close-up, keeps the session moving seamlessly. Used in conjunction with the camera stand (which allows me to roll in and out, and adjust height quickly), there’s very little I can’t accomplish with this lens.
Photo by Monica Sigmon. Alpha 7R V. 24-70mm f/2.8 G Master II. 1/125-sec., f/6.3, ISO 320
Photo by Monica Sigmon. Alpha 7R V. 24-70mm f/2.8 G Master II. 1/160-sec., f/5, ISO 160
50-150mm f/2 G Master: The Sony 50-150mm f/2 G Master has quickly become my favorite lens, and I’m incorporating it more and more, both indoors and out. The glass is simply gorgeous, and it allows for the most beautiful falloff and bokeh. Using it at f/2 allows me to create unique portraits that parents don’t normally see. I love capturing an eye tack-sharp, and then seeing the corner of the eye start to fade into a soft focus. It’s stunning what this lens can accomplish. The focal length allows me to capture full-length to close-up, all while providing a gorgeous compression of the background, even in a small camera room.
Photo by Monica Sigmon. Alpha 7R V. 50-150mm f/2 G Master. 1/125-sec., f/3.5, ISO 160
Photo by Monica Sigmon. Alpha 7R V. 50-150mm f/2 G Master. 1/160-sec., f/2.8, ISO 80
85mm f/1.4 G Master II: When shooting prime, the Sony 85mm f/1.4 G Master II is my go-to. Now in its second iteration, this lens is absolutely stunning. My backdrops look painted, and the subject’s skin hardly needs any retouching. The files are gorgeous straight out of the camera.
Accessories
VG-C4EM Vertical Grip: I never take this Sony grip off my camera. I want to keep my arms braced to my body for stability, not have an arm up in the air while shooting vertically.
TOUGH Memory Cards: Sony TOUGH cards are fast, reliable, and essential for continuous shooting without buffering.
NP-FZ100 Batteries: Extra Sony batteries for my camera.
Photo by Monica Sigmon. Alpha 7R V. 50-150mm f/2 G Master. 1/125-sec., f/4, ISO 200
Other Items:
Manfrotto Camera Stand, Sekonic Light Meter
Standing Fan: For hair movement.
Magnetic Phone Stand: For capturing BTS photos and videos.
Squeaker: For small children and dogs.
Photo by Monica Sigmon. Alpha 7R V. 50-150mm f/2 G Master. 1/160-sec., f/4, ISO 160
Personal items:
Blotting Paper: For shine.
Hollywood Tape: For impromptu hemming needs and securing clothing to skin.
Small clamps: For clothing.
Stitch Gun: For quick clothing adjustments.
Dental Floss Picks
Lint Roller
Photo by Monica Sigmon. Alpha 7R V. 50-150mm f/2 G Master. 1/160-sec., f/4, ISO 160
See more of Monica Sigmon's work on her Alpha Universe Profile and on Instagram @monicasigmon. Take her Family Portraiture course on Alpha Camera Academy.
Headed to WPPI?
–Grab your camera and join Monica along with Sony Alpha Female+ for an inspiring community photo walk on March 3 at 3:00 p.m. PT. Click here to learn more.
–Sony Alpha Female+ also invites you to a dynamic Live AMA on March 4 at 4:30 p.m. PT featuring Monica with fellow Sony Artisan Kesha Lambert, hosted by our Editor-in-Chief, Michaela Ion. Click here to learn more.
–Check out our WPPI events page for more.
