What’s in My Bag: Food Content Creator Jessica Hirsch

I am currently the creator and CEO of CheatDayEats, a lifestyle brand and digital media company focused on food, travel, and fitness. As an entrepreneur and member of the prestigious Sony Alpha Collective team, I utilizes my professional photography and videography skills to help brands, businesses, destinations, and more grow along with her own channels.

In this article, I’ll be sharing what is typically in my gear bag when shooting photos and videos.

My Camera

The Sony Alpha 7S III is my main camera. I love this camera for a variety of reasons but the main one being the 4k 60fps and 4k 120fps capabilities. I love to utilize slow motion to enhance my videos and really bring drama to a specific moment. Additionally, the flip screen is useful during my recipe videos as I tilt the screen to get the perfect view. Sony cameras allow you to customize your buttons and settings. This allows my workflow to keep up with fast chefs in the kitchen so I never miss an important moment.   

My Lenses

I always wonder if another lens will replace my love for the Sony GM 24-70. Although, it still holds its place as my favorite. It’s versatility allows me to be in the moment and know I am getting a great and crisp shot. What I love is the combination of shots I can get with the Sony Alpha 7S lll and GM 24-70. Not only can I zoom in with my lens, but even more so during post-edit since I film in 4k and edit in 1080p. 

I utilize this lens when I am looking to get a very specific close-up shot of a dish. For example, I will use this lens to capture a close-up of piping icing onto a cookie cake. I will add this to a video to enhance the story and give extra detail to the audience. This lens is used a bit more for photo over video, but it still has great value in both areas.

I use the Sony FE 85mm f/1.8 lens when capturing images and videos where I am included (usually with food as well). It works perfectly for portraits.

My Audio

I record a lot of audio — whether it be a voiceover, reviewing a dish at home, or at a restaurant, this mic allows me to get nice clear audio. It’s relatively inexpensive compared to some higher grade professional mics but I think it offers tremendous value, especially if you are new to the audio world or on a tight budget.

These earbuds are one of the few I’ve found that offer great sound quality, microphone, and doesn’t go into my ear, but rather sits more open around it. 

These headphones are a bit pricier than the Linkbuds. Although, they are absolutely the best sound quality I’ve ever heard and amazing on an airplane when you want to channel out all distractions. I use these when I shuffle dance and feel like I’m at a concert — that’s how great it sounds. I just toss them around my neck when traveling to or from airports and they are super comfortable. They even have an app that measures your ears to deliver the most optimal sound quality and comfort.

My Accessories

I typically include this in the video during a few frames to help with color correcting in post production. 

The DJI Mavic 2 Pro offers a great mix of portability and high grade photo and video capture. You can stick it in your carry-on bag and not have to worry about an (extra) checked bag.

The Aputure AL-M9 Amaran Pocket-Sized Daylight-Balanced LED Light is great in a pinch if I want to capture a fun photo or video at a restaurant that is either dark or at night. Just be mindful of others around you when filming in public.

The DJI Osmo 4 SE is a great little gimbal that can be used for my smartphone to capture steady shots on the go. It fits right into a jacket pocket and is super affordable too.

While the cloth is great, some parts of the camera should not be touched. The Giottos Rocket Air Blaster is a great safe way to get dust off the sensors. It is important to clean your lenses before a video so I recommend also having a cleaning cloth.

Check out more of my work in AdoramaTV’s new docuseries, THE MASTERS.