RENTING GEAR
Having what you need equipment-wise is essential to a successful shoot. I rent gear all the time! This post will tell you all about when and why I rent, what I rent, and where I rent from!
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WHEN I RENT GEAR
I rent gear when…
a) I don’t own the equipment I feel will be necessary for the job
b) I want to try something new
c) my equipment is out of commission
Renting gear is a great way to make sure you are prepared for every job. I rent gear fairly frequently, I would say I bring a rented lens or rented lights to about 50% of my jobs! I would suggest renting gear any time you’re unsure of if your gear will cut it (i.e. When I first started I only owned one lens, and it only went down to 2.8, so for situations where I knew I would want an extremely blurred background or if I knew I would want to let more light in to expose in ambient lighting, I would rent a fixed lens that had wider aperture capabilities).
I would also suggest renting any time you want to invest in a new piece of gear. TRY BEFORE YOU BUY. I think you should try everything before you commit to it—camera bodies, lights, lenses… etc. Try it out a few times and see if it brings you what you’re looking for!
WHY I RENT GEAR
I like to rent gear because it’s really affordable, and it gives me options I wouldn’t be able to have with my own limited collection. I do aspire to own every lens, light system, and backdrop someday, but for today renting works great!
I love renting because I can shake up my usual shoot routines and shoot from a new perspective than shooting with my regular lenses and gear.
Renting is also great for things that I don’t use in my daily work (i.e. I only shoot with strobes about once a month, so for me, renting is the perfect solution to give me the gear I need without investing in it at this point in my career).
WHAT I RENT
Like I mentioned before, I rent equipment that I need but I don’t need frequently enough to warrant a purchase—and of course (also mentioned before) I rent things I’m interested in purchasing too!
I rent just about everything, from lenses to lights, to camera bodies, to batteries! (one time I knew I would need more batteries than I had charged up with me for the day, so I rented a few camera batteries to keep me going through the whole day of shooting)!
I regularly rent lenses I want to try—Right now there are two I’m debating between to purchase so I rent them both frequently and eventually I’ll make up my mind;)
Rent anything that you need or anything you want to try!
**Paper backdrops are something you can’t generally rent because they get damaged after each use. But cloth backdrops are usually available to rent if you don’t want to invest in owning them yourself! I buy all my Paper Backdrops at Pictureline. Purchase/view backdrop options online HERE
WHERE I RENT
PICTURELINE- 305 W 700 S, Salt Lake City, UT
The place I rent from most frequently is Pictureline in Salt Lake City. They are really the best in the biz. I love Pictureline for it’s convenient location, large easy parking lot, helpful staff, quick assistance, and wide selection. This business is extremely organized and professional. Pictureline is also a great place to purchase new equipment if you’re ready to grow your personal collection.
PRO TIP: Pictureline offers Half-Off weekday rentals, so if you have shoots you will be renting gear for, try to plan it for a weekday! Reserve gear online HERE
ACME- 79 W 900 S, Salt Lake City, UT
Acme is awesome for a more personal, leisurely rental experience. It’s just around the corner (less than a 5 minute drive) from Pictureline in slc. It’s a much smaller store and staff, and everyone who works there has a passion for photography. It feels a lot like borrowing gear from a friend! If you are interested in trying out film photography, I would suggest starting here. They have a good selection of film camera rentals, and are another great option for renting both digital and film gear in SLC. Acme is also a great place to buy and sell used equipment!
PRO TIP: Acme is located on 9th south, and parking is more or less non-existent. I always park on the street in front of the shop, there is also a parking lot on the south side of the building that is only accessible by driving northbound towards the building. Be prepared for the parking situation, and also plan to spend a little more time picking up your rental (there’s usually only one or two people working at a time, so you may have to wait a few minutes to be helped).
ALLEN’S CAMERA- 626 N State St, Orem, UT 84057
I haven’t visited Allen’s camera since my days in the BYU photo program, but for all you Utah County people, this shop is an AWESOME resource! They have multiple locations, but the Orem shop is the biggest/has the best selections. Something great about Allen’s is they do night-before-pick-ups. (the other two places will often allow “early pick ups” the night before your rental, but to guarantee you will have the gear the night before, you’ll have to pay for 2 days of renting. Allen’s does “early pickup” as their Standard Pickup procedure).