What's in My Content Creator Bag: 8 Things I Bring to Every Shoot
People don't just buy your product or service anymore. They buy you. They want to see your face, hear your voice, and watch how you work before they ever book a call. That's why the businesses winning on social media right now aren't the ones with the fanciest graphics. They're the ones showing up on camera, consistently.
The easiest way I've found to make that happen (for me and my clients) is something called a content capture. And after hundreds of them, I've got my bag down to a science. Here's what a content capture is, why it works, and the 8 things I never leave home without.
What is a content capture?
A content capture is a scheduled 1 to 2 hour session where you collect videos, photos and behind-the-scenes moments that tell the story of your brand. One focused session can fuel your Instagram, Facebook, blog and emails for weeks. I do these for:
Realtors: listing walk-throughs, community highlights and personal branding content.
Coaches: storytelling moments, teaching clips and lifestyle shots.
Authors: writing routines, book launch content and speaking events.
Med spas and local businesses: before-and-afters, treatments in action and the people behind the business.
Retail and clothing stores: lifestyle shots of your products being worn and used out in the real world.
A treatment-in-action reel from a med spa content capture for Luminescence Beauty Spa. A few minutes of filming during a facial turns into reels, stories and blog photos.
Why content captures work
People want a story: a beginning, a middle and an end. That's why before-and-after transformations, progress shots and real-time behind-the-scenes clips are so captivating. They show your process, build trust, and help people understand not just what you do, but how and why you do it.
Some of my favourite content comes from real, in-the-moment experiences, like this live event I hosted in Invermere, BC in 2024. Those are the moments your audience connects with most.
And here's the best part. When you batch it all in one session, you're not scrambling for something to post every day. You're simply choosing from a library you already have. (If you want to take it one step further, read how I plan my content 12 weeks ahead.)
From a content capture for a men's clothing store in Vancouver. One sunny afternoon of lifestyle shots like this fills a feed, a website and ads for weeks.
Real estate is one of my favourite places to do this. For Amber Granter of Mountain Town Living, I went on site to a listing to capture the lifestyle side of the home (morning coffee on the porch, lacing up for a forest walk), and Seth from In Flight Robotics captured the drone footage. Together it shows buyers what living there actually feels like:
Tap to watch the full reel on Instagram → Drone footage by In Flight Robotics. Listing by Mountain Town Living.
And my favourite example? Photographer Erin Kirkbride took footage from our content capture and turned it into this reel to showcase her Rocky Mountain elopement photography. It's honestly so good:
Tap to watch Erin's full reel on Instagram → You can see more of her work at @erinlkirkbride.
The 8 things I bring to every content shoot
DJI Osmo Pocket 3. Tiny but mighty. It shoots gorgeous 4K with built-in stabilization, so walk-throughs and moving shots come out smooth without a gimbal. I pop it on its mini tripod for steady b-roll.
My iPhone on a KraftGeek magnetic tripod. It snaps on in seconds and sticks to almost anything. My favourite trick: set up the Osmo and your phone at the same time and you get two angles of every clip.
DJI Mic Mini. Bad audio makes people scroll faster than bad video. This little mic clips on, connects instantly and makes you sound clear and professional, even outside.
My Poppy & Peonies Double Duty Tote (in Heritage Green). This bag is a dream for shoot days. It has a padded spot for my laptop, a front pocket for my iPad, a holder that fits my Stanley, an insulated lunch compartment, and a crossbody strap so my hands stay free for filming.
A Stanley water bottle with LMNT electrolytes (plus spare flip straw lids). I drink LMNT every single day, and on hot content capture days it's non-negotiable. Talking on camera for hours is thirsty work. And I always bring a backup lid. If you know, you know.
Tru Bar protein bars. My go-to shoot-day snack. Not chalky, and they taste like dessert. I'm a Tru Bar ambassador, so my link gets you 15% off.
Aquaphor Lip Repair stick. Long days of talking on camera dry your lips out fast. This keeps them camera-ready.
Kitsch satin scrunchies. For keeping my hair out of my face between takes without leaving a dent. Polished, pulled together, done.
Bonus: your comfiest shoes. You'll be standing, walking and moving the whole time, so comfort wins over cute.
You can shop my whole content kit (and my tiny home favourites) in my Amazon storefront. Living in Golden, BC means epic mountains and almost zero big box stores, so Amazon has honestly been a game changer for me.
What to capture in a 1-hour session
Gear is only half of it. Go in with a shot list so you leave with weeks of content, not 200 random clips:
Studio photos of me (including the cover) by Dani-Rae, a photographer here in Golden, BC.
3 to 5 talking clips: answer the questions your clients ask you most.
B-roll of you working: hands on the keyboard, walking into your space, meeting a client, pouring a coffee.
Before and after or progress shots if your work transforms something.
Detail shots: your products, your tools, your logo, your space.
A few photos of you for your website, profile pictures, blog covers and Pinterest.
Once it's captured, load your posts into a scheduler and let them go out on their own. I plan and schedule all of mine, plus my emails and follow-up, in Ivorey.
Want more simple, real-life marketing tips like this? I share what's working for me and my clients in my free newsletter. Subscribe free →
Want help turning your content into clients?
A great shoot is only the start. The magic is in what you do with it. My Guided package ($497) gives you a content plan, a shot list and a simple system to post and follow up on your own. My Done-For-You package ($1,497) means I plan, write, design and schedule it all for you, so your content works while you get back to your business.
See the packages → Message me on WhatsApp →
Quick answers
What is a content capture?
A content capture is a planned 1 to 2 hour session where you film videos, take photos and grab behind-the-scenes moments for your brand, giving you weeks of social media content in one go.
What equipment do I need to film social media content?
Start simple: your phone, a sturdy tripod and a small wireless mic. When you're ready to level up, a stabilized camera like the DJI Osmo Pocket 3 gives you smooth, high-quality video and a second angle.
How much content can I get from one shoot?
With a shot list, a 1 to 2 hour session can easily give you 4 to 6 weeks of posts, reels, stories and blog photos.
Do I need to hire someone for a content capture?
No. You can absolutely do it yourself with the gear and shot list above. Hiring someone is helpful when you want to be fully in front of the camera, or when you'd rather have the planning and posting handled too.
Some links in this post are affiliate links, including Amazon, Ivorey and Tru Bar links. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases, at no extra cost to you. I only share things I actually use and love.
