May 4th, 2012:

We get a lot of question from photographers about our gear. From what we use, to why we use it and why it works for us as wedding photographers.  So I decided to compile a list of all the cameras, lenses, gear and tools Felicia and I take along on a wedding day.  This is by no means the definitive wedding kit, each photographer has a different style of shooting, has different needs and thus different tools.  While Felicia and I prefer to stick with all prime lenses because they give us the capability to work in a very photojournalistic way, always ready to capture the moments as they unfurl, other photographers might prefer various zoom lenses or a combo of zooms and primes.   Other photographers aside, after years of testing all kinds of gear and using almost every lens Canon has to offer, this is what we find works best for us and our style of wedding photography.

Throughout the day, Felicia and I carry two camera bodies each, usually one with a wide/normal angle lens, and the other equipped with something with more reach. Our wide/normal focal length lenses start with the Canon 24mm f/1.4 which is about as wide as I like to get for wedding photography. Super wide lenses are fun, but our images are about emotion and we try not to draw attention to the camera or lens it was captured on – we like to keep the subject of the image paramount.

The next step up is my current “stuck on a desert island” lens: the Canon 35mm f/1.4. It is amazing wide open, creates creamy backgrounds, and lets the images it captures have the feeling that you are in the room with the subjects. I have used this lens so much, I can completely visualize what an image will look like before ever reaching for my camera.

Then there’s the Canon 50mm f/1.2, yes that’s f/1.2 – amazingly able to shoot images in extremely low light and create the bokeh that photographers have been ranting about for decades.  It’s extremely versatile throughout the wedding day – able to capture everything from family portraits to the wedding reception with equal ease. Many other pros out there talk about hanging out with this piece of glass throughout an entire day and I could see how it could be done.

Next up is the longer side of our lens choices. Starting with the Canon 85mm f/1.8 (Felicia’s favorite focal length, although she still loves the f/1.2 version more), which can pull the action right to us and throws the out of focus area into dreamland – even though it’s the least expensive lens we own, it easily keeps up in terms of quality with the other L Series lenses (and as a bonus, it doesn’t weigh 3 lbs like the Canon 85 f/1.2) which my back and shoulders love.

After that we have the Canon 100mm f/2.8 Macro, which is essentially for ring shots and detail shots. It comes out of the bag once a day, does what it’s made to do (amazingly well) then gets put away.

Finally we have my second favorite piece of glass, the Canon 135mm f/2.0. When I travel, the 35mm/135mm combo always goes with me and if I needed to I could easily and happily shoot a wedding with just these two lenses.   If you check my cameras throughout a wedding day, 90% of the time you’ll find this combo hanging from my shoulders while Felicia lives around the 24/50/85 range. That said, she kicks ass with the 135mm, creating artful images like scenes straight out of a movie.

As I said before, Felicia and I always shoot with two cameras each so we always have a back up body on hand and have a choice of focal lengths dangling from our sore shoulders. We each carry a Canon 5D Mark II and a Canon 5D with plenty of pixels, and when editing, the files flow together seamlessly. The 5D’s are equipped with my favorite strap of all time by Lowepro, which has since been discontinued, and the Mk II’s with my second favorite camera strap, the OP/TECH Super Classic. The two straps would be a tie in comfort if only the OP/TECH straps had swivels to keep the twists out of the strap. I know I am bitching about a minute detail, but when you have a camera in your hand 20+ hours a week, even the little things can be bothersome.

Next we move on to our lighting. We use three Canon 430 EX II’s all equipped with Honl Speed Straps – I know many people will ask why we’re not using the bigger 580EX II’s and the answer is a combination of things.  We use Pocket Wizard TT5’s to trigger our lighting and the 580’s put off some sort of weird radio mojo that funks with our triggers. The 430’s are only about 1 stop less powerful (which I rarely miss) but they weigh significantly less than the 580’s (and as a bonus, cost less too).  Also in the bag are a pair of Honl-friendly customized Gary Fong Lightspheres for smooth, even reception lighting, a small foldable Lumiquest Softbox III (for lighting in sensitive locations where permits/security might be an issue), and a Honl 1/4″ Speed Grid and a Honl 8″ Snoot/Reflector to cut the spill of our lights when needed.

As I said before, we trigger our off camera lighting with Pocket Wizard Mini TT1 and two Pocket Wizard Flex TT5 units, as well as a AC3 Zone Controller to adjust the power levels manually from the camera.  Since the Flex units can also work as master units, even if we lose any one of the units to slippery fingers, the other two pieces can still function in full TTL mode or manual mode.  If you Google around about these guys, you’ll find mixed reviews, but honestly I have been using them since they came out in 2009 and have had very little of the supposed issues since the last firmware updates.  They make life and off camera flash extremely easy during the rush of a wedding day when you simply don’t have the time to work the strobes manually.

Next up, is our primary off camera lighting source, our light on a stick. Named such because it is simply a small  Photoflex XS 15″ Octodome, mounted on a Manfrotto 680B Monopod using a Manfrotto Bracket then we mount one of the 430’s on a Pocket Wizard and we’re in business.   The monopod is a little beefier than needs be, but I already owned this model when building this rig, so that’s what we have.  Not having this on a stand saves us in MANY engagement session locations that don’t allow light stands of any sort – we skirt the rule and either Felicia or I will act as the voice activated light stand.

When we do need a simple light stand we carry the 7′ Manfrotto 5001B Compact Lightstand, and if I want to attach the soft box, all I have to do is remove the Monopod and slip the light stand into the bracket – takes all of 10 seconds and our light on a stick becomes a light on a stand. This stand is also quite often as a backlight that is hidden behind our subjects. I also have a bigger 11′ light stand that lives in the trunk for when we have receptions in a giant venue and need a high altitude background kicker light.

From here on out this post will diverge into the less sexy , but no less needed, side of camera gear. Like our giant wad of 200+ GB of Sandisk CF cards, or piles of  extra rechargeable flash batteries (in cases I found on Amazon) and lots of extra camera batteries along with a little Lowepro Volta 20 case. The case is carried on my belt with full CF cards just in case our camera gear gets stolen I won’t lose our clients’ wedding day images. I might be being overly paranoid, but we can never be too safe with the pictures.

In all the assorted pockets and pouches of the camera bag we always carry along extra business cards (by moo.com), Assorted filters (Neutral Density, Polorizers and an FLD for turning the skies an epic magenta) a Leatherman, a two sided Sharpie, Sunblock (for my uber-whiteness), a lens cleaning cloth and an assortment of customized gels to change the color temperature of our flashes.

And finally the pile of stuff that is always in the trunk of the car just in case we need something special. The Canon Timer Remote Controller TC-80N3, a Manfrotto Justin Clamp, a Manfrotto Super Clamp, a Rocket Blower in case of emergency sensor cleaning, a regular Home Depot spring clamp, more assorted gels, more fresh AA batteries, a roll of 1″ Gaff Tape, a roll of electrical tape, a couple little bungees, extra camera body cap, another speed strap (the Lumiquest brand that I don’t like as well as the Honl ones on my flashes) and finally the most important piece of gear on those really long, hot summer days – a small bottle of Gold Bond powder….

Yes, at times, someone even as cool as me might need a little powder.