What I use to photograph a wedding. A look inside the camera bag of a professional wedding photographer.
A common question, from both clients and fellow photographers, is ‘what camera equipment do you use?’. It seems a lot of people are interested in gear so here’s an article listing what I use, when I use it, and how and why I’ve ended up with this particular set-up.
Before I begin I should probably state that I’ve seen amazing wedding photos taken on the latest, greatest, state-of-the-art digital cameras and I’ve also seen amazing wedding photos taken on point and shoot film cameras from the 1970s. Honestly, the gear doesn’t matter if the images in the photographer’s portfolio resonates with you. That being said I do understand that people are interested in talking gear so I’ve finally got round to creating the definitive list that I’ll try my best to keep up to date as and when my equipment gets replaced. I’m not saying this list of gear is for everyone, each photographer’s needs are different and you should do your own research, this is simply what works for me and my style of photography right now.
If you do wish to purchase any of the equipment I use, clicking on each product name takes you to that particular product on Amazon. These are affiliate links so purchasing using that link would be greatly appreciated.
Cameras:
These are my main workhorses. Why? Incredibly fast and accurate autofocus system that helps me capture those fleeting, precious moments that happen during a wedding day, pretty much the best dynamic range (the difference between the darkest and lightest tones in an image) of any 35mm digital camera on the market right now, wonderful low-light performance (12800 useable ISO yes please!), and dual card slots ensuring images are backed-up as they’re taken.
Olympus OM2 35mm film camera
I shoot less film than I used to but it’s something I always enjoy. Occasionally I’ll shoot a roll, generally capturing candid moments with this camera paired together with the Zuiko 28mm lens. If you like the idea of film photography and would love for me to shoot a roll or two of film at your wedding all you have to do is ask!
I purchased a drone specifically to capture aerial shots of the incredible venues I get to visit. It’s been a big hit with my clients with these kinds of photos often ending up in their wedding album.
Lenses:
This is the widest lens I currently own. I picked it up mainly to document things once the party starts. Outside of that, I wasn’t sure how much I’d use it but it’s become my go-to lens for the getting ready photos, tight spaces such as in-car shots, overall wide shots of the ceremony and reception venues. The wide-angle combined with the large 1.4 aperture gives this lens a unique look and of course, makes it perfect in low-light situations.
A wonderful do it all lens. I use it for documenting moments and also for portraits when I want to add a little context to the scene. Again the 1.4 aperture is great in low-light as well as giving portrait subjects some separation from the background.
My main portrait lens, as well as being useful for documenting moments when I want to get tighter than I can with the 20 and 35mm lenses. For portraits, this lens is stunning, with hardly any noticeable distortion it allows me to come in nice and close with the large aperture offering beautiful separation between subject and background.
I use this solely for portraits. It’s a huge, heavy, cumbersome lens though it creates unique looking results, giving the photographs an almost three-dimensional feel in the way the subjects stand out. I don’t use it very often, simply because of the size and weight but when I see the final photograph it’s always something special.
Why Sigma lenses over Sony/Zeiss?
Before switching to Sony my previous camera system was Canon and during that time I invested in a Sigma Art 35mm lens. Why? Well, the quality was better than the Canon L equivalent and it came in at around half the price. That first Sigma lens became one of my favorites, so much so that before I switched to Sony I ensured that Sigma had released fast, prime lenses that covered all the focal lengths I needed.
Full disclaimer, I’ve never actually used any of the native Sony Zeiss lenses and I’m sure they’re amazing. But, so are the Sigma Art series. From the pixel peeping tests that are all over the internet, they’re optically, equally as good as the Sony G Master lenses, again for around half the price. Well-built, sharp, fast focusing, great colour/contrast, and rendering out of focus backgrounds beautifully. The only negative being their size and weight, they’re all hefty, large lenses.
I used to always carry a dedicated macro lens with me to weddings. However, the only time I was using it was to get detailed shots of the rings. The rest of the time it was simply adding weight and bulk to my camera bag, which is one thing I’ve tried to cut back on over the years. I know macro lenses can double as great portrait lenses but I had that covered so I looked for an alternative solution. Eventually, my search led me to these close up filters. Instead of a big, heavy, expensive lens, I can achieve pretty much the same result by attaching these filters to my 50mm lens. Is it as good a dedicated macro lens? For me yes but here’s an image taken with it so you can decide for yourself.
Sandisk 128MB Extreme Pro Memory Cards
I’ve been using these cards my entire career and they’ve never given me any issues. They never actually leave the camera, shooting with two cameras with 128MB cards in each is enough for an entire wedding. No card swapping obviously reduces the chance of losing a card. As soon as I’m back at the office the camera is plugged straight into my computer via a USB-C cable and the images downloaded from the camera and backed-up directly onto dual hard disks. Simple, safe, and as reliable a workflow as I’ve found.
Holdfast MoneyMaker Dual Camera Strap
Love this camera strap! It allows me to dual-wield two cameras, cowboy gunslinger style, throughout the day with different focal length lenses attached to each. Generally, the 50mm stays on one camera with me swapping between the 20mm and 35mm lens on the other camera depending on the situation.
The flash only ever makes an appearance once the sun goes down, the music comes up and the party gets started. Zooming the flash and dragging the shutter (using a slow shutter speed) to evoke the feeling of fun, movement, and partying is my goal.
Camera Bags
I actually have three main camera bags that I choose depending on which job I’m covering and how much kit I need to bring along.
Ona Brixton Messenger Style Bag
I almost always use this bag when I’m photographing couples and families on the streets of Paris. It’s fairly small but large enough to carry what I need for these kinds of sessions, generally a camera body along with my 35 & 50mm lenses. It’s also extremely comfortable for cycling with, an important point for me as that’s my preferred way of getting around the city. They’re pretty expensive but I’ve had this bag for about 10 years and it’s still going strong.
Wandrd PRVKE Series 21ltr Backpack
After hunting around both online and in local camera shops for the ultimate camera backpack I think I found it. An extremely well thought out, well-made pack full of neat little touches. I use it mainly for elopements in Paris when I need to carry a couple of cameras and a third lens. There’s also space for the film camera if required. When I escape the city it’s the pack I use when hiking in the mountains photographing the landscapes you can see a selection of here.
Think Tank Airport International Rolling Bag
The big one! I use this when photographing grand, all-day/all-weekend weddings and need to take the entire range of equipment mentioned above. I’ve had this bag for what seems like forever. Before I trimmed my gear back to what it is now I’d take it on every shoot. It’s practical, well made, and if I ever need to fly to a destination wedding it just passes as carry on.
Over my thirteen years as a working professional, a lot of gear has come and gone, this is what works for me at the moment though I’m sure things will change in the future. Currently eyeing up this 50mm F0.95 lens, and what about digital medium format anyone? Watch this space!
Any questions? Feel free to leave them below.