A modern wedding photographer is more than just a person with a camera. They’re also someone who knows how to use the equipment they carry, and understand how it works in different situations. Modern wedding photographers have a lot of gear. We shoot at high ISO and use off camera flash as well as ambient light. Here’s what you’ll find in most of photographer’s bags:
Full frame cameras
Whether mirrorless of DSLRs, full frame cameras are must-haves. Large sensors allow wedding photographers to handle low light situations without too much grain while working at high ISO settings. Larger sensors also mean better pixel quality which then translates to better overall image quality. Professional photographers often carry 2 full frame cameras on them simply because this allows them for a quick swap without having to change lenses. Typically one camera would have a wider lens attached such as 35mm and the other a telephoto like lens such as 85mm.
Quality lenses
Quality lenses are essential for any photographer, but especially for wedding photographers. Wedding photographers need lenses that can help them capture all the details of an event, and their lens choice will dictate how well their photos turn out. Wedding photographers should choose lenses that offer good sharpness, clarity and overall quality so that they can create beautiful wedding photographs. It’s also important that the lenses come with wide apertures such as 1.8 or 2.8 as a minimum to allow working in low light scenarios.
Popular focal lenghts often found in photographer’s bags are:
- 35mm
- 50mm
- 85mm
- 24-70mm
- 70-200mm
Multiple speedlights
Multiple speed lights are an important tool for any wedding photographer. Photographers can use multiple speed lights throughout the day to adjust the intensity of the light being emitted from each one depending on what type of shot they want to take and what effect they want to achieve. Speed lights are not only used on the dance floor during the wedding party. They can be used in day light as a fill light or to add a real pop to images when mixed creatively with ambient light.
Lots of memory cards
Memory cards are another essential piece of equipment for any wedding photographer looking to improve their work flow while making sure they never run out of memory card space during a busy event day!
Camera harness or belt
Two professional cameras with lenses attached and often speedlights on can weigh a lot. Therefore photographers often use special belts or harnesses making it easy and convenient for them to carry these throughout the day.
Accessories
There is also a tonne of other accessories that can be found in photographer’s bags. These are speedlight modifiers, batteries, chargers, stands, tripods or monopods, lens filters, color gels and all sorts of stuff to make sure we are all prepared to tackle your big day like a boss and to produce stunning wedding photos.
