Some photographers can shoot a wedding with one body and two lenses. I am not that photographer! Contractors have the saying you have to bring the right tool to the job, and I take this same approach. I believe that each lens and piece of gear has it own specific role in helping me create the artistic vision that is inside my head. Could I get by with less gear? Yes. Would it hurt my style? Definitely. So without further ado I present to you the nerdiest blog post I will probably ever write.
Bodies:
D750. Agile, nimble, compact. When I first purchased my D750 I knew that Nikon had finally listened to its customers and delivered a body that would satisfy all of our needs. From the button layout, to the tilting screen this body is excellent. It features industry leading autofocus performance and low light performance for getting those shots in dark reception scenes. An the image quality is perfect with management file sizes at 24mp. 24MP just happens to be perfect for a full page spread image in an album.
D610: The perfect backup to the D750. The buttons are in the same place and the image quality is almost identical. Ergonomically it is not as good as the D750, but it is responsive, and accurate. Simply a great camera.
Lenses:
I have a lot of lenses for two reasons. First, they act as a backup to one another. If one lens goes down for any reason I have another one that can achieve a similar result. Second, as mentioned before, each lens can achieve a look and perform a task unique to itself.
Nikon 70-200mm f2.8 VR ii: The sneaky long range lens. This lens is full of magic fairy dust that make it focus in the blink of an eye and produce images sharper than any lens like it. Telephoto lenses are excellent for achieving a compressed look, meaning that the background and foreground get squeezed together. They also produce excellently blurred backgrounds and Bokeh. I believe every professional should have a lens in this range. It comes in handy for shots at a distance during the ceremony and reception.
Tamron 24-70mm f2.8 VC: If I had one lens it would be this. My only non Nikon lens. This lens is a jack of all trades sort of lens. It is great for situations where I need to change focal lengths often. It is particularly useful during cocktail hours for quick group photos and candids.
Nikon 16-35mm f4 VR: The dramatic crazy lens. This is my ultrawide angle zoom lens. I use this lens to capture epic wide shots. For shots where I want the landscape to be a major element of the scene the 16mm length is truly excellent. Having this lens let me get really crazy with awesome dancing pictures and dramatic portraits.
Nikon 105mm f2.8: The one trick pony. This lens gets used only once during every wedding day, but what it does is completely amazing. We use this lens for ring photos. Add a ring, and an interesting backdrop and we can create really interesting images.
Nikon 85mm f1.8G: The portrait master. This lens is both me and my wife’s favorite lens. It is SUPER sharp, and has the best bokeh of any Nikon lens out there. There is some magic to this lens, and it creates images that are almost 3D in nature. We use this for portraits, details, getting ready, and about everything else. Look for this on Tash’s camera as she is addicted. It is also one of Nikon’s excellent lightweight 1.8 glass which I am a huge fan of.
Nikon 50mm f1.8G: The mid range wonder. Everyone should have a 50mm. This focal length used to be the standard kit lens on every SLR film camera made before the 1990s. It is a great all-purpose lens which sometimes get lost in the middle. Some people find this lens boring as it produces images that are fairly similar to what are own eyes see. I find this lens excellent for full length portraits, details, and getting ready shots.
Nikon 35mm f1.8G: The newest addition. I recently picked up this lens out of curiosity. All of my photographer friends, mentors, and heroes use this lens almost exclusively (and I mean ALL). Until this year I didn’t know what the big deal was about the 35mm focal length. After using this lens for two weddings I now know what the big deal is. This lens forces the photographer to be part of the action. A shot taken with the 35mm lens from a distance is going to look very boring, uninvolved, and disconnected. However get closer to the subject and it transforms into a very personal and intimate photo. Over the past year one of my personal challenges has been to get closer to my subjects, and I think this lens is going to help greatly.
Lighting Gear:
I have a ton of lighting gear, enough that I feel confident I can overcome most any difficult lighting situation.
Flashpoint Streaklight 360: Powerful creativity in a compact form. This flash is 6 times more powerful than my other strobes. This makes it perfect for overpowering the sun for group portraits, and for lighting the dance floor during dances and toasts. During the reception it recycles at a very fast rate letting me keep up with the action.
Flashpoint Zoom R2 TTL Li-on: These strobes have replaced all of my Nikon flashes for two reasons. The built in Lithium battery allows me to shoot all day without changing batteries. Also the flash has a built in radio transmitter and receiver, meaning that I no longer have to carry separate flash triggers. All for 1/4 the price of a Nikon branded strobe.
Nikon SB-910: Nikon’s top of the line strobe. I’m keeping this for Tash to use during receptions. It is simple powerful, and excellent.
LED video light: A fun little tool which lets me create some fun lighting effects.
6 foot 5-1 reflector: (not pictured) My favorite lighting tool is also the cheapest. This 5 in 1 reflector lets me carry a HUGE light source wherever I go. Using the power of the sun I can light subjects with a lovely soft light. Unzip the cover and it can be used as a translucent screen which can block the sun while also diffusing it into a soft light source.
Backups:
One of the reasons I carry so much gear is that every piece of gear has a backup option. If one of my bodies goes down I have two more. If a lens breaks I have another with the same focal length which can achieve a similar look. A wedding day is a once in a lifetime event, with once in a lifetime moments. I wouldn’t trust anyone to shoot a wedding without a full compliment of backup equipment.
Well, thats it for now. Hope you enjoyed my nerdiness.