What’s in my gear bag.
I remember shooting my first wedding back in 2013 with my younger sister! It was for my best friend and college roommate. I was so nervous to take the leap from regular photo sessions to a WEDDING! What?! And, to be honest, I didn’t know my camera super well or have much confidence!
I researched the heck out of equipment, posing, etc. for wedding days! And the most important thing I came across was a blog post by Jasmine Star explaining EVERYTHING she brought to a wedding!
Now, if you are new to photography, you might realize that just starting out in the field is EXPENSIVE! It’s like you have to really be ALL IN to make those big purchases to get the desired effect you’re going for! This can be really deflating because when you’re starting out, you really don’t know which lenses you might like, or which flashes will work for your situation.
LENS RENTALS
Well my friend, I have a wonderful tool I’d like to share with you called LensRentals.com! I’ve used them MULTIPLE times over the years to test out lenses and even rent a backup camera body for wedding days (you do NOT want something to go wrong and be camera-less at a wedding!).
LensRentals.com makes it super slick to test out gear AND send it back when you’re done! They literally even include packaging tape with funny text on it! Haha.
If you are dabbling in photography (or if you’re a seasoned pro), click HERE to save money and really get a feel for which gear you like!
Okay, now on to my CURRENT wedding day gear list (I may make a small commission off some of these #ads). But this is legit my setup. Everything linked below!:
CAMERA BODIES
I ALWAYS bring 2 camera bodies with me! Currently, I use the Canon R6 and have my Canon R5 as my backup! I started out with a Canon 5D mark iii and just within the last 4 years upgraded to the mirrorless camera bodies! One thing I learned from a photographer a long time ago is that it doesn’t REALLY matter if you have the best and latest technology! What’s more important is that you have an understanding of how to use what you have and understand lighting!
LENSES
The lens that is on my camera about 70% of wedding days nowadays is the Canon RF28-70mm F2 L USM Lens. It is swoon worthy and highly versatile with its zoom function! I love that it goes all the way down to that 2.0 aperture! My sweet spot is 1.8, so this gets it close!
During the ceremony, I always whip out my Canon EF 70-200mm f/2.8L is II USM Telephoto Zoom Lens in order to get close-ups of the couple from far away. This is kindof a “paparazi” lens because it allows you to stay back out of the way, but still delivers those creamy images in great detail! Just like I was standing up front with them! Haha
Next up for bride and groom portraits (and sometimes individual wedding party shots with the bride and groom) is my silky smooth Canon 85 f1.2 L Lens. Okay, this one is great for 1-2 people, and the bokeh it creates is just. . .dreamy! This is one of my faves for senior portraits, as well.
My Canon EF 35mm f/1.4L II USM Lens is perfect for those editorial images. Anything candid, moving, emotional. Yeah. That’s the go-to.
And last but definitely not least: The Canon EF 100mm f/2.8L IS USM Macro Lens. Cue angel chorus. I use this guy at the very beginning of the wedding day for all the detail shots! It makes the ring images POP. And delivers that magazine-worthy quality! Then, I tuck it away for the rest of the day! But if you ask me, it is worth having in your line up!
I believe that is it for lenses that I bring! I do have some EF lenses and shoot on R cameras. If this is you, too, you will need to have a Canon EF-EOS R Mount Adapter (depends on which camera you own) for those EF lenses to fit onto your camera body!
Also, I have ordered many House of Flynn camera bags over the years because of the great quality! And this is my current fave: Evermore Bag. Not sponsored! Just love it!
LIGHTING
Up until this point, I have been using 2 Godox AD200 Pocket Flashes for family photos (when needed) and the reception! I usually (depending on the venue) set them up opposite each other and then stand at the 90° point between the two of them. Does that make sense? So, I pick one of the sides between the two lights and then sink back to create that 90 degree angle. Anyways, this is what I do and it works! And obviously, I’m moving around the whole time, so I’m getting different lighting effects, but I’ve loved it!
I just ordered the Lume Cube2 light kit and am going to try those out at my wedding this weekend! I’ll update!
I also ordered the Lume Cube Panel Pro 2.0! I got this specifically for sparkler exits! The continuous light is essential for your camera to be able to focus in the dark while moving! This ensures you get crisp sparkler ext images!
That is all for now! I have more equipment, but holy cow! This got real long real fast! Haha If you have any questions, please comment! Thanks for being here and good luck to you on your photography journey!