Ahhh G.A.S. ( Gear Acquisition Syndrome ) hahaha. Almost every photographer has it and it sticks around like a bad habit. The truth of the matter though is would you rather have someone with you who has one bag with everything they need or one with three giant pelican cases of stuff they’ll never use that slows them down?

Me personally? I’m the latter. On your wedding I need to be super mobile, have all the tools I need to do some kick ass stuff and then have a few ” in case shit happens ” items hahaha. Having a small footprint to me is huge. In all actuality if I really wanted to I could probably bring a backpack to weddings and still have everything I use. So what I really want to get into is MY FAVORITE GEAR. What is it that I bring along with me to create rad images, catch those kids being awesome and light up receptions the way I do? I’ll go over my current setup below so you can catch a glimpse into my world!

 

The Goods

 

CAMERAS. I’ve been through more than I want my wife to know HAHAHA. All jokes aside though when it comes to cameras there are so many to choose from. I’ve been with Nikon…well hell forever it seems. I moved on. I went over to Fuji for a little bit and although incredible it was still lacking in some areas I think were most important. Auto Focus. What to do huh? I ended up finding a nice little apartment with Canon and their R series.

LENS. Arguably the most expensive aspect of photography in general and key to MY FAVORITE GEAR. Having the right lens is crucial during a wedding so you don’t blow chunks haha. Throughout the years I’ve had too many to count and as the years progressed and I mastered my style I was able to eliminate the redundancies and ones that I couldn’t push. 11 years later and I have THREE core lenses that kick ass, give me exactly what I want and doesn’t slow me down from having to switch lenses and miss moments. Why have do I have only three? Because that’s all it takes to rock the spot! On a typical wedding day 90% of the time I’m using either a 35 1.4 or 85 1.4. Truly the only two pieces of glass you need to kick ass. In my bag there’s a 14mm ( for super wide shots ) and a 135F2 ( for when I’m in churches and what not ). Other then that not much else, all in a PEAK DESIGN MESSENGER nice and portable.

LIGHTS. Normally I bring 4 but only use 3. These are essential to over power the sun or add some great directional lighting during the reception. I don’t always use them but they are ready to go for when I need them. I use GODOX exclusively because I tend to trash my gear. They’re built good but affordable when I need to replace them. Right now I have 2 V860IIs, 2 V1s and an AD200. Easy peazy.

RANDOM SHIT. GOPro Hero5 Session for filming BTS when I remember too. Some prisms, batteries and SPIFF-Y LED bracelets. Everything fits in my bag. Ahh can’t forget my Holdfast MoneyMaker too.

SO! That’s about it for anyone who’s curious. I just thought I’d take this break to write randoms about MY FAVORITE GEAR and let you know what I bring to get my back during a wedding day. Everyone has their own cache of shit, this is mine.

 

 

While you’re here feel free to check out some of the other incredible weddings I’ve been a part of as well as advice you’ll need when debating that First Look!

May + Mike | FCC Los Angeles Wedding

First Looks. Traditional VS Modern and why you should always choose the latter.

Leslie + Vlad | El Encanto Santa Barbara Wedding

Ryan + Trent | El Matador Malibu Engagement

Emily + Joseph | Hacienda Heights Country Club Wedding

Gail + Brian | Figueroa Mountain Wedding

I want to tell YOUR story and be you’re NORTHRIDGE WEDDING PHOTOGRAPHER! Chat with me today to see if your date is still available!