The question comes up from time to time about what I have with me when I am shooting. It depends on what I am doing. But, typically, for a wedding, I use a Lowepro Pro Roller II for my bag. It’s great because it fits everything I need, and more. And, it rolls. This comes in handy. It also has a little thingy on the back to prop it up a bit, while you open it. Additionally, the whole inside just lifts out, and you can use it as a suitcase for personal travel.
Inside the bag is typically 2 camera bodies:
1D Mark II
5D
For lenses, I typically have the following with me:
16-35mm f/2.8 (great for receptions)
28-70mm f/2.8 (great all around everything lens)
70-200mm IS f/2.8 (great portrait lens)
15mm f/2.8 (reception and environmental lens)
24mm f/1.4 (reception and environmental lens)
35mm f/2.0 (receptions/getting ready lens)
50mm f/1.4 (great all around everything lens)
85mm f/1.2 (great for portraits)
100mm Macro f/2.8 (great for details)
Flash:
I am very simple in my use of flash. I try to use as little as possible because I think natural light is best. I typically carry 2 580EX’s, sometimes I have 1 or 2 550EX too if I anticipate a very dark reception. I will set the 580EX’s on opposite sides of the dance floor and they will fire remotely while my main flash is on my camera. This set up works very well, and as I blog further on this, someday, I’ll discuss it in more detail and provide methods that I find useful, along with examples of the nice effects of using this method. But, I would say that overall, I simply use a single flash on my camera and bouce light off the ceiling or walls, or whatever I can find to bounce from.
I also have a few doo-dads along with the flashes, such as my Canon remote trigger for the flashes in case I don’t want to use any on-camera flash, and I just want to fire the flashes remotely. I also have what is known as a Fong-Dong, or a lightsphere, which gives really nice light at certain times. I use the PJ one. I have one of these in my bag. I have a couple of other flash diffuers, and, that’s about it. I don’t use brackets, or too much fancy stuff.
I keep 2 cameras on me at all times, except at the reception. This is the time where I pretty much just use one camera and one lens, usually a prime lens. But, it depends on the venue, the type of wedding, and what is happening overall.
So, overall, compared to what I see other photographers do, I am pretty basic. I also have another thing I do for beach weddings. I do have a Think Tank Belt System that I use for beach wedding. About half of my weddings are on the beach. So, in that case, I have a bunch of pouches where my lenses, and all my other stuff goes, and I just have everything on me. This is very handy for beach wedding because nothing touches the sand. When I use to use my bag out on the sand, first of all, you can’t roll it, so I’d have to carry it, and that didn’t make me happy. Second of all, no matter how careful you are, sand gets in the bag if you open it. But, with the belt system, there’s no problem.
For my cards, I use the Pocket Rockets that Think Tank makes, and they stay in my pocket during the whole wedding until I get home. My cards NEVER leave my body…no matter what!
I also have a small bag that has a 20D, a 50mm f/1.8, a 28 f/2.8, and a 28-105mm 3.5 – 5.6 zoom, and a 580EX. This is an emergency bag that stays in the car. If my main bag gets swiped (in SoCal, this is likely), I will have the stuff I have on me at the time, and the stuff in my car.
I am insured for all my equipment (that’s another topic of discussion), so I am not worried about it much, but I want to be able to finish the wedding, should something happen.
That’s about it for now.
Cheers,
Jerry
