What equipment do I use, and why do I have so much?!
Pumpkins!!! Whooo! I couldn't resist using my little crochet pumpkins to decorate my flat-lay of my camera equipment. They are so cute! I made them myself from a super easy tutorial online and I really do love them.... not quite as much as I love my camera though!
Let me talk you through what's inside my camera bag and explain to you just why I have SO MUCH STUFF when I arrive at your wedding!
So, what exactly do we have here?
My main camera is the Sony A7ii. It's wonderful. I love, love, LOVE it. This is the camera in the top left photo. The camera looks very small here, especially with the 35mm lens on, and especially when comparing it to the camera in the right side photo. The photo quality of this little camera is so wonderful when paired with a prime lens. The lens that is on the camera in the photo is a 35mm. This is the lens I use for wide angle shots, such as the building and surrounding area where the wedding is taking place, or the reception room set up, or for large group shots, or for bride and groom photos where there is a fabulous sweeping landscape backdrop. The lens next to it is an 85mm. This is the lens I love for couples portraits. It creates gorgeous depth of field, giving a wonderfully blurry background, while the couple are in pin sharp focus. This is the lens I use when I'm trying to stay out of the way, or be sneaky! It allows me to stand further back, and so is good for capturing candid photos of guests during cocktail hour, without having to stand right next to them!
The photo on the right with the larger camera is my back up camera. It's also a Sony, and is just a few years older than the small A7ii. It takes a lovely photo too, and usually has a 50mm lens on it. Chances are you won't see it on your wedding day though, as I generally like to use the A7ii and switch between the two lenses on that one.
The photo below is of my camera flashes. I have two flashes, both Sony - you can tell I'm a Sony fan, right?! I like to use OFC which means Off Camera Flash, so I will have one of those flashes mounted on the top of my camera, and one mounted on the black stand in the photo below, with the white umbrella in front of it. The flash that is on my camera will be pointed at the ceiling, in order to bounce some lovely soft light onto whatever or whoever I am taking a photo of (e.g. the couple). If I pointed the flash directly at the couple, the flash would be quite harsh and create harsher shadows, which is why it is pointed at the ceiling instead. The flash on the light stand will be pointed directly at the couple, but from a side angle. The white umbrella diffuses the light and spreads it out, so that it is soft light, not harsh. The second flash is off to the side so that the flashes work together to give some depth to the photos. Just one flash from the front can make a photo look a bit flat, but having two flashes with one off to the side, gives some shadows that makes everyone and everything look a bit more 3D. I can change how strong the flash is that goes off, and this will depend on how dark the room is and the 'vibe' I want from the photos. For example, I would have the flashes on quite low if I just wanted to add a bit of extra light to a dark room, but still have the light look natural. I might turn the flashes up a notch for party dance floor lighting, as I wouldn't be worried about trying to create fake natural light, as it's generally dark outside by the time the party starts.
The photo at the bottom shows everything I carry with me on a wedding day, plus I also have with me ALL of the spare batteries, SD cards (absolutely LOADS!!!) and snacks (not pictured here but definitely included in my photography bag!) My kit even includes the grey background that everything is sitting on (I also have a white one), which is perfect for flat lays of wedding details - flowers, shoes, rings, etc. I have a lovely little kit with velvet ribbons of various colours and cute little accessories for flat-lays, like ring boxes, wax seals and silver keys. I also bring a sewing kit with me, which I have had to use more times than I can remember! I'm constantly restocking safety pins! I always have pens and plasters and various other useful things, as they can really take the stress out of the day on occasions.
So, there you have it, all of my camera equipment that I lug about in a huge bag at a wedding... minus the pumpkins!
