Wedding Gear

When it comes to shooting weddings what gear do you need?

In the Nikon world the standard wedding photographer’s kit goes like this:

• 12-24mm f/2.8
• 24-70mm f/2.8
• 70-200m f/2.8
• 105mm f/2.5 macro
• 35mm f/1.8
• 50mm f/1.4
• 85mm f/1.8
• two pro camera bodies
• one or two off-camera Nikon remote controlled flashes
• Repeat if needed for a second photographer

That’s it. That’s all you need and the price of all this goodness is well north of $10,000 and that’s another reason why you can’t be charging $2,000 per wedding. That’s a sure way of going broke.

Why the zooms?

First of all top-end zooms have gotten really really good. When I started shooting there were no zooms and then Nikon came out with a short zoom but optically it was pretty bad.

Also all these zooms have fixed aperture numbers when wide open. Cheaper amateur zooms will be marked with two aperture settings. One comes into play when the zoom is shot wide open and the other comes into play as the zoom is zoomed out. Manufacturers do this to be able to build a less expensive zoom but the cost reduction means the lens is physically not as robust.

But there’s a problem. As you zoom and the aperture is changing it changes the exposure and this is something wedding photographers can’t have happening when it’s essential that every frame look pretty close to the same when it comes to exposure and white balance.

Why the primes?

As good as zooms are primes are better and they’re faster meaning they can shoot without a flash in lesser lit situations and still produce professional quality results.

Why remote flashes?

Direct flash is a beauty killer. Harsh shadows and deep black backgrounds don’t say happy wedding day when it comes to photos. We’ll do a entire post on flashes and how to use them

Can I get away with less equipment?

Sure you can. One pro body and one 35mm f/2 lens and one 85mm f/1.8 would do the trick. You’d have to be good but it can be done. Remember back in the 50s a wedding photographer would show up with a 2 1/4″ black and white film camera and shoot 12 or 24 frames and then go home and everyone would be happy with the shots presented in the wedding album.