I Need More Equipment

I am sorry but this is too funny and we see it almost daily.

Plus it’s a problem I’ve been seeing a lot of on FaceBook especially from people who are about to shoot their first wedding. It comes down to this….it’s not the camera.

Now don’t get me wrong and let’s use Nikon equipment as the example as it’s what I shot when I was shooting professionally for almost 60 years. For weddings where you’re getting paid to do the job you need two top-of-the-line bodies (likely $5,000 each) and then the standard wedding kit was a 12-24; 24-70; 70-200 all f/2.8 (a non-variable aperture is essential when shooting weddings) plus a really fast 35mm and a macro lens like the amazing 105mm (for the ring shot). Then you needed the biggest off camera flash you could afford and a softbox plus a second shooter was preferred.

So we’re talking an investment in your professional business of roughly $20,000. To make a measly $100,00 annually as a wedding photographer you had to shoot 50 weddings at $2,000 each or better still 25 weddings at $4,000 each. If you’re new and you don’t know what you’re doing or what your services are worth you’re not likely to charge enough to feed yourself and your family (and a business coach would be a great idea).

Now let’s talk equipment. Back 50 years ago your standard half-decent wedding photographer showed up at a your typical wedding with his 2 1/4 Hasselblad or Mamiya or Rolleiflex and shot two 12-frame rolls of black and white film and went home before the dancing started. One camera and one lens. Okay maybe two lenses but still.

My point is if you’re any good and by that I mean that you’ve RTFM and you’ve taken some lessons and maybe worked as the second shooter for a professional then you can shoot most weddings with an OM-1 and the 12-40 f/2.8 which is the 35mm equivalent of a 24 to 80 mm lens. Yes you’re going to have to hustle but it can be done. A flash with a flash modifier would be nice but you can get away without it.

So you don’t need better or more equipment. Didn’t say it wouldn’t be nice but you don’t need it. You don’t need dual card slots. You don’t need a wider lens (again would be nice but save up for it). And you don’t need something longer. Finally you don’t need to perfect but it helps to be good and lucky is a blessing.

At one of the several wedding photography workshops I attended after I retired from nearly 60 years of shooting professionally Joe Buissink, the LA celebrity wedding photographer (he shot J.Lo'[s wedding among others) showed us an image somewhat out of focus shot through a car’s back window of new bride her face buried in her new husband’s neck. It was the perfect shot that said everything about a young woman and her hopes for a new life with her young man and it wasn’t perfect.

Anybody could have shot it with 12-40mm lens (or a cheap 50mm f/1.4 for that matter) but they hadn’t. Joe did it. And all he needed was one camera with one lens and a great eye for photography.

It comes down to this: gear heads with great equipment rarely if ever shoot great images while artists with almost no equipment do.

Shooting a wedding is a sacred trust. Worry more about how you’re going to shoot rather than with what.

BTW if you Google Joe Buissink and tap on images his photo of the young couple is there.