It has been my experience as a wedding photographer that every wedding ceremony, reception, bridal, engagement, and day after wedding portrait session is unique. Each one will require a slightly different combination of camera equipment to photograph it properly. As a result, I use a variety of camera bags so I always have the camera equipment with me that I will need to consistently and reliably photograph beautiful pictures for my couples.
I personally use the fabulous Kelly Moore Classic camera bag when I shoot. Spacious and partitioned on the inside, I can easily fit my Nikon D700 with Nikon 50mm f/1.4 lens, my Nikon 24-70mm f/2.8 zoom lens, and a Nikon SB-700 Speedlight flash in it with room to spare. The quick open top with magnetic snaps now makes changing lenses during a wedding simple and the two outside pockets (also with magnetic snaps) hold extra batteries, filters, and memory cards. The large zipper pocket on the back is perfect for business cards or papers (or my iPad) and the pouch on the end is a super convenient place for my cell phone. The padded shoulder strap is comfortable and long enough to quickly swing the camera bag to either side for easy shooting.
I just love my Kelly Moore camera bag!
Kelly Moore Classic Camera Bag (Black):
Inside:
(1) Nikon D700*
(1) Nikon AF Micro Nikkor 105mm f/2.8G ED-IF AF-S VR Telephoto Lens
(1) Nikon AF-S Nikkor 24-70mm f/2.8G ED Zoom Lens*
(1) Nikon AF-S Nikkor 50mm f/1.4D Lens and HR-2 Rubber Lens Hood*
(1) Nikon AF Nikkor 16mm f/2.8D Fisheye Lens
(1) Nikon SB-700 Speedlight Flash*
(1) Nikon SW-14H Diffusion Dome*
(1) Nikon SZ-3FL Fluorescent Filter*
(1) Nikon SZ-3TN Incandescent Filter*
Outside Pockets:
(2) Lexar 16GB Professional UDMA 600x CompactFlash Card*
(2) Nikon EN-EL3e Li-ion Battery*
(1) ProMaster 1782 MC30 Nikon Cable Release*
(1) Tiffen 52mm Circular Polarizer Filter*
(2) Tiffen 52mm ND3 Neutral Density Filter*
(1) Tiffen 52mm ND6 Neutral Density Filter*
(1) Tiffen 52mm Closeup (+3) Filter*
(1) Tiffen 77mm Circular Polarizer Filter*
(2) Tiffen 77mm ND3 Neutral Density Filter*
(1) Tiffen 77mm ND6 Neutral Density Filter*
(1) Nikon AS19 Flash Stand*
(2) 8 AA Duracell 2450 mAh NiMH Rechargeable Batteries in Dot Line AA Battery Case*
Zipper Pocket:
Ballpoint Pen
Blank Contracts
Business Cards
Wedding/Reception Programs
I also use a Manfrotto Mono-Pod a lot of the time, but especially when I use my Nikon 70-200mm zoom lens. Just that little bit of added stability can be worth a full f stop at longer focal lengths.
(1) Nikon AF-S Nikkor 70-200mm f/2.8G ED VR II Zoom Lens
(1) Manfrotto Mono-Pod MM394*
*My husband photographs weddings with me and uses identical camera equipment
Backup Camera Equipment
One of the reasons my couples choose me is because they know I can be trusted to photograph the single most important day of their new married life together, and a critical part of building that trust is having backup camera equipment. This redundancy in camera equipment allows my clients to feel comfortable and confident that a mechanical failure will not spoil their special day.
I chose the Pelican PCS-181 for my backup camera and equipment storage because it is a well built, padded camera bag that protects everything. It is a roller bag, but is also light enough to hand carry when necessary.
Pelican PCS-181 Wheeled Camera Case:
(1) Nikon D90
(1) Nikon AF-S DX Nikkor 18-200mm f/3.5-5.6G ED VRII Zoom Lens
(4) Lexar 8GB Professional 133x SDHC Card
(1) Pelican 0910 Memory Card Case
(4) Nikon SB-600 Speedlight Flash
(1) ProMaster Flash Diffuser 4687
(1) Nikon SJ1 Flash Gel Set
(4) Nikon AS19 Flash Stand
(2) Nikon EN-EL3e Li-ion Battery
(2) Nikon MH18a Battery Charger
(2) 8 AA Duracell 2450 mAh NiMH Rechargeable Batteries in Dot Line AA Battery Case
(4) Kodak K2000 AA NiCad Battery Charger
(1) 8’ USB Cable for PC Tethered Shooting
(2) Op/Tech USA Rainsleeve/Flash
(1) Sunpak Lens Pen
Lighting
Available light can be a wedding photographer’s best friend or worst enemy. No two locations will ever have the exact same natural lighting conditions. Depending on the time of day, the lighting at most locations will change (many times quite dramatically) throughout the course of a day. Although I prefer to work with available light, I always have the necessary lighting equipment available to consistently and reliably photograph beautiful images under virtually any lighting conditions.
I chose the f.64 Light Stand/Tripod bag because it is made with a strong, water resistant polyester material that is tough enough to protect my equipment and it features a reinforced zipper.
f.64 Light Stand/Tripod Bag:
(1) 45“ Westcott White Umbrella with Removable Black Cover
(1) 45“ Westcott White Umbrella
(2) 32“ Westcott Silver Reflector Umbrella
(1) 32“ Westcott White Umbrella
(2) Gary Fong Clear Lightsphere II
(1) Lastolite A2412 Tri-Flash/Umbrella Bracket
(1) Smith-Victor Mini-Boom MB110 5.3’
(4) Manfrotto Flash/Umbrella Bracket
(2) Manfrotto Flash/Umbrella Bracket on Spring Clamp
(5) Smith-Victor RS8 8′ Light Stand
(2) Manfrotto Tripod
(1) Botero 5’ x 7’ Collapsible Background
(1) Fotodiox 42″ 5-in-1 Collapsible Reflector Black/White/Gold/Silver/Diffuser
I use a collapsible background when we setup the Wedding Portrait Booth at wedding receptions.
(3) SystemPRO 6440 10′ ProMaster Background Stand
(2) SystemPRO 6440 12′ ProMaster Background Support (for up to 24′ total width)
(2) 10’ x 24’ Chroma Key/Green Screen Muslin Background (Green)
(1) 10’ x 20’ Muslin Background (Gray)
(3) 5’ x 10’ Drape Panel (Black)
(12) Background Spring Clamp