The Contents of my Camera Bag

In a few recent conversations with brides they all asked a similar question. What do you bring with you on a wedding day? The best way to describe this is to give you a full outline of the contents of my camera bag! I also bring a fun and calming personality but let’s stick with my gear for now. All of this equipment and other necessities come to every wedding with me wether it’s in Binghamton, Albany or anywhere else in the world!

Two camera bodies – I’ve heard horror stories of photographer’s not having a back up camera or sharing lenses and making the couple wait while they switch everything around. YIKES! Only having one camera body makes me super nervous so I’ll always have two cameras with me. I mainly shoot with a Canon 5D Mark IV and also use a Canon 5D Mark III.

4 different lenses – Each lens I own offers something a little different and I love variety! At every wedding I’ll have a 135mm, 85mm, 24-70mm and a 50mm macro. My top two are the 85mm and 135mm by far! They allow me to create the dreamiest photos for my clients.

One Flash – If I didn’t bring a flash, all of your photos during your reception would look quite terrible. This light is never harsh but brings light so all of the fun festivities can be remembered. I’m currently using a Profoto A1 as my main flash.

One Off Camera Flash – During the reception I love to add a little backlight! This off camera flash allows me to make this happen. It’s not intrusive in any way and makes all the photos during your reception have a wow factor! This light is usually a Profit B2 which syncs flawlessly with my A1 on camera flash.

Snacks – To me, snack are crucial to keep in my camera bag. On most wedding days I’ll skip lunch because I’m shooting and won’t eat again until dinner which is typically after 6pm. I also pack extra snacks for my couples too because I know they won’t have eaten for hours either and food is essential! Some granola bars or a protein cookie always do the trick!

Bridal Emergency Kit – This maybe be more important than my actual camera gear… just kidding! But in my opinion it’s super important. I’ve got everything from bandaids, a sewing kit, scissors, Advil, fashion tape, bobby pins, and boutonnière pins, amongst a bunch of other random things that I’ve come to find important. I once was shooting a wedding with another photographer and 4 groomsmen had buttons fall off of their jackets. I sat in the pew during family portraits and quickly sewed each button back on so they were all photo ready. You can never be too prepared right?

Lots of Memory Cards – On average I take roughly 3000 – 4000 high resolution photographs on a wedding day. That takes up quite a bit of space on my memory cards but I have plenty extra to keep shooting for the entire day!

Extra Batteries – Not only do I have extra batteries for my camera but I also have them for my flash and some AA and AAA batteries just in case!

Water – This is self explanatory but it’s in my camera bag so I thought it should be mentioned. Hydrating during a wedding is beyond important. I’ve been at two weddings where one of the bridal party members collapsed during the ceremony because it was super hot and they weren’t hydrated. My second shooter or assistant is always happy to run and grab water for my couples if needed!