Just how do I carry all the gear for a wedding?
Well, I have a huge hardshell Pelican camera case with me which stores a lot of accessories, lenses, cameras, flashes and other things I need for the day. But I also carry a lot of the gear on my body as well.
I use a Lowepro Belt System which straps onto my waist and is supported by a shoulder harness. Yes, I look alot like someone on the SWAT team when you first see me! I'm usually dressed in a black shirt with black pants and black shoes. The only thing I'm missing is perhaps some black face paint for camouflage! Actually, I've had a lot of people comment on how impressive it is to see someone who takes his work so seriously. Really, to move quickly and have access to all the lenses necessary to get the best shots at weddings, you need to have them at hand at all times. This means you either have to have an assistant follow you with every step you take while carrying your gear, or you do what I do... carry it yourself.
I usually do not use assistants at weddings because I find that they are often in my way and sometimes get in my shots! So I decided it was best to deal with carrying my gear by myself. I have covered very large weddings myself by carrying my own gear all day.
The belt system you see on the second photo shows my lens cases. I usually have the following gear on me at all times:
Fuji S5 Pro camera with Nikon MB-D200 grip and Newton Bracket
Nikon SB-800 flash with Lightsphere Cloud Diffuser
Nikon 17-55mm f 2.8 DX lens
Nikon 70-200mm f2.8 VR lens
Nikon 12-24mm f4.0 DX lens
Nikon 10.5mm f 2.8 DX lens
20 GB of Compact Flash memory cards
Black Box battery pack
Water Bottle
Various accessories
Well, I have a huge hardshell Pelican camera case with me which stores a lot of accessories, lenses, cameras, flashes and other things I need for the day. But I also carry a lot of the gear on my body as well.
I use a Lowepro Belt System which straps onto my waist and is supported by a shoulder harness. Yes, I look alot like someone on the SWAT team when you first see me! I'm usually dressed in a black shirt with black pants and black shoes. The only thing I'm missing is perhaps some black face paint for camouflage! Actually, I've had a lot of people comment on how impressive it is to see someone who takes his work so seriously. Really, to move quickly and have access to all the lenses necessary to get the best shots at weddings, you need to have them at hand at all times. This means you either have to have an assistant follow you with every step you take while carrying your gear, or you do what I do... carry it yourself.
I usually do not use assistants at weddings because I find that they are often in my way and sometimes get in my shots! So I decided it was best to deal with carrying my gear by myself. I have covered very large weddings myself by carrying my own gear all day.
The belt system you see on the second photo shows my lens cases. I usually have the following gear on me at all times:
Fuji S5 Pro camera with Nikon MB-D200 grip and Newton Bracket
Nikon SB-800 flash with Lightsphere Cloud Diffuser
Nikon 17-55mm f 2.8 DX lens
Nikon 70-200mm f2.8 VR lens
Nikon 12-24mm f4.0 DX lens
Nikon 10.5mm f 2.8 DX lens
20 GB of Compact Flash memory cards
Black Box battery pack
Water Bottle
Various accessories
All other lenses and cameras stay in the Pelican case until needed
The middle photo (borrowed from Lowepro's website) shows the shoulder harness on the belt. That's a very minimal belt setup compared to mine on the bottom image!
Since using the belt system about 1.5 years ago, I have been able to work a lot faster and more accurately. My ability to capture the right moments at a wedding has gotten faster. All this gear is very heavy. The belt system when fully loaded weighs 15 lbs. The camera / flash carried in my hand or strapped over my neck weighs just under 8 lbs. So in total, I am carrying 23 lbs of gear on me at all times, all day long.
Who said it was easy to be a wedding photographer?
The middle photo (borrowed from Lowepro's website) shows the shoulder harness on the belt. That's a very minimal belt setup compared to mine on the bottom image!
Since using the belt system about 1.5 years ago, I have been able to work a lot faster and more accurately. My ability to capture the right moments at a wedding has gotten faster. All this gear is very heavy. The belt system when fully loaded weighs 15 lbs. The camera / flash carried in my hand or strapped over my neck weighs just under 8 lbs. So in total, I am carrying 23 lbs of gear on me at all times, all day long.
Who said it was easy to be a wedding photographer?
2 comments:
I am confused,
You say you carry the lightsphere but then at the bottom you say the diffuser in the photo is a Demb?
Do you use both? If so which one do yo like best.
Also why did you choose the Lowepro over say a Think tank.
How do you like the Black box?
P.S. I like your setup. very sweet.
Robert:
Thanks for your comment.
To answer your questions, I usually use the Lightsphere Cloud for many of my images at weddings, but I do have other diffusers as well. In fact, I've gone through more diffusers and light modifiers than probably most photographers!
I've used or owned:
Lumiquest Pocket Bouncer
Lumiquest Midi Bouncer
Lumiquest Soft Box
Lumiquest 80-20 (Pro Max System)
Westcott Micro Apollo
Lightsphere II
Lightsphere PJ
Lightsphere Cloud
Demb Flip-It Pro
Stofen Omnibounce
And probably a bunch more I can't recall!
Of all the diffusers I've tried so far, I think I like the Lightsphere Cloud system the best. There are advantages with the other diffusers though, so not all things can be fixed with just one type. But the Lightsphere is probably the most consistent for me.
As for the Lowepro vs Think Tank, well, check out my last name! :)
Actually, the Think Tank is a fine system. But I've been a Lowepro user for a long time and I'm just used to it.
The Black Box is a great battery for the price. It is not designed to recycle fast, but rather it's designed for lots of consistent flashes. I can easily get about 700 shots per battery. I bring three of these batteries with me to each wedding. You could actually make these batteries yourself though. It's a standard lead-acid battery that you can actually buy on the internet for about $4.95! Put it into a box and wire it up and I'll bet you can make one for well under $30. But I don't have time to deal with that and so I opt to buy mine from Al Jacobson who makes the Black Box. He's a great guy and really knows his stuff when it comes to batteries. I think he makes a great product for a fair price. But it could be done for a lot less if you want to make your own.
Thanks again for your comment.
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