Wedding photography gear list you should know when you are getting into the wedding business. Do your homework and check what photographers use.
Wedding photography gear and equipment can seem like a daunting list to create. You need to pay attention to what type of lenses you’re using, your camera, and the environment you’ll be shooting in. For example, with different types of light there’s different equipment that is required.
When you read my enthusiastic tone: When it comes to getting great, professional-quality photos, there’s a lot that goes into choosing the right wedding photography equipment. And I’m not just talking about having the newest camera from Nikon or Canon. There’s so much out there in the market when it comes to cameras, lenses, tripods and accessories for taking photos for your wedding. But if you’re not sure about what you need and what’s best for your situation, don’t worry. During this post you’ll learn everything you need to know about the essentials of getting started as a professional wedding photographer. Let’s start with selecting an appropriate wedding photography camera body — which is arguably THE MOST IMPORTANT decision to make (along with choosing the right lens).
Wedding photography equipment checklist pdf
Pre wedding photography equipment: Hiring a competent wedding photographer is one of the most important parts when getting married. One of the pitfalls in picking an inexperienced wedding photographer is that they do not have access to the best gear.
Having professional photography gear is not just required for wedding photographers. It will also come in handy for other kinds of photography, like weddings, concerts, plays and corporate events. The great news is that you do not have to spend a fortune to acquire good photography gear. There is more than enough budget-friendly gear available in the market today. You can find solid, reliable products at reasonable prices.
I’m sure most of you have dreamt of your wedding day since childhood. For some, the only thing that has changed is the venue, other may have added a spouse and some kids to the mix! Regardless of such changes to our lives, most of us still want a photographer to capture our big day in an impactful and timeless way.
Pre wedding photography equipment
Weddings are vibrant and full of emotions, making it all too easy to have a purely romantic view of the day. For the couple and guests, that is very true. However, if you are a supplier on the day, it can be a very different experience. All the more if you are the wedding photographer! The pressure is on, and you have a huge responsibility to capture the day.
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With great designs, high quality, and affordability, we offer the one lens for wedding photography anywhere in the world. There are many different designs available for wedding photography. The official solaroid energy website is a great resource for finding the prime lenses for wedding photography. The wedding photography we offer is among the most popular on the market. For more information on wedding photography equipment checklist pdf, visit our site. Choose from various designs of camera for wedding photography available right now. Choose now!
When you first begin photographing weddings, it is important to have a love for weddings and a connection to the occasion. If you hate weddings – which some people do – I suggest you steer clear of wedding photography. It is also beneficial to have a creative eye. If you lack both, it will be apparent on the images you capture.
When starting as a wedding photographer, it is quite understandable that you may not have the full arsenal of cameras, lenses, flashes, etc. Often we start with only the basic equipment in our bag and plenty of creativity (and for some, a healthy dose of confidence).
If you are considering being a wedding photographer and exploring what you can achieve with a basic kit, then this article is for you. These are also just my suggestions. I do not assume that you could not become a competent wedding photographer otherwise.
1. Camera
A full-frame professional camera is ideal, but if you only have a crop-sensor camera, there’s no reason you can’t shoot a wedding. The main impact of this would be the lenses. Unless it is a dedicated crop-sensor lens, a crop-sensor only uses a section of the lens, causing some loss in light and sensor use.
Newer cameras are equipped with better technology to handle noise, especially in low-light conditions. This technology is crucial because regardless of season, weddings will always involve low-light. Often very little natural light. The pixel size of images from newer cameras is also generally larger allowing more room for adjustments like cropping. It also allows better enlargements of your photographs in print. 24MP is now average for a newer camera whereas it was around 12MP 10-years ago.
2. Lenses
I feel lenses are a must. If you want to shoot weddings, at least have the 50mm or 35mm prime lens. They open to larger apertures than the kit lenses (the ones that come with the camera body). A maximum aperture of f/1.8 will do, but even better is f/1.4 and f/1.2. However, these lenses can be pricey though. If you tend not to use a flash unit, the advantage of these lenses is made clear.
A zoom lens is a massive help when capturing unfolding events during a wedding day. You don’t have to zoom with your feet as you do with a prime lens. In my opinion, you can get away with using a zoom kit lens for candid captures and don’t have to shell out for a pricey f/2.8 zoom when starting out. I must also add that these f/2.8 zooms are amazing pieces of glass and are worth the investment if you can afford it.
Top tip: Use a hood or a UV filter on your lens to protect it from knocks and breakage. Some people say filters affect the sharpness. That may be so, but I’d rather have an intact lens and a 99% sharp photo than a broken lens and a 100% sharp photo. The difference is pixel-peeping minuscule.
3. Flash Gun
Many people call themselves a natural light photographer. There is nothing wrong with that. However, if you want to shoot weddings, I encourage you to be open-minded and explore the possibility of learning to use flash. Weddings, especially evening receptions can be notoriously dark and having a flash gun will serve you well.
Top tip: Use a diffuser or bounce card.
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4. Memory Cards, Spare Batteries, Remote Triggers or Transceivers (If You Use Off-Camera Flash)
These are self-explanatory. Have spares and spares of spares!
5. Backup Equipment
If you have to borrow extra equipment for back-up, do so. You never know when something will unexpectedly pack-up! When I shot my first wedding, I owned one camera body (a crop-sensor), and I borrowed my sister-in-law’s camera, just in case. I didn’t use it but having it with me gave me peace of mind.
6. Other Helpful Equipment But Non-Essentials
The following can come in handy but in my opinion, you can do without them:
Grey card – You shoot at a fast pace in various lighting scenarios during a wedding – indoors, outdoors, tungsten, LED, natural lights, etc. It would be crazy to use a grey card every time you moved! You can shoot in Kelvin or use Auto White Balance. The important thing is that you shoot in Raw so you can adjust the white balance in post.
Reflector – I used to carry a reflector when I first started, but now I take my flash guns instead. And I never go without at least two of them! But a reflector is handy. Because I don’t carry one with me most of the time now, when I shoot small details, I use a small piece of white card or anything white that may be handy.
Tripod – I never carry a tripod as I find it too cumbersome and heavy! But you’d never see me cover a wedding without a monopod. They are easier to lug around!
7. Non-Essentials That Add Value to Your Service
Brides are often grateful when you magically produce things that they did not expect you to have. For instance, bobby pins, hair grips, scissors, or tissues. Likewise, if you help in other ways when you can, for example, putting the buttonholes on, helping with jewelry, etc. As they say, it’s in the little things.
Lastly, invest in a good, well-padded camera bag. Your equipment will love being in it!
You can read more about lenses for wedding photography in an more exhaustive article I have written here.
I hope you found this article helpful and I wish you the best in your journey as a wedding photographer! Do share your thoughts or any equipment you may want to add in the comments below!
Basic Knowledge for Pre-Wedding Photography Start-ups
Pre-wedding photography is one of the commonly known forms of photography with a good business prospect. Its popularity has spread across the world, including Indonesia. Here are some points to factor in before starting this business:
1. Photography equipment
2. Production costs
3. Ideas
4. Updates
5. Ego
6. Supporting aspects
7. Promotions
EF50mm f/1.8 STM; 50mm; f/2.8; 1/250sec; ISO-800
Photography Equipment
One question that often comes up: do we have to use expensive equipment? The answer is no, it’s not necessary. Because equipment will follow the needs and expenses. Here is an example of basic equipments:
1. DSLR or Mirrorless camera
2. Supporting accessories: Flash light / Mobile Light, Trigger, Flash light Stand, Reflector, Tripod etc.
All these equipments are not necessary to be used all at once, depending on the situation. My current equipments are: DSLR Canon EOS 6D, Mirrorless camera EOS M3, EF35mm lens, EF50mm lens, EF24-70mm lens, Flash 600EX, etc.
Familiarise with the basic of photography concept: In Focus: Camera Basics
Learn more about how to use EOS-M: Basic Settings and Tips for Your EOS-M
Find out what kind of tripod that fits your need: How to Find the Right Tripod for Your Photography
EF-S10-22mm f/3.5-4.5 USM; 18mm; f/10; 1/500 sec; ISO-400
Production Costs
For those who want to start their business in pre-wedding and wedding photography, there are a few basic expenses to cover:
– Photographer’s Fee: we may set prices based on the skills, service, results, and experience.
– Crew’s Fee: in some occasions, we may need a crew/other support. The crew’s expenses are also based on skills and time.
– Rental Equipment Cost: this is a very important part because we have to maintain our equipment. The estimated price for this will be about 5%-10% of total equipment price used during a pre-wedding session.
– Printing Cost: this depends on the requests and medium, from printing to framing and photo album, etc.
– Operational Fee: this fee covers meals, transportation, and even accommodation costs if the project extends overnight. If this expenditure is not covered by client, we can factor it into operational cost based on the needs during photo session. If we run a studio/office, we should include that in the operational fees too.
EOS 5D Mark II; EF28-135mm f/3.5-5.6 IS USM; 95mm, f/8; 1/640 sec; ISO-200
Ideas
We should have thoughts on where we can shoot and the style of picture that best suits the setting. To anticipate this, we may start by surveying the place. Planning will make our processes easier and faster than deciding on the spot during the photoshoot.
EF-S10-22mm f/3.5-4.5 USM; 22mm; f/5.6; 1/60 sec; ISO-400
Update
As a photographer, we have to find more references and refresh our knowledge on trending styles and news within the industry. This will keep us up to date and relevant for better growth.
EF-S10-22mm f/3.5-4.5 USM; 10mm, f/8; 1/200 sec; ISO-100
Ego
This is an important point to note. Though we have our own preferences, we are engaged by our clients to fulfill their requirements. It would be useful to share inputs and suggestions but there is no room to impose our personal ideas on the work. Our clients may request against our recommendations, but our main goal is to satisfy them. This is part of being a professional photographer.
Supporting factors
Costumes, wardrobes, properties, and photo spots are supporting factors that can elevate the quality of the pictures. Be sure to consider them before every shoot.
EF-M22mm f/2.0 STM; 22mm; f/8; 1/10 sec; ISO-1600
Promotion
Expanding the network through promotions is an important element to the business. All of the promotional costs can be allocated by including them in the other costs mentioned above.
EF-S10-22mm f/3.5-4.5 USM; 18mm; f/5.6; 1/160 sec; ISO-400
These are just some basic pointers for starting a pre-wedding photography business. As with every business, we must be persistent and never give up. There’s no need to be afraid of the competitions. What matters is the trust we get from clients every time we produce satisfactory and professional services.
