Essential Wedding Photo Gear: What's In Your Bag?

The wedding industry is a monster of a consumer industry and when it comes to photography, there are plenty of items out there marketed towards the needy wedding photographer. Phil and Sara of PS Photo Stuff dive into their wedding photography kits to give you a candid look at the gear they find most useful when shooting weddings. Perhaps your wedding photography kit looks similar.

When I first began shooting weddings, I was very much focused on the gear I was using and was suffering from the dreaded GAS (Gear Acquisition Syndrome) greatly.  Over the course of about a year or two, I had accumulated a decent collection of equipment – a good amount of which is left in the studio to collect dust these days. Had I known I didn’t need to buy into every gimmicky and trendy piece of equipment that I saw whoever the up and coming Instagram success of the time using, maybe I would have focused less on my equipment and more on enjoying the images I was capturing with what I had.

Phil and Sara from PS Photo Stuff give a candid look into their personal wedding photography arsenal, which you may find helpful if you’re putting together a wedding photography kit of your own. In the short video the two reveal their cameras and lenses of choice, as well as the flashes and other off camera lighting they use.

Have you been shooting weddings for long? How would you describe the evolution of your wedding photography kit? Share in the comments below.

Dusty Wooddell's picture

Dusty Wooddell is a professional photographer based in the Southwestern United States. Self-proclaimed thinker, opportunity seeker, picky eater, observer of things.

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12 Comments

Very good; antlers made me chuckle :-)

I enjoy their sense of humor

Hahaha, They are Cool

I shot a wedding for a friend with a Nikon D750 , speed light SB-800 , Tamron 24-70 , 70-200 (didn't use at all) and a Sigma 85mm 1.4. I created the magic on lighrtoom , the gear just gets you the shot. Would have loved a prime 24mm

Dear God save me from the new hipster insufferable photographers

When you try so hard to be funny; you’re hardly funny.

A couple of years ago I had worked my kit up to the size of these guys and then crested that hill and worked myself back down to now just 2 bodies (Nikon D750's), 2 lenses (Sigma 35mm Art and Nikon 105mm F/1.4), and 2 flashes with triggers (Nikon SB910's with Yungnuo triggers). I also carry a multi tool knife thingy but cant remember the make or model. But yes to the water and snacks, if you don't have room drop a lens out of your kit for that water bottle. I also carry a first aid and snake bite kit in my car cause is Australia, never had to use it though.

Like you, I don't use a lot of material on the wedding day
"juste" one 5D mk III with 35mm 1.4 and one 5D mk III with 85mm 1.2
And un first aid but without snake bite kit ;-) i live in the french Alpes there is just one "dangerous" snake

I've been shooting weddings since 2011 as a side hustle. 2011-2015 were my most active years, then I went back to school in 2016 and have only been able to shoot weddings between June and August. My equipment is older, but very well taken care of and reliable.

I started off with a Nikon D300, a Nikkor 50mm f/1.8, Nikon SB600 and worked as an assistant for a full-time wedding photographer who used Canon equipment, so I had to become very familiar with the 5D, 5D mk II, 40D, all of the L-series lenses from zooms to primes, and Paul Buff lighting.

My own personal equipment grew from the Nikon D300 to include:

Pelican 1510 holds:

D700
D300 (2)
11-16mm 2.8 (Tokina)
28-70mm 2.8 AF-S (Nikkor)
35mm 1.8 AF-S DX (Nikkor)
50mm 1.4 AF-D (Nikkor)
85mm f/1.8 AF-D (Nikkor)
80-200mm 2.8 AF (Nikkor)
132 GB of CF cards

Tamrac 757 PhotoPack holds:

MB-D10
PW FlexTT5 (2)
PW Plus X
SB-700
LumoPro 160
Neweer 160 LED lights (2)
Vivitar FCNIK Flash Cord
RPS Studio RS-3500 mini soft box diffuser
asstd. PocketWizard cables (sync, 10-pin camera trigger, etc.)
12 EN-EL3e batteries & charger
50 Sanyo Eneloop batteries
pens, white index cards, gray card, Eyelead sensor gel stick, lens cloth, Leatherman multi-tool, rubber bands, business cards, precision screw drivers

SKB 2SKB rolling golf case holds:

Vagabond mini w/VLM bracket
Manfrotto Super Clamp
50" Softlighter II (2)
86" white PLM w/ back
48" umbrella (2)
Light Gear USA 13ft stand (2)
Manfrotto light weight 8ft stand (2)
Manfrotto aluminum legs w/ 322RC2 head
regular umbrella in case it rains
150 ft. of heavy-duty extension cords

Paul C. Buff cases hold:
B800
ABR800

I don't take all of this stuff with me anymore when I shoot a wedding. Just a D300, D700, the lenses, the SB700, the LP-160, a tripod, a Manfrotto light stand, 36" reflector, and the Leatherman. I take more when I'm doing portraits, like the Alienbees/ring flash & Vagabond-mini..

!

Many years ago, I photographed some sleet and snow falling at night. I used my Sunpak 522 flash and when I took the photo, I killed the street light for a while.

Great article really informative as a wedding photographer I would say that it is important to have your essentials while you are going to cover some wedding shoot.Thanks for Sharing.
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