Packing for out-of-state weddings is where travel logistics and paying clients collide, and sloppy planning can cost real money. When your cameras, clothes, and backup gear all have to survive flights, hotels, and wedding timelines, a solid packing system lets you focus on shooting instead of babysitting bags.
Coming to you from John Branch IV Photography, this practical video walks through a packing setup built around keeping every critical piece of camera gear on your body, not in checked luggage. Branch treats his HoldFast Gear Roamographer Camera Bag as non-negotiable carry-on and builds the rest of his travel around that rule. Inside the removable insert, he slots a pair of Fujifilm X-T5 bodies side by side so he can walk off the plane ready to shoot. He stacks an extra body like the Fujifilm X-S20 on top when he wants to film content or have a lightweight backup for casual shooting. The bag’s footprint still fits easily in an overhead bin or under the seat, so the setup stays airline friendly even when fully loaded.
On one side of the Roamographer, Branch lines up his core prime lenses for wedding work, keeping them in one compartment so he can grab focal lengths by feel instead of hunting through a maze of pockets. Flashes live in a dedicated section so they don’t crush the bodies or lenses, and a final pocket handles chargers, audio bits, extra batteries, and business cards. A harness rides on top of everything, because without that strap system, he can’t run two cameras all day the way he likes. Once he hits the hotel, the Roamographer becomes the staging station while smaller working bags and pouches take over for the actual wedding day. The whole idea is that if a checked bag disappears, he can still shoot the job with what is already on his shoulder.
Branch then switches to the rest of the travel puzzle, which is where his single-bag mindset kicks in. For clothes and non-critical items, he uses a suitcase-style backpack, which opens flat like a carry-on suitcase and expands from about 35 to 40 liters. He leans hard on included packing cubes, rolling shirts and packing socks and underwear so he can handle a short wedding weekend or a long trip out of the same bag. A small toiletry kit slots into the gaps, and a dedicated tech pouch keeps chargers, SSD, dock, and cables from turning into a tangle at the bottom of the bag. A compact setup built around an Apple iPad mini, Apple Pencil, and a small Logitech wireless mini keyboard replaces a full laptop, which keeps weight down while still letting you back up cards and handle client communication.
Where this gets interesting for your own travel is how modular he keeps everything. A little camera insert can drop into the clothing bag when there is extra space, turning it into a stealth camera backpack for trips that are more sightseeing than client work. Smaller items tuck into side pockets and only come out once you land. Business cards show up in every bag so you never get caught without them on a plane, in a lobby, or at a bar the night before a wedding. When a checked bag with light stands and larger accessories makes the trip, the system still falls back to a simple combo on the actual wedding day, and you are ready to work even if the airline loses everything else. Check out the video above for the full rundown from Branch.
1 Comment
Great Great info!!! Photographers have the great imagination and that makes one a problem solver!! To be not so obvious I am carrying a camera and lenses I have these small tear drop bags one side with camera and a lens he other side a pair of lenses, upfront pocket for a charger and inside pocket for batteries/camera and lens caps/ and maybe a filter. but one for day and another for night. the night I have also extra bag with a pano rig and of course a travel tripod. I do not fly just drive and all will fit under seats if going a long distance. Just an idea for walking around places.
In the 70's to 90's and some early 2000's with film and on Liberty in the Navy in the Med is was long walks or bus rides or some trains and back then it was that ole gym bag for Photo bags were dead giveaways or forgotten under your chair where you last ate (only once but went back only a few steps out the door).
It can be very hard for a December trip being a hunter with a rifle, and photo gear then add warm clothes.
You never know what you will see walking into the woods when going to a stand very early at first light! Or while at night at the Grand Canyon just walking by some critters, but beware of the big cats there are crossing for them!!!!
I did not have my camera and no one ever believes me but my wife was with me on Jekyll Island Ga. where there is no deer hunting so at night they are all over behind hotels or in neighborhoods. While Red bugging (an electric 4 wheel car) at night in a neighborhood we saw three Does looking in a window looking at a man watching TV - After that always had my camera with me.