We asked our wedding photographers in the rental department what they bring in their bags when they shoot a wedding, and here is what we found.
A great camera to use as your main camera body is the Canon 1D X, with a Canon 5D Mark III as a back-up. The 1D X is great for the fast-moving moments of the wedding. From the walk down the aisle to the kiss to the dancing, the fast frames per second (FPS) allows you to capture subtleties that you may miss while shooting a single frame at a time. The fantastic video quality on the 5D Mark III makes this camera a worthy companion (if you're asked to shoot a bit of video for the wedding as well). Fast, easy, and compatible lenses!
Bring a nice assortment of lenses, including a 24-70mm, 70-200mm, 100mm macro, and 35mm. Whether its a wide angle shot of the bridal party or a close up of the wedding rings, a variety allows you to shoot anything; never limit yourself.
With the lenses and camera body, our shooters also packed a 600EX-RT flash, a Gary Fong diffuser and a small Speedlite soft box, which allows you to create softer lighting when there isn't a ton of light available.
As with any shoot, there are always extras you'll need to bring with you. Carry lots of batteries! Camera batteries and charger, AA batteries for your flash, the charger for you laptop, etc. Bring all of them. Bring a lot of storage, both in memory cards and external hard drives. Especially if you have a second shooter, or an assistant, with you, download the images and back them up throughout the day, that way nothing gets lost.
Speaking of an assistant, bring one of those, too! It doesn't hurt to have someone there with you. Whether they're setting up lights, shooting along side you, or just carrying your stuff, having another person there to help you is worth it, both in cost and lack of headaches. But, please, don't put them in your bag. That's just cruel.
If you're interested in renting any of this gear for your next shoot, here is some pricing for you estimate (all prices are for a 1-day rental):
Canon 1D X: $195
Canon 5D Mark III: $135
Canon EF 24-70mm f/2.8 II USM: $45
Canon EF 70-200mm f/2.8L USM: $40
Canon EF 100mm f/2.8L IS Macro: $35
Canon EF 35mm f/1.4L USM: $35
Canon 600EX-RT: 30
Gary Fong: $6
Speedlite Softbox: $10
Do you bring different equipment with you when you shoot a wedding? We want to hear about it! Leave your list in the comments section, and you could be our next "What Should You Bring to a ______ Shoot" blog post!
