I am soo incredibly happy that you’re here on my page and whatever season of life that you may be in with your business right now, I’m glad you are spending just a few moments of your time with me. I have been getting questions about what’s in my bag. But I first want to start out by saying that it isn’t the most important on your to do list to have the BEST of the BEST gear and equipment. Okay, I have seen plenty of photographers including myself produce images that would be deemed “professional” while using gear that is GREAT but not the BEST you can get! Always remember that it’s not always about WHAT you have – it’s about what you DO with it!
Don’t get me wrong I do firmly believe in investing in your business and in order to get better and grow as a business you’ll need to invest in the equipment and gear that you use. However, make sure it’s within your budget and you’re not going overboard with spending on things you don’t need at the moment. Also, I want to point out that I’m in no way saying that you NEED to have any or all of this equipment to properly run your photography biz! So please keep that in mind as you’re reading.
I bet none of you would believe me if I told you I shot my very FIRST wedding with a Canon Rebel t3i and you wanna know something? Those pictures still turned out great! While I’ve been building this business over the years I often would say hmm? I need something that would fix ( put problem here ) and that’s when I decided I needed to add certain gear to my collection.
So let’s get to the good stuff, shall we? Okay so I’m going to go through my Wedding Day Line Up! ( the gear that I use at every wedding ).
Canon 5d mk iii ( x 2 )
I honestly don’t even know where to begin with this guy because he is like my literal baby.. ( besides Liam, Of course! ) I have always wanted one of these since I started the photography business. I worked soo hard to save up all my money to help me purchase my very first PROFESSIONAL CAMERA… and then the same thing that always happens to me– they come out with a better version of the exact same thing I bought, LOL! isn’t that ironic..? Anyways, I loved them soo much I bought 2! I enjoy the dual card slots especially for weddings because you can never be too careful — this day only happens once! It’s incredibly nice to have a back up card that also stores the same files so that if one fails you aren’t out all those gorgeous images.. and technology now days is better than it was before with recovering services and etc. However, don’t take your chances. Definitely use the dual card slots if you have enough cards to spare!!
Cost Breakdown:
This doesn’t fit into your budget? You have another option!
CANON 6D
At a MUCH less expensive price, the 6D is also a full frame camera and offers exceptional low light recovery. The only negative, I would say, would be the lack of focus points and only one card slot. However, I highly recommend this one if you’re on a budget and you’ve been dying to upgrade to full frame!
Canon 85mm 1.8
I am obsessed with this lens, 90% of my wedding day portraits are shot with this lens.. Why you might ask? Well simply because of the creamy bokeh ( the blurred background ) I get with this lens is incredible!! A few downsides with this lens, however, is that you do have to stand a fair distance back if you want a full body to be in your frame, as well as that it can be a little slow to focus sometimes.
Used For:
Basically everything! I use this for engagement sessions, headshots, and almost all the portrait-related portions of a wedding day! If the ceremony space is big enough, I love using it for those as well!
Cost Breakdown:
Canon 50mm 1.4
This guy is considered my ” nifty-fifty” and I LOVE it! It’s my go-to for smaller spaces where my 85mm won’t cut it. And it’s generally on one of my cameras all day at weddings! I would say it’s definitely one of the most popular lenses in the photography industry for Canon users because of how versatile it is!
Used For:
This is another lens that I can use for generally anything! I tend to stick to my 85mm 1.8 for engagement sessions, but I keep this baby on my second camera ALL day at weddings! I use it for getting ready shots, large group shots, ceremonies, and I generally will use it for all the formal aspects of the reception!
Cost Breakdown:
My thoughts: I still adore the 50mm 1.4. It was my FIRST prime lens EVER! And it seriously was SUCH a game changer for me! Way back in the day, I was using primarily kit lenses but when I started learning more and more about photography, this was my first “fancy” lens purchase! I take the 50mm 1.4 on vacations, too, because it’s SO lightweight!
Sigma 35mm 1.4 ART
I would have to say that this is probably one of the most used lenses in the industry right now. Almost every single photographer that I know uses and SWEARS by this baby. And with good reason! It’s as sharp as a tack! I love that it’s a wider alternative to the 50mm but still offers the creamy bokeh! This was one of my most recent purchases ! I seriously am soo excited to use it for everything because it’s so versatile! However, the only negative that I’ve found is that it isn’t uncommon for this model to have issues back focusing (which is my problem with it right now!). But otherwise, I totally love and recommend it! Plus, the cost is amazing too! The canon version runs around $1200 so for the cost? Worth it!
Used for:
I am planning on using this lens for getting ready shots in super tight spaces! I also will use it for all those nice wide angle shots of reception details!
Cost Breakdown:
CANON 100MM F/2.8 MACRO
This lens is my absolute FAVORITE when it comes to detail shots – especially ring photos! I use this for ALL of my ring shots and my up close detail photos. The detail that it can capture is impeccable. I ended up purchasing the older version of this lens because of the price tag – I knew that I wanted to have a macro lens but the L version of this lens sits at about $900 and that just wasn’t in my budget! I ended up buying this used from another photographer and it works perfectly! From what I’ve read, you have to hold a little bit more still with this one but I’ve had no issues with that.
Used for:
Detail photos – jewelry, rings, bridal details.
Cost Breakdown:
Canon 24-105mm f4 L series
I would say that this is probably one of my least used lenses! Although the focal length variety is great – I’ve found that it’s fairly heavy and clunky. However, this is a priceless lens for me at wedding receptions! I love that I can get up-close shots as well as awesome wide shots all without having to change lenses! But it DEFINITELY gets a little heavy – especially if I have a flash on my camera too! I ended up going with the first version of this lens because of the cheaper price tag and although it can get a little bit shaky sometimes, it works great for what I need it to do!
Used for:
I almost only ever use it for wedding receptions and events!
Cost Breakdown:
NOT PICTURED:
Backup Cameras:
Flash Equipment:
Bags:
Kelly Moore “Libby 2.0 ” Camera Bag
Memory Cards:
Lexar Professional 64GB SD Card (X2)
Lexar Professional 64GB SF Card (X2)
SanDisk Extreme Pro 16GB SF Card (X8)
Various Brands/Sizes of SF Cards
Thank you guys for reading and I hope this helps you figure out which equipment you need or which ones you plan on buying in the future !!
The Guide
A lot of moving pieces go into planning a wedding day timeline and we know it's easy to feel like a hot mess! Grab our free guide to plan the perfect timeline for your day.
