I frequently get “what do YOU use?” questions: “What camera do you use?”, “Are you a Nikon guy or Canon guy?”, “What lenses do you use for weddings?”, “What kind of lighting do you have?”, etc. Well, here’s your answer. What’s in my bag? …too much stuff, but I love it all.
Cameras
- Nikon D3s. My main camera. My baby. I LOVE this camera.
- Nikon D700. Amanda’s camera and/or my backup camera. Also fantastic.
Lenses
- Nikon 35mm f/1.4G. Used for getting-ready photos, group portraits, etc.
- Nikon 50mm f/1.4G. I use this lens a ton. Sharp and fast.
- Nikon 85mm f/1.4G. I LOVE this lens. Sharp, fast, and creates awesome bokeh (background blur).
- Nikon 105mm f/2.8 VR Micro. Macro lens used mostly for wedding details and rings.
- Nikon 14-24mm f/2.8. Super-wide lens used mostly when I travel, wide church shots, and during wedding receptions.
- Nikon 24-70mm f/2.8. I use this lens the most after the 50mm. Sharp, fast, and a great versatile zoom range.
- Nikon 70-200 f/2.8 VRII. Great for wedding ceremonies or to really throw the background out of focus for portraits.
Lighting
- Nikon SB-900 Speedlight Flash (x2). My on-camera, TTL flashes.
- Yongnuo YN-560 Speedlight Flash (x2). My workhorse, off-camera flashes.
- Paul C. Buff Einstein E640. Studio monolight, used rarely for studio stuff or where I need a ton-o-light.
- Paul C. Buff Cybersync CST Trigger Transmitter (x2). For firing my flashes off-camera.
- Paul C. Buff Cybersync CSRB Receiver (x3). For firing my flashes off-camera.
- CheetahStand C8 Light Stand.
- CheetaStand C12 Light Stand.
- Manfrotto 5001B 74-Inch Nano Stand.
- FlashZebra Deluxe Umbrella Adapter with Clamp Style Shoe.
- Manfrotto 026 Swivel Lite-Tite Umbrella Adapter.
- Stroboframe Bracket Shoe Mount.
- Demb Classic Flip-It!.
- Westcott Apollo 28″ Softbox. Used for newborn shoots.
- Westcott 60″ Optical White Satin Umbrella. Used mostly for formal photos during a wedding.
- Westcott 43 Optical White Satin Collapsible Umbrella. Used mostly for newborn and baby portrait sessions, or off-camera lighting during wedding portraits.
- Westcott 2002 43in. Soft Silver Collapsible Umbrella. Never use this; probably should though.
Bags
- Think Tank ~ Airport International V2.0. I LOVE this bag. Sturdy, safe, and fits a ton.
- Domke F-2 Original. Used mostly for on-location newborn or baby portraits.
- Shootsac. Used at every wedding and engagement session. A must-have bag.
- Hakuba PSTC200 Tripod Carrying Case. Used to carry my light stands and umbrellas.
Accessories
- Sunpak Pro 423PX Pistol-Grip Tripod. Rarely used, but great when I need it.
- Benro TRA169 Travel Angel Tripod. My travel tripod. Folds up small.
- B+W 77mm Slim UV Haze MRC #010 Filters (on most lenses).
- A bunch of Compact Flash cards in multiple capacities from Lexar, Transcend, and SanDisk.
- A bunch of Powerex 2700 and Sanyo Eneloop AA batteries.
- 43” Reflector. Hardly ever use; I should probably use this more too…
Hardware & Software
- Apple 27” iMac mid-2011 w/ 32GB RAM. My other baby. Best PC ever.
- Drobo S. Holds an insane amount-o-stuff.
- Iomega UltraMax Plus 4TB External Hard Drive. Holds more stuff.
- Western Digital My Book Studio II 2TB (x2). Holds even more stuff.
- Adobe Photoshop CS6. A must-have.
- Adobe Photoshop Lightroom 4. Another must-have.
