Equipment

Camera Gear Travel Equipment Part 1

May 2 2019

After too many Instagram DMs to count I decided it was finally time to make a post of ALL of my camera gear and equipment Being a travel photographer my gear HAS to be strong in the case of it being dropped and hold up well through lots of different scenarios Everyone is different in their preferences of what they want and need depending on what you are shooting weddings headshots events etc and where you are shooting but I figured having a page to explore would be really beneficial

Disclaimer I have been investing in my business for years I did NOT buy all of this in one sitting I most certainly dont encourage buying something because someone else has it If you dont travel for photography a lot of this equipment isnt needed If you dont shoot weddings or low lighting a lot of this isnt needed I am a full time wedding photographer investing in my business means investing in my couples so I do buy the highest quality equipment because I am capturing moments that only happen once in a lifetime

I made a list to organize it into pieces but everything mentioned is linked below with a photo it is in the order of what I listed here Just click the photo to go to the storefront to purchase Here we go

Camera Equipment

Canon 5D Mark IV Canon 6D Canon 50mm f12 Canon 24 70mm f28 Canon 85mm f14 Canon 70 200mm f28 Sigma 105mm Canon Flashes x3 Canon Speedlite Transmitter Flash Stands x3 Flash Speedlite Mount the part that makes the stand adaptable for my flashes Gary Fong Speed Mount Light Sphere Neewer Reflector I very rarely use this Neewer Flash Box SanDisk Extreme CompactFlash Cards 32 64 128 multiple of each SanDisk Extreme SD Cards 32 64 multiple of each

Camera Accessories

Pelican 1510 Case This is carry on size fits in the bins on planes Pelican 1510 Case Lid Organizer If you are committing to a large pelican get the lid organizer I put my chargers batteries small accessories in the top to keep everything organized I dont suggest investing in this case without also buying the lid organizer dividers Pelican 1560 Padded Divider Set I couldnt find my exact divider set so I linked a 1510 case that has dividers like mine and the lid organizer in one purchase The foam is not a bad option but it limits you you have to cut the foam in the shape of your equipment I have bought new lenses and sold lenses since buying my case and I am glad I have dividers because I would hate not to be able to customize it Peak Design Everyday Backpack 30L Peak Design Clutch CL 2 Quick Attaching Hand Strap Pelican 0945 Compact Flash Memory Card Case Pelican 0915 Memory Card Case This one is for SD cards

Computers Accessories

Apple iMac Apple MacBook Pro Western Digital 4TB Passport Portable External Hard Drive I have multiple Unitek Card Reader Samsung Portable SSD T5 this is amazing for wedding days it is tiny and dont hold multiple weddings but it is fast so you can upload on site then transfer to your bigger hard drives after Pelican 1010 Micro Case Series For my small SSD external hard drive this wont fit a WD hard drive or normal size hard drive If you ever move your hard drive away from your computer even to a coffee shop you need a protective case around it Pelican 1040 Micro Case Series For my larger external hard drive this is the more standard size and fits two Western Digital Passport external hard drives in it

How I Travel

So this is important to me because I am extremely Type A which we all know clearly from this detailed post but also because I am kind of a crazy person about my equipment I dont want anything to happen to it and it is really important to me that I take good care of it So when I am flying I pack my laptop external hard drive SD card cases my SD cards NEVER leave me charger bag a book my planner wallet and headphones in backpack I pack ALL of my lenses in my pelican carry on case Yes all of those lenses fit in the pelican with the dividers My chargers batteries some styling goods and any small things flash mounts etc go in the lid organizer in my pelican My pelican is my carry on bag then my one personal item is my backpack

I fly the same airline every time so I do have status with them meaning I never check my equipment because I am one of the first to board I realize that not everyone has this privilege especially if you dont fly often I do have a lock for my pelican that I keep in my pelican at all times in the rare case that I have to check my carry on DO NOT give your camera equipment to be checked without locking your case or your bag My peak design backpack is the large version so it carries a ton of lens if they were to check my bag I would put as much equipment as possible into my backpack

I pack my flashes in my checked back as well as my styling kit and oh sht kit emergency things like bandaids bobby pins hairspray etc It would definitely suck if my bag got lost with my flashes but out of all the equipment I own my flashes are easiest to replace in a pinch

Also side rantif you follow me on Instagram you have heard the ranting and raging from me talking about airport workers or men who try to help me with my pelican case The reason I have help in quotations is because I have NEVER had someone handle my bag properly They dont realize how insanely heavy my case is so they end up tossing it to try to get momentum to put it in the bin or they almost drop it when taking it down Just this week I had to straight up yank my case away from a worker because he was trying to throw my case dont let anyone handle your bag It sounds dramatic but until you watch someone take thousands of dollars and slam it down you dont understand the heartbreak That is why I travel with everything in protective cases because things do get bumped or thrown around When someone asks if they can help with your bag say Thank you but I can get it

How I Shoot

On wedding days I have my 5D 50mm 85mm and 24 70mm in my backpack My SD card cases as well as batteries are in my backpack too I grab my 70 200mm for the ceremony and it does fit as well with all the other lenses it is just a very heavy lens so I usually only carry it when I know I need it My pelican stays close by at the venue incase I need to grab something from it As of right now I dont dual shoot I havent ever had a problem with switching lenses throughout the day and ceremony I havent found a dual strap that I love which is a big reason as well

At engagement or anniversary sessions I take my same backpack as before and then I also have a bag that I bring a blanket 6d incase anything happens to my 5D and my oh sht kit And any other goodies that I pack away for a specific session or couple to help their experience in front of the camera

This is an OVERLOAD of information but the wedding photography world can be a very isolating place it is hard to gain information because a lot of people see that as competition trying to steal knowledge But the reality is you could buy all this equipment and NOT book consistently not book your ideal client and not thrive Your equipment is your tool Your personality skills behind the camera creativity and editing style are your magic to having a successful business If you are interested in learning about my process of how I exceed my numbers every year and book my ideal clients on a consistent basis I do offer mentor programs You can head to my contact page if you are interested in hearing more about that experience

Here are the links to all of the equipment in the order listed above just click on the photo to look at the details purchase

Head to my next post to finish up the links