People sometimes ask me about equipment: “What camera do you use?” “What lenses?” Sometimes the person asking is another photographer but just as often it’s a client.
First off, I bring multiple cameras and backup batteries and lenses to every job. All of these tools are Canon. Most wedding photographers use either Canon or Nikon, and to me, neither is better than the other. It just depends on what you’re trying to do. Nikon probably has a better focusing system, but I use manual focus almost exclusively so the feature isn’t an issue for me. On the other hand, I strongly prefer natural or available light over flash, and I also prefer wide angle shots. Canon, hands down, has the best wide and “fast” (perform better in lower-light) prime lenses.
Wide angle forces me to get close to the subject and interact with them. Wide angle photographs can also give viewers a better sense of being “in” the scene and are better at capturing and conveying emotion. Longer lenses — ones that are used for photographing at a distance — are great during the ceremony or in situations where I don’t want to intrude. But images taken remotely can be… well they can look remote.
I also prefer prime lenses over zooms. The decision to go almost all-prime means more work for me. I have to “zoom” with my feet. Often you’ll see me carrying two cameras — one with a wide angle (usually the 35mm 1.4) and the other with a shorter, “portrait” length (usually the 85mm 1.8). Why don’t I just use a zoom lens that covers the same range? Well, prime lenses are often noticably sharper. They also perform better in lower light and can make flash unecessary.
I’m also all-digital. In the past, I’ve had some really nice film cameras, most recently a Hasselblad 500 C/M. Photographs recorded on film can have a warmer quality, and I love the grain (circle) as oppposed to pixel (square). Of course, with Photoshop you can pretty much attain the look of film, if that’s your goal. But I love the immediacy and practicality of digital. As for image quality, I would put my digital Canon 5D camera up against my film Hasselblad any day… and you know who would win? The 5D.
The early photographers were people who embraced technology and change, and I like to think that digital is the logical next step. As for Photoshop — yeah, plenty of people waaaay overdo it. But photographers have been manipulating images forever — whether it’s the choice of film, exposure, paper, darkroom processing, etc. Photoshop is my digital darkroom.
I don’t think I realized how passionately I felt about my tools until I started writing this post! Of course, the most important tool is your eye and your mind. I can’t say enough about how important my training in printmaking, painting, drawing and art history have been and how much they’ve helped me become a better photographer. Good pots and pans do not a great chef make.
For a detailed list of my equipment, check out my AStore.