There are thousands of items available for you to rent but, only some are ideal for weddings. This list will help you in finding the best suitable essentials to fit your shooting style.
Tips for a Better Wedding Day Photography Workflow
- Zoom in while keeping the View
- Safety in Numbers: Spring for a Second Body
- Choose a Battery Grip for Your Camera
- Something Borrowed, Something Blue: Mixing Artificial with Natural Lighting
- Enjoy the Silence: Quiet Shutter Options
- Portable Prowess
- N+1 Yourself: Using Dual Memory Cards
- Up Close and Personal: Macro Lenses
- Practice Mindfulness: Gear Security
- Going Slim to Win: Consider Mirrorless
Zoom in while keeping the View
Sometimes a well-composed photo features a subject that is in proportion to the background. That is always flattering because it doesn’t distort their face. The best way to achieve this is to use a longer lens. For example, telephoto zoom lenses are available for rent, which you can use for shooting from varied distances. Longer lenses are perfect for natural, unbridled portraits. A couple can relax and act more naturally in their environment with a longer lens.
Some Recommendations:
Canon 70-200mm f/2.8 IS II
- Nikon 70-200mm f/2.8 VR II
- Sony 70-200mm f/2.8G SSM II for Sony A Mount
- Sony FE 70-200mm f/2.8 GM OSS
Olympus 40-150mm f/2.8 PRO for Micro Four Thirds Mount
- Panasonic 35-100mm f/2.8 Lumix G Vario Zoom for Micro Four Thirds Mount
- Fuji XF 50-140mm f/2.8 R LM OIS WR for Fuji X Mount
Safety in Numbers: Spring for a Second Body
Shooting with two cameras can do wonders for your photography experience. This will make sure you don’t lose dust in your camera when you’re not switching lenses, and it will allow you to capture photos much faster. If you are unlucky enough to have your camera seize up, the backup will be there to save the day.
Something Borrowed, Something Blue: Mixing Artificial with Natural Lighting
To set up your environmental light, use ISO and shutter speed to adjust the exposure you like. Be careful not to exceed 1/250th of a second so that your artificial lights can complement the natural light. When you’re shooting a wedding, it’s important to keep the sky light. Sometimes photographers expose for the couple and then use their flashes to light up the bride and groom. If you need more flash power, you can either increase the power of your flash or widen your aperture.
Enjoy the Silence: Quiet Shutter Options
Canon’s 5D Mark III is the most advanced DSLR camera on the market. The camera has a quiet shutter mode as well as a quiet video mode, which is perfect for those times when you want to be inconspicuous, but still want people to know that you’re the official photographer.
So you want a camera that’s not noisy. Nikon’s D800 has a quiet mode and you can control the volume in your settings. Sony’s a7S is fully silent and mirrorless cameras in general tend to be quieter than DSLRs. Other cameras have similar settings, so you should try looking for them in the “shooting modes” menu or dial.
Portable Prowess
Creating videos can be challenging, especially when there are too many things to take care of. But here are a few tools for your toolbox:
- The Custom Brackets PRO-E Camera Rotation Bracket is the perfect solution for shooting in vertical mode with your DSLR camera. It also helps you hold your camera more ergonomically. The bracket allows for easy swiveling, which comes in handy when shooting with a flash. The bracket is compatible with most Canon and Nikon models. A useful accessory for your camera is the Vello V-Rig Triple Shoe Bracket, which mounts to the hot shoe of your camera and holds up to three other accessories, such as microphones and lights. It sports a third shoe in the middle for easy use with a handle or other equipment.
- Looking for an inexpensive way to hold your camera steady? The Manfrotto 143 Magic Arm Kit is just the thing. You can use it like a tiny tripod, mount it to different things around you, or clamp it to your heavy items. Looking for something more versatile? Try the Manfrotto 175F Justin Spring Clamp with Flash Shoe. It’s great for light stands, too!
- If you have two cameras, don’t forget your dual camera strap. If you have just one camera, you can carry a spare lens or camera body with the strap mount.
N+1 Yourself: Using Dual Memory Cards
Many photographers only have one memory card slot. If there is a problem with that one, they’re out of luck. A solution to this problem is to use two slots. The first will be used as the main while the second will be for backup – in case the first fails. Cameras with dual slots include (but not limited to):
Canon 5D Mark III(1 CF, 1 SD)
- Canon 1D X (2 x CF)
- Canon 1D X Mark II (1 CF, 1 CFast)
- Nikon D810 (1 CF, 1 SD)
- Nikon D4s (1 CF, 1 XQD)
- Nikon D5 (2 x CF)
- Nikon D7200 (2 x SD)
- Fuji X-Pro 2 (2 x SD)
- Sony a7 III (2 x SD)
Up Close and Personal: Macro Lenses
A macro lens is the perfect choice for close-ups, ring shots, and other fine details. But if you need to carry 1 specialty lens with you, make it a macro. After all, it doubles as a fantastic portrait lens!
Some recommendations:
Canon EF 100mm f/2.8L IS Macro
- Nikon 105mm f/2.8G AF-S VR IF-ED Micro
- Olympus M.Zuiko ED 60mm f/2.8 Macro for Micro Four Thirds Mount
- Sony 100mm f/2.8 Macro for Sony A-Mount
- Sony FE 90mm f/2.8 G OSS Macro(for full-frame or crop frame E mount shooters)
- Fuji XF 60mm f/2.4 R Macro for Fuji X Mount
Practice Mindfulness: Gear Security
We can’t cover theft for you, but we do offer damage waivers. To be covered, keep your gear in secure bags, keep it on your person as much as possible, and register it at lenstag.com for free. If you’re looking to rent something, make sure to ask your insurance company if you can add it to your existing policy for this one-time event.
Going Slim to Win: Consider Mirrorless
Event photographers are finding that mirrorless cameras are perfect for their needs. Thanks to new models like the Sony a7 series, they can get full-frame sensors without the weight of bulky DSLRs. These models are also more light sensitive, so they’re perfect for natural light enthusiasts who don’t want to stop shooting at night.
Mirrorless cameras with Micro Four Thirds mounts can take on a variety of lenses. It is more universal than other mounts which means it is very popular with almost every brand.
Mirrorless is becoming a standard, but some people have trouble with the limitations of digital technology. For example, an electronic viewfinder can be somewhat difficult to adjust to for those who have been using a traditional DSLR. Before going live, try to use a Mirrorless camera and find out how it will work for you.
