What’s in my camera bag?

Photographers

What’s in my camera bag?

My Favorite Gear

I am a Nikon photographer and I love everything about this brand. I love the colors, megapixel quality, and ISO range of what Nikon produces. It truly is an amazing brand. I started out shooting my dads old Nikon film camera and just fell in love. When it came time to add a DSLR camera to my bag, Nikon was my go-to choice.

I can’t wait to dive in and tell you about all of the Sweet Williams Photography gear and why I love each piece! Ready?! Here we go!

CAMERA BODIES:

I have TWO Nikon D750 camera bodies. This camera body is perfect for what I do as a wedding photographer. First of all, full frame capacity changes the game!! But seriously, there’s a reason why they call it the “full frame freedom!” I started out with a DX camera and when I upgraded to an FX it was like putting on glasses for the first time!!! Everything I was trying to capture was so much more lifelike. Images was a broader and more dynamic in range with higher quality. It is SO worth the investment to have a full frame camera. I know the price is steep but it is worth it! The second thing I love about this camera is the image quality in low light situations. You really can’t beat the light sensitivity of this camera body while still maintaining the megapixel quality!

LENSES:

Nikon 50mm f/1.4

I think starting out in photography the two things you need are a full frame camera body and a 50mm lens. That’s really all you need to take amazing photographs. I can shoot an entire wedding day with my 50mm f/1.4 lens and use this lens 80% of the time. It is lightweight, produces sharp images, and the bokeh is beautiful.

Nikon 85mm f/1.4

The 85mm f/1.4 lens is a secret weapon for wedding photographers. This lens produces gorgeous bokeh and dreamy colors. It is probably my favorite lens in my camera bag and is the ultimate portrait lens. It is perfect for tight shots or when you need a little extra reach and depth of field during the ceremony. This lens is sharp, fast, and oh so dreamy!

Nikon 35mm f/1.4

I love my 35mm f/1.4 lens. It is so practical and allows you to capture more of the scenery around the subject. I use it for portraits and for fun angles when I want to pull back and capture a more dramatic image. It also makes for a great portrait lens and wide angle for details. This lens is definitely a must for your camera bag.

Nikon 105mm f/2.8

I purchase my 105mm f/2.8 lens with the sole purpose of shooting the details on a wedding day. This is an AMAZING macro lens and captures gorgeous crisp details. What I didn’t realize is that this lens is also an amazing portrait lens!!! Yes, you have to back up, like a lot, from your subject but the bokeh is SO dreamy!

Nikon 24-70mm f/2.8

This is truly my “lazy girl lens.” I use this lens for the reception. The ability to quickly go from a wide angle to a tight portrait in a matter of seconds is SO nice. The only downfall of this lens is that it is heavy to carry around and a little bit harder to capture more artistic images like you would with a prime lens. I love this lens when I quickly need to capture everything that is going on during a reception.

FLASHES:

I use FOUR Nikon SB700 speedlights for OCF and an SB910 speedlight directly on my camera. I love my SB700 flashes for off-camera flash. They get the job done and have a fast reboot. They also sync perfectly with my SB910, which has more range.

EXTRA GEAR:

Batteries

I have a spare Nikon EN-EL 15 battery for each camera body. Even though I normally can get through a wedding day with one battery, the worst thing that could happen is your battery dies! I carry my spares and the charger with me on a wedding day just in case!

SD Cards & SD Cases

I use SanDisk Extreme Pro 95MB/32GB cards. The reason why is the speed is perfect for my Nikon D750. During a speed test, it was proven to be the best card for my camera body. I do notice a difference if I use a different speed card. The important thing to remember with SD cards is they’re really only good for 3 years. I always date my cards when I purchase them. Another thing that I found helpful, is that I carry two Beeway waterproof cases. One that’s labeled “Empty” and the other “Full.” This is so helpful when I’m looking for an empty SD card that I’m 100% certain I don’t need the images from the card.