It’s one of the number one questions photographers ask me. “What do you shoot with? What are your favorite lenses?” Those questions never seemed to matter to me. You can create beautiful imagery with any type of gear. But if you are just starting out, everything can feel overwhelming. Every year, new gear is released and you don’t know what to use.

This guide will give you a quick overview of what I use and why I use it. From there, you can expand your search and decide how you want to use your own gear to create the images you want. Reminder, it took me years to build up my bag to what it is today. It takes time. Make sure the money you are making you are investing back into your business. The more you do that, the easier it is to cross off items on your gear wish list.

The whole kit & caboodle!

Canon EOS 5D Mark IV DSLR Camera
Canon EOS 5D Mark III DSLR Camera
Canon EF 35mm f/1.4L II USM Lens
Canon EF 50mm f/1.2L USM Lens
Canon EF 85mm f/1.2L II USM Lens
Canon EF 100mm f/2.8L Macro IS USM Lens
Canon EF 135mm f/2L USM Lens
Canon EF 70-200mm f/2.8L USM Lens
SanDisk Extreme PRO 16GB Compact Flash Memory Cards
SanDisk Extreme PRO 32GB Compact Flash Memory Cards
Canon Speedlite 600EX II-RT (2)
ExpoImaging ExpoDisc 2.0 82mm White Balance Filter
Avenger Maxi Kit 12.7′ Lightstand, Four Riser, Black Aluminum
Profoto RFi Speedlight Speedring
Manfrotto 026 Swivel Umbrella Adapter
Profoto 1.3×2′ RFi Softbox
Profoto Deep and Parabolic 41″ Umbrella, Medium, Translucent
Tenba Shootout Backpack (32L)
Tenba Roadie Roller 21

Canon over Nikon? Why?
If you’re looking for a long rant of why I love Canon, there really isn’t one. Don’t get me wrong, I absolutely LOVE Canon and their products. Beautiful camera bodies and amazing, dreamy lenses. They also have this fabulous service where you can send in your gear for yearly cleaning and maintenance. But the reason I use them? Because that’s what I started with. I’ve been using Canon for years and I don’t plan on switching any time soon.

shot with the Canon Mark III with 50 f/1.2L

My favorite lens for portraits: 50mm f1.2L & 85mm f/1.2 II
These lenses are dreamy! I love shooting wide open and these lenses are perfect for that. They both have a beautiful bokeh effect. I’m absolutely obsessed with these two and they are usually on my camera the majority of the time.

shot with the Canon Mark III with 100mm f/2.8L

Lens that’s perfect for details: 100mm f/2.8 Macro
Every time I’m working on those pretty wedding details, this lens is attached to my camera. It’s the perfect macro lens to get in and get those closeup shots of the wedding rings, those beautiful shoes, and all that sparkling jewelry.

Two is better than one
I always have two camera bodies no matter what. For portraits, I only bring one because if I need to switch lenses, I have time to do so. During a wedding day, I have both camera bodies strapped to me, using the Holdfast Moneymaker. With two bodies, I can have two different lenses attached so I can capture different angles of the same moments. Plus it’s always good to have a backup in case anything happens!

Behind the scenes of a wedding, me using my Holdfast Moneymaker strap. It’s a lifesaver!

Why I’m obsessed with Canon 600 Speedlites
These bad boys have made my off-camera lighting game so easy! No longer do you need PocketWizards! These speedlites have radios built inside so they can communicate with each other. How awesome is that?!

What are your gear questions? Post them in the comments below, I’d love to help!

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