Well, as I knew I would, I was harassed mercilessly by my guy friends after my makeup post, the general gist of which was, “that was pretty girly, Steve”. But hey guys, I live with 3 women, it’s my profession and it’s in my best interest to reduce the amount of time I spend on retouching while helping our clients to “look their best”.

So, I thought I would counterbalance that post by pulling on a white v neck undershirt, picking up a can of Iron City, offering up a belch or two and jotting down a list of the equipment that Barb and I carry to a wedding.

We do get equipment questions at most client consultations, some from photography enthusiasts who have an interest, but most to answer the digital/film question along with a concern about backup equipment.

Based on a survey, over 90% of all professionals use digital equipment, so that question has become a bit moot. These days, the quality of digital capture exceeds the results from film, short of some specialty films, like infrared monochrome.

While it’s a bit of a cliche, it is very true that it’s the photographer who takes the photograph, not the camera. Many photographers are creating stunning images using cheap, plastic Holga or pinhole cameras.

It’s the photographer’s creativity, life experience, emotional connection to their subject, along with to a lesser extent, technical knowledge, that creates a great image.

That said, I admit to being a bit of a “gear head” and believe in using multiple backups of the best professional equipment available on the market, especially for a one time event like a wedding.

So, here’s what’s In the Bag – Barb and I each carry our own “wheely” bag with separate equipment.

Canon 1D MKII body
Canon 1DS MK II body
Canon 5D body
Canon 20D Infrared modified body
Canon 16-35 2.8L lens
Canon 24-70 2.8L lens
Canon 24 1.4L lens
Canon 50 1.4 lens
Canon 50 1.2L lens
Canon 50 2.8 macro lens
Canon 85 1.8 lens
Canon 85 1.2L lens
Canon 70-200L lens
Canon 15 2.8 fisheye
Canon 1.4 extender
Canon 580E flash (4)
Lowell video light
Sony professional video light
Gitzo Carbon fiber tripod
Sandisk Extreme IV 4GB CF cards
Sandisk Extreme IV 4GB SD cards (simultaneous backup)
Apple MacBook Pro Laptop
Multiple backup batteries and cables.

burp….