It’s taken some time to decide on and settle into the essential photo equipment I carry for event photography assignments. The fun part is, with the consistent evolution of technology, I’ve got to stay on my game and always be up to date so the challenge to keep ahead of the curve can be constant. I have bought and returned backpacks, belts, flash modifiers, tripods, ball heads, bags…you name it, I feel like I’ve tried it. So, when I do come across the equipment that does exactly what I need it to do without sacrificing comfort or compromising the quality of images I produce for events, I’m totally in. Here are a few of the essential event photography tools I would never leave home without.
- Canon 5D Mark IV w/ battery grip
- Canon 5D Mark III w/battery grip
- Canon EF 24-70mm f/2.8L II USM: a great standard zoom, all-around lens
- Canon EF 16-35mm f/2.8L II USM: I love using this lens when I’m in tight quarters and need to capture all of the action or I’m looking for wide shots of the room with a full audience
- Canon EF 85mm f/1.2L II USM: I get asked to capture portraits on the go, no lighting, just available, and this lens, with its 1.2 f stop allows me to capture beautiful headshots even when the lighting is not so beautiful
- Canon EF 70-200mm f/2.8L IS II USM: if I were on a deserted island and could only bring one lens with me, this is the one
- Canon EF 100-400mm F4.5-5.6L IS II USM: I rarely use this telephone on events however it has bailed me out on a few occasions when I could not get as close as I wanted for those tight speaker shots. So, if there’s a nice light wash over the stage and I need to get tighter on the presenter, this lens does the job
- Lens Shades
- Canon 600 EX-RT Speedlite Flashes with omni bounce flash modifiers
- Rogue Flash Gels Lighting Kit for white balancing
- Remote flash triggers cause you never know
- Eneloop Pro Batteries: serious powerhouses. I used to use external battery packs to speed up the flash recycle times but these batteries have lightened the load as I can ditch the Quantums
- SD Card Reader: When I need to review images. Yes, the Canon 5D Mark IV has wireless capabilities but this works so much faster for me
- Extra Canon batteries
- Swivel Flash Mount cause you never know
- Lexar CF cards range in size from 64gb to 8gb. I also shoot to 2 cards simultaneously so underneath the CF cards are SD cards. Backup, backup, backup!!!!
- Spider Pro Dual Camera System with Spider Pro Handstrap: moving from shoulder straps to a waist belt has not only saved my back but made it easier and faster to access my cameras, ensuring I never miss a shot
- GLocalMe Mi-Fi: I don’t have to use it very much but it has come in handy when I can’t access the internet or need my own, secure connection. Awesome for travel assignments
- Gaffers Tape: because if I was on a deserted island and could have one tool……
- Mints: because everyone should always have mints
- Think Tank Airport Security: for local assignments when I can bring everything I need with me to the event
- Think Tank Airport International: for travel assignments, this case is just a little smaller than the international which may OR may not be allowed onboard with you. I’ve heard various stories so why take the chance?
- Induro CLT 203 with BHL2S Ballhead: Love this pairing, especially for events when you may or may not need a tripod and if you do, you’ve got to move super-fast (not pictured here)
If I could pack more, I probably would. Because if you have it, as an event photographer, you’ll have cause to use it. I would not describe myself as a gear head however I do get a little giddy when shopping online or even more so when I’m in a well-stocked camera store. But truth be known, no matter how much gear you carry, it certainly can’t make a pretty photo by itself so my motto is shoot, shoot, and shoot some more since practice makes, if not perfect then certainly pretty fantastic.
