Davina + Daniel
Wedding | Last Updated: April 4, 2024
Davina and I travel year-round for all of our weddings, so keeping our gear simple & compact is of utmost importance. Everything we need packs into a Think Tank Airport International V2.0 and a Think Tank Airport International suitcase, both of which are allowed as carry-on every airline (provided it’s not a tiny plane).
We shoot with two Nikon D4 bodies, each equipped with a Nikon 35mm f/2 and Nikon 85mm f/1.8 lens. We also share a Nikon 28mm f/2.8 lens, a Nikon 60mm f/2.8 macro lens, and a Sigma 150mm f/2.8 macro lens. The 35/85 combo gives us the perfect balance we need to cover most situations, while the other shared lenses add some variety at specific times of the day. We have always shot with fixed lenses, as they are general smaller in size, lighter, and force us to move our feet & think before we take a shot.
Though most of our photos are taken with ambient light (which the Nikon D4 does very happily up into the 10,000 ISO range), weddings don’t always give us the perfect lighting situation. When it comes to shooting the dancefloor with flash, we keep it really simple, usually bouncing an on-camera SB-900 off the ceiling or wall, or using the little flip card if we’re in an outdoor reception setting. We also have a couple of SB-800 equipped with a Radio Popper system, for off-camera use.
But our favourite lighting tool is the Switronix Torch LED light. It has two temperature controls, allowing full colour control (2800K to 5500K), as well as power output. At full power, it’s bright enough to shoot at sunset. On a dimmer setting, it will easily last us all night even though we will usually use it profusely during speeches and first dances. We also carry two Gorilla pods with us, which are perfect for mounting the video light (or off-camera flashes) on any surface or hanging from poles & balconies.
The gear shouldn’t be the be-all and end-all when it comes to taking great photos, but having a complete system that works well for our needs is definitely a wonderful thing!
Outside of weddings, my passion is documenting life in different parts of the world.
The gear: Simple. So simple. Fujifilm X-T1 with the Fujifilm 23mm f/1.4 lens.
I’ll admit that I just got this camera a couple weeks ago (at time of publication), therefore my travel photos to date have been taken with a mix of the Nikon D4 and the Fuji X100s. Not to take anything away from the incredible Nikon D4, I have always felt a strong emotional connection with the Fujifilm X100s. The little bit of hesitation & lag always gave me a rush, just a little bit of uncertainty about wether I got the shot or not.
However, the size & feel are what I truly loved about the Fujifilm X100s (and now the Fujifilm X-T1). For me, travel photography is about the culture & the people, and I always want to create a quick connection with my subjects. Having a small camera makes me feel like I’m not too intense or too intimidating, and allows me to approach people more easily.
The Fujifilm X-T1 was an obvious next step for me, as it preserved everything that I liked about the Fujifilm X100s, while improving greatly on the focusing, low-light capabilities, while giving me the possibility to add lenses in the future. The 35mm focal length (23mm on Fujifilm’s crop sensor) is my go-to – I just love the photojournalistic feel of it. The Fujifilm 56mm f/1.2 (85mm equivalent) is on its way, and will provide the variety I need for a perfect set on the road. I think I will be happy with this setup for many years to come.
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