Inside My Camera Bag | Steven Herrschaft

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Hey Shotkit community! I’m Steven from a small German town just an hour away from the city of Frankfurt. The last few months have been crazy. I just turned 18 in April, graduated from school and I am now starting my wedding photography business all on my own. I definitely enjoy every minute I work on my career and I am sure that it will pay off in the future.

The first time I came in touch with photography was in middle school when I joined a photography project – and I somehow haven’t stopped taking pictures since that point about 4 years ago. It all started with my parents’ old Canon EOS Rebel XS that made all of this possible.

A friend of mine asked me to second shoot some of his weddings when I was 16 and I instantly fell in love with wedding photography. Back then he always gave me a Canon 6D or a Canon 5D Mark II paired with my own lenses. After starting with zoom lenses I finally made the switch to all primes for my basic setup by the end of last year.

While working I always have two camera bodies around me – which is the Canon 5D Mark III and the Canon 6D. Both are absolutely great cameras. Personally I feel like the Canon 6D is the perfect package, but honestly I am pretty scared about the single card slot. So I also use its bigger brother, the Canon 5D Mark III.

My go-to lens is the Canon 28mm f/1.8. Of course this is not the sharpest, nor the fastest, nor the best built lens around – but it has one thing I miss with some other lenses: its special character. For me 28mm is a completely unique focal length. It is neither a wide 35mm nor a tight 24mm.

I use this for about 80% of my work and I love how it forces me to get close to the subject and to get directly into the scene. This lens gives me the feeling that it’s not all about the gear but much more about the wedding and the people around me.

Another special lens that I really like is the Canon 17-40mm f/4L. It is great for ultra-wide portrait shots of the couple and also pictures on the dance floor. Most of my shots during the party are done with this one. Of course the key is to not overuse it. Also it is important to learn when it turns the shot into something more stunning and not just another boring wide-angle-shot. It forces me to get really close to the subject.

The Canon 85mm f/1.8 is one lens that I just need while working. For me it is important to have at least one tele lens. I mainly use it during the ceremony because sometimes I just can’t get close to the couple. It is also really helpful when I first get in touch with the wedding guests. It’s some kind of “warm-up“ lens for me before the 28mm comes in.

For a few shots during the day – mainly details and the ring shot – I also have the old Canon 50mm f/2.5 Macro lens. To be honest, I don’t see the point in switching to the 100L at the moment – I just use it so rarely. It does the job and it is razor-sharp. That’s all I need it for.

A few months ago I started to use flash more often and I definitely enjoy the Canon 430EX II as an on-camera flash during reception. For my creative work I prefer the Yongnuo YN568EX II with Yongnuo YN622C transmitters. It is just more powerful and the combo works really good together. Another creative tool I love to play with are my MagMods.

In my car I always have my backup gear, which is the Samyang 14mm f/2.8 and the Tamron 70-200mm f/2.8. These are still great lenses but I just don’t like these extremes anymore.

Main Kit summary: Canon 5D Mark III Canon 6D Canon 17-40mm f/4L Canon 28mm f/1.8 Canon 50mm f/2.5 Macro Canon 85mm f/1.8 Canon 430EX II Yongnuo YN568EX II Yongnuo YN622C MagMods