Inside My Camera Bag | Andrew Keher

Hello mates! My name is Andrew Keher (to rhyme with ‘beer’). I’m a full-time wedding photographer based in Liverpool in the UK. I’ve been shooting weddings for a little over three years so I’m still a relative newcomer to the industry and I’m enjoying every second of it!

I’d describe my style as relaxed and unobtrusive on the outside, and like a frenzied lunatic on the inside; constantly seeking a unique shot that’s going to blow the couple away and leave them scratching their heads in wonder, but somehow doing it all without making a nuisance of myself to the couple or their guests. It’s a delicate balancing act.

I often get asked what keeps me motivated to photograph weddings; don’t they get a bit samey after a while? The thing that motivates me is finally finding something that I’m half-decent at doing. There is no secret formula to wedding photography; if you put the hard work in, you get the good images out. The more you shoot, the better you get. It’s an enthralling experience.

I started my journey through the wonderful world of photographic gear with Nikon but my trusty D750s were starting to feel fatigued; I tend to shoot at least five thousand frames per wedding (usually more) and I burn through bodies quite quickly. I see the future being mirrorless and the electronic shutter of the Sony a9 was just too much to resist. I’m currently working with both systems but I imagine picking up a second a9 body at some point and saying farewell to the DSLR forever.

Sony a9 : A game-changer; the fastest, quietest, most accurate autofocusing camera I’ve ever used. A bit dinky for anyone with big hands, though.

Sony 24-70mm f/2.8 : My workhorse, the lens that covers 99% of the wedding day. Razor-sharp and the best 24-70 I’ve ever used. I know primes are “cooler” but I don’t worry about that when I’ve got the shot at 20 frames per second while the cool kids are desperately trying to swap lenses.

Sony 85mm f/1.4 : Expensive, big & heavy. It also happens to be the most sublime portrait lens and nailing focus at 1.4 is an absolute doddle with the A9.

Nikon D750 x 2: Used mainly as backups to the mighty a9, the D750 also benefits from having fantastic autofocus in low-light; something us British wedding photographers can appreciate!

Nikon 85mm f/1.8 : I tend to pair this to the D750 while I’m covering the main action with the Sony 24-70. It is light and fast-focusing, perfect for sudden moments.

Nikon 50mm f/1.8 : A nifty-fifty, every camera bag should have one.

Godox Ving V860: I love my speedlights and I tend to use them off-camera for creative portraits and dancefloor action. Godox use a lithium battery in their speedlights; no more scrabbling for AA batteries.

Yongnuo YN-300 LED Panels: I sometimes use panels to light the speeches as I find constant light less distracting than firing off flashes.

Manfrotto Lumimuse 8 LED Light: Small enough to hold in my palm, I tend to use this little LED on the dancefloor when even the A9 can’t see what’s going on!

Magmod System: I love the speed and flexibility of the Magmod system. You can create some cool, fast portraits using just a speedlight, a grid and a coloured gel. Also, velcro is noisy. Noise is bad.

Joby Gorillapod SLR Zoom: I use these handy flexible tripods whenever possible instead of full-sized lightstands. They’re great when you can attach them high—it stops overly-exuberant guests from kicking over your lights!

Fairylights, crystals, prisms: I occasionally like to dangle junk in front of my lenses to create interest. That’s it really.

Matin Loupe: For those three days during the British year when the sun shines, I like to use this handy loupe to check my images on the back of the camera, making sure my exposure is correct.

www.andrewkeher.co.uk