Andy Withey

Wedding | Last Updated: April 16, 2021

Hey, I’m Andy and I’m a documentary wedding photographer in Leeds and have been shooting weddings for a few years now. I used to shoot with Fujifilm cameras but after repeatedly reading and hearing great things about Sony, I decided to make the switch.

Whether it’s been Fujifilm or Sony, the size of the kit has always been really important for me. I shoot weddings in a discreet way and do my best to merge into the background, and I think big DSLRs would really make this more difficult for me.

Cameras

So, my two main cameras for wedding photography are my Sony A9 and my A7 III. Put simply, the A9 is the best camera I have ever used. The focusing on this thing is blindingly fast. It also has a completely silent shutter that doesn’t suffer any of the horrible rolling shutter problems that so many other cameras do.

The A7 III is the little sister of the A9. The focusing is still amazing, but not quite up to A9 standards. The silent shutter is nowhere near as good and this is the main thing that separates these two for me.

Because of this, I use the mechanical shutter exclusively. Image quality-wise, they have the same sensor so absolutely no difference… they’re both superb.

I also have a Fujifilm X100F and Ricoh GR III. These both serve as backups to the Sony at weddings and I mainly use them for personal projects and documenting family life. The GR III is my go-everywhere camera and the images from it are absolutely top-notch. It’s possibly my favourite camera of all time.

Lenses

Zeiss 25mm f/2: This is my first choice for wide-angle shots and shots where I am up close. It’s also great when everyone hits the dance floor and the OLED display comes into its own when I’m zone focusing with it.

Sony 35mm f/1.8: This lens ticks all the boxes for me. It small, light, quiet, fast focusing, and delivers lovely images. Depending on the wedding, I will either have this or the 25mm on my A9 and because of the A9’s amazing silent shutter, I don’t disturb people when I’m up close.

Sony 85mm f/1.8: Because I use the mechanical shutter on the A7III, I tend to put longer lenses on it. When I say longer lenses, I mean the 85mm f/1.8… it lives on my A7 III. Like the 35mm, this lens is fast focusing and delivers fabulous images.

Sony 50mm f/1.8: I have this little lens in my bag as a back up for weddings. It’s slower focusing than the others, but I like the 50mm focal length and it’s really light. I tend to use this for personal work at the moment, but it’s with me at weddings in case I need it.

Sony 70-200mm f/4: I have this purely to deal with larger venues when I might not be able to move as freely. I like the lens a lot but rarely need to use it.

Straps

Spider Holsters: I have both camera bodies hanging on my hips all day at a wedding. The Spider Holsters are so much less awkward than a camera strap and keep the gear accessible when you need it but out of your way when you don’t. I wouldn’t do without them.

Peak Design Leash: If I use my Sony 70-200mm f/4, I connect it to this lightweight and versatile strap. I don’t often use it at weddings, but when I do, it’s great.

Flash

I only really use flash on the dance floor and have always really enjoyed using the Godox range. I’ve had a few in the past but the Godox V860II has a bit more power if I need it. The newer XPro Transmitter is also far more consistent than other Godox triggers I’ve had in the past. Between them, they do a good job.

Software

I tend to shoot somewhere in the region of 6,000 pictures at weddings, so culling is a big deal for me afterward. For this, I use Photo Mechanic, it’s just so fast and makes my life so much easier. Once I’ve culled, I’ll use Lightroom Classic pretty much exclusively for editing.

Misc

Some essential ingredients for a good wedding day are a good playlist to listen to while you’re driving there, Google Maps (or Waze) to actually get there, and emergency provisions throughout the day. I tend to stock up on Bananas and high protein cereal bars and have a load of them in the car.

Advice

First and foremost, don’t forget to keep yourself hydrated. Weddings are a long day and continually drinking water is essential if you want to get great pictures.

Get some comfy shoes! You’re on your feet all day, so make sure they’re comfy and look good. I wear Pikolinos shoes (with some insoles) and they do the trick for me!

andywitheyphotography.co.uk | @andywitheyphoto

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