Ashok Suren
Wedding | Last Updated: February 23, 2021
Hi, I am Ashok. I am a photographer from Leicester, England. Ten years ago, I chose photography as a medium to express myself. In the last three years, I have been fortunate enough to earn a living as a wedding photographer.
I feel I am still at the start of my journey as a photographer. My quest in this journey is to use photography as a medium to serve others and to improve their lives somehow.
I started my obsession in photography with a Nikon EOS D60 and since then I’ve always owned a Nikon digital camera. I also tried the Fujifilm mirrorless system and even the full-frame Sony A7 system.
Four years ago I bought my first Leica M rangefinder, which was a Leica M9 and immediately I was hooked. With the M system, I found a camera which not only inspired me to shoot every day but also forced me to grow creatively.
Cameras
Nikon FM2 – This is one of the best film cameras ever made. This beauty is a fully mechanical camera, and all you need is a roll of film to shoot with it. I usually travel with the Nikon FM2 with a Nikon 50mm f/1.4.
Leica Q – This is my everyday camera and the best travel camera I’ve owned. The fixed 28mm 1.7 Summilux lens is a gem. I use my Q for my wedding work and the one memory card slot doesn’t bother me at all.
Leica M240 – My favourite camera of all time. The M was released in 2012 and it’s still amazing in 2020. I’ve paired it with the 50mm 1.4 Summilux from day one. I will be happy with this as my one camera and one lens setup for portraits, street photography and travel.
Leica SL – I’ve got this recently. Loving the EVF and it’s built like a tank. So far, so good.
Nikon Z6 x 2 – I’ve sold my Sony A7III to get the Nikon Z6 and I do miss the AF from the Sony. The Z system performs nicely with the Z 1.8 lenses. The whole setup is lightweight and I love Nikon colours. I shoot two Nikon Z6’s for weddings mostly with a 35mm and 50mm lens.
Lenses
LEICA 50mm f/1.4 ASPH SUMMILUX-M – This is my favourite lens of all time. 50mm is my preferred focal length and I shoot mostly at 1.4. The Summilux is sharp and has quite a bit of dreamy bokeh, its very crisp and produces beautiful colours. I feel confident shooting with this lens because it’s a lens you can never fail with.
Nikon 20mm f/1.8 – This is a very affordable good quality 20mm and I use this when I need wide-angle shots. Mainly on the dance floor at weddings.
Nikon 35mm Z f/1.8 – Nikon got the optics right with this 35mm and it’s very affordable. I prefer this to the old Nikon 35mm f/1.4G because my copy of the old lens was soft wide open.
Nikon 50mm Z f/1.8 – I enjoyed using the Sony ZA 50mm f/1.4 Distagon with the Sony A7III as it was a top-quality lens at 1.4. I don’t miss it too much because this little Z lens performs incredibly well and it’s lightweight compared to the Sony. I usually leave this Nikon 50mm Z f/1.8 on one of the Nikon Z6 for the whole day during weddings.
Nikon 85mm Z f/1.8 – Just like the 35mm and 50mm Z lenses this an excellent addition to my kit. This 85mm produces impeccable image quality and tack-sharp results. If I didn’t have my Nikon 105mm f/1.4, this would be my go-to portraits lens.
Nikon 105mm f/1.4 – I got this lens as soon as it came out in 2016. Super sharp at 1.4 this 105 is already a legendary lens for Nikon Shooters. I shoot most of my portraits with the Nikon 50mm and this Nikon 105mm. This lens is one of the reasons why I still have a Nikon System. I think this is the best Nikon portrait lens.
Flash
Godox V1-N x 2 – I started using this recently, roundhead flash seems to be the new thing. I am more of a natural light photographer, but when I need to use flash, these work nicely and I like using them.
Bag
Billingham Hadley Pro Camera Bag – I have the Khaki/ Tan leather version and love it.
www.ashoksuren.com | @ashoksuren
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