Inside My Camera Bag | Brandi Potter

I’m Brandi, and I’m a wedding photographer currently living in Louisville, KY. I have been working towards my goal of moving to the west coast though, and hopefully will be out there full time sometime in 2019 (Seattle area). I am very lucky that I’m able to shoot couples all over the world, but I also really love shooting them close to home as well.

When I’m shooting a wedding I focus on composition, emotion, and light. I like to say that my work is a mixture of emotional and earthy, and that it has a cinematic feel. I also really love creating interesting portraits for my couples and taking more of a back-seat approach to posing. I like my images to look natural and unforced and so having my couples interact with one another instead of me is how I achieve the look I’m going for.

When I first started shooting I was team Nikon, but when it came time to upgrade I got a really good deal on a Canon 5D classic and switched over in 2014. I’ve had a couple of weak moments where I thought about going back to Nikon, but at this point I don’t think I can ever abandon the colors and the lenses that come from Canon gear.

Gear:

Two Canon 5D III’s – I am obsessed with this camera. I went from a 5D classic, to a 5D Mark II, to a 6D, to the 5D Mark III, and I never want to switch again. I did try the Canon 5D Mark IV and I absolutely hated it so I’ll stick with the 5D Mark III until Canon comes out with something comparable to it. This body does everything I need it to do, and I’ll hopefully be adding a couple more to my inventory by the end of the year.

Canon 35mm f/1.4L II – This is the main lens I use for ALL of my work. I shoot with a Holdfast Money Maker so one of my cameras always has this lens. It just makes sense for the way I shoot. I like to document rather than control moments and this lets me do that without being too far away or too in someone’s face.

Canon 45mm f/2.8 Tilt – This is my second most used lens. I’ve recently started shooting full weddings and sessions with my tilt on one camera and the 35 or the 50 on the other. I love the way I can change the POV in a photo by using the tilt, and I love the moodiness and emotions I can convey with it. It creates such beautiful sun flares too that I can’t get with any of my other lenses.

Canon 50mm f/1.2L – I’ve had this lens for about a year now and I’m just now starting to step outside of my 35mm box and use it more. When I’ve been traveling or shooting things that are just for me I’ll use this alongside the tilt. I’m slowly starting to fall more in love with the photos from the 50, and while it can definitely be a bit slower than I like, it creates some really beautiful images that I don’t think I could have done with the 35mm.

Canon 135mm f/2L – I really only use my 135 for ceremonies and landscapes. It does have some really beautiful compression, but I prefer to shoot wide for most of my work.

The flashes I use when I absolutely need to (I’d rather push my camera if I can) are the Canon 430EX II and the Nissin Di700. I will only use a flash if it’s too dark for me to continue shooting without it, because honestly, I really love dark and gritty images. I mostly use direct flash because I feel it goes better with the rest of my photos over bouncing it.

Holdfast Money Maker – I would be in so much pain without this strap. It has literally stopped all the back and shoulder pain I was having with a cross body strap. It distributes the weight perfectly and I normally don’t even notice that I have it on.

Wandrd PRVKE Backpack – I bought this bag before my most recent Europe trip and it is by far the most convenient bag I’ve ever traveled with. I honestly believe if I had a destination wedding and I was only going to be gone for 2-3 days I could fit my gear + my clothes in this and be completely fine. It’s incredibly easy to get through security at the airport with this bag and I have 0 complaints about it.

Other items I leave in my camera bag – a battery pack for my phone, phone, hand cream, chapstick, chargers, multiple batteries and cards, my passport, wallet, a canteen, a water bag, and Tylenol and other medicines.

www.brandipotterphoto.com