Ed Peers
Wedding | Last Updated: March 28, 2024
I was educated as an Aerospace Engineer and like all things technical so I’ll be the first to admit I’m a little geeky about my gear :) That said, I travel a lot and don’t like my gear to weigh me down so I try and keep things simple. Being able to take everything you need for a trip (including clothes) as hand luggage is a big bonus. I also try to make an effort not to look like the “official photographer” at a wedding and so just carry a body on each shoulder accompanied by a Shootsac. And that’s it – everything else gets left in the car/hotel room.
My current line up is a pair of Canon 5D mkiii ’s paired with a Canon 24mm f/1.4, Canon 35mm f/1.4, Canon 45mm Tiltshift, Canon 50mm f/1.2, Canon 85mm f/1.2, & Canon 135mm f/2 lenses.
My lenses have become good friends – each has a personality and different characteristics and I love them all. When faced with an epic scene and ample time, you’ll often find me “going through the bag” to see what magic each might bring to the table.
I leave hoods, caps and filters in a draw at home – I think these lenses really “open up” when you don’t try and “control” them too much. I love tilting the 45 T/S up in to backlight, or letting the sun hit my 85mm f/1.2 at the angle that makes it go bananas etc.
Making the switch to prime lenses was one of the best things I ever did in terms of developing my photography. You learn to see in various focal lengths and it forces you to think more about your composition and your position relative to the subject. Large apertures and shooting wide open are also key for me at weddings when only using natural/available light. I do have a couple of 600EX Speedlights, but those guys only make an appearance on the dance floor in the evening.
To me, the 5D mkiii is nearly the perfect wedding camera. I love how it’s so discreet in silent mode (which I use nearly 100% of the time) and compact with a prime attached and my UP Straps do a decent job of keeping everything attached to my shoulders.
I also dabble with my Canon EOS 1v (though not nearly enough) and the Fuji x100s is the camera I aim to take everywhere whereas the iPhone is the camera I actually do take everywhere.
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