Inside My Bag | Elisabetta Marzetti

Ciao! My name’s Elisabetta – I am an Italian wedding photographer with a background in fashion. My career as a wedding photographer didn’t follow a straight trajectory. My first photography gigs were in the backstage of fashion shows, shooting at catwalks and in the streets of Milan, Paris, London, and New York during their famous fashion weeks.

I loved fashion work, until one day it dawned on me that I was missing something – connection, understanding the subject, and knowing their stories.

When I started diverting my efforts to wedding and lifestyle photography, something within me changed. I realised I developed a more human side to my photography, one that brings me closer to my subjects and allows me to get to know them.

Photography for me is not just a portrait of what I see – it’s a mix between reality and mystery. The two merge together allowing me to bring to life people’s strengths and weaknesses, the depth of the details in front of me, the nuances of light, stories, once in a lifetime moments…these are the things that inspire me every day.

I travel a lot with my equipment, both for travel and leisure, so it’s crucial for me that it is as light as possible. I always shoot digital, keeping on me just one body – a Nikon D750. However, I always make sure I have a second body, also a Nikon D750, as a backup plan. The lens I start with (and sometimes the one I end with too) is a Sigma 35mm f/1.4 Art.

I don’t like to continually change lenses, particularly when I start with the 35mm – its autofocus is extremely responsive, silent and precise regardless of what the light condition is. I get to use it indoor and outdoor, and I always achieve the results I want no matter the light. Thanks to this lens, I’ve also learnt not to be scared of getting close to my subject.

If I do decide to change lens, it’s usually for a Nikon 50mm f/1.8 or a 85mm f/1.8. I used to love these lenses more, but to be honest, I now use them less and less. :) Generally speaking, I only use fixed lenses because they force me to move around, and look for new perspectives and composition.

I love natural light – I stretch my ISO as far as I can, and when I reach its limit, that’s when I end up using my beloved Nikon SB-910 flash, which will soon retire from my kit in favour of Profoto A1.

Having said all this, my idea of photography is less technical and more romantic: using my camera is more about personal feeling and intuition than camera settings. What I’m truly after when I pick up my camera is to make sure my images are a true reflection of what I feel at that specific moment in time.

www.elisabettamarzetti.com