Eric Talerico

Hi Shotkitters! My name is Eric Talerico and I’m a wedding photographer based just outside the Philadelphia area. I run my own business and also work primarily as a lead associate for Twisted Oaks Studio.

I’ve been following Shotkit for a long time so I couldn’t be more excited to be asked to join all the amazing photographers on this site. So a big thanks to Mark for inviting me and everyone who takes the time to read a little bit about me.

I started out in photography a little over 6 years ago taking photos (with a Nikon D3000) of my teammates at Ricardo Almeida Brazilian Jiu Jitsu in between sparring rounds. At first, I thought I wanted to photograph mixed martial arts but one thing led to another and I quickly realized that photographing weddings was what I loved and wanted to do with photography.

Jiu Jitsu is still a big part of my life so when I’m not hanging out with my wife and two kids, or shooting a wedding, you’ll find me on the mats getting beat up by my friends and taking photos.

Ok, now let’s talk about why you’re really here on Shotkit. What’s in my bag?

You might have noticed I have a few different camera brands – Nikon, Leica, and Fuji. I’m not married to any particular brand and will use whatever I feel is right for the situation and how I’m feeling that day.

I’m also always trying to minimize my gear and don’t carry everything thing at once, but limit it to what fits in my bag comfortably.

Nikon is what I primarily use for weddings, with two Nikon D850‘s on a Holdfast Money Maker and a Nikon D5 as a backup that stays in my roller bag. These are my workhorses and I know they can take whatever I throw at them on a wedding day.

Coming from two Nikon D750′s previously, the D850 is the first camera that works so seamlessly I can forget about any camera limitations and focus solely on creating images. Nikon really knocked it out of the park with the D850.

I shoot with prime lenses throughout the entire day up until the reception where I prefer faster focusing and more versatile zooms.

Nikon Lenses:

Nikon 24mm f/1.4

Nikon 35mm f/1.4

Nikon 58mm f/1.4

Nikon 85mm f/1.4

Nikon 45mm Tilt Shift

Nikon 24-70mm f/2.8G

Nikon 16-35m f/4

The Nikon 58mm f/1.4 has to be my all time favorite lens. I love pretty much everything about it. From the swirly bokeh it produces in the right situations down to the size of the lens and how the element is recessed. I like to be close to my clients when shooting and find the 58mm the perfect focal length for my style.

The Nikon 24mm f/1.4 and 35mm f/1.4 are my most used wide angle lenses. I’ve tried so hard to go down to just one or the other but find there are times I just need a 35mm, and others a 24mm. So, I keep them both in my bag for weddings. The Nikon 45mm f/2.8D Tilt Shift I use for creative portraits and occasionally macro lens when I don’t feel like carrying the 105mm f/2.8.

The 85mm f/1.4 is the longest focal length I carry around, and my least used lens. I rarely use anything longer than my 58mm for portraits, unless I want a little compression, and find that the 85mm is all I usually need during ceremonies.

If I need more reach I’ll use Nikon’s in body crop feature, switching from FX to DX. With the resolution of the D850 and knowing when the proper time to crop, I’ve never had an issue with this technique and it’s allowed me to slim down my gear. I sold my Nikon 70-200mm f/2.8 two years ago and have never looked back!

During receptions I go down to one camera and use either a 16-35mm f/4 or my 24-70mm f/2.8 G. I like the faster more reliable auto focus of the zoom lenses for dark receptions with lots of action. Plus the versatility allows me to use only one lens.

For engagement sessions and personal work I’ll leave the Nikons at home and rock my Leica M10 and Fuji X-T3. I love the smaller profile with the mirrorless cameras and it’s refreshing after using my big heavy Nikons on a wedding day.

I also find that by using a smaller camera it puts my clients at ease a bit by not pointing a huge DSLR in their face the first time we meet. I’m still trying to work the Fuji’s into my wedding days but I’m just not quite there yet. Maybe one day.

One of my favorite things about Leica is the character of their lenses. Especially the flare the Summilux-M 50mm f/1.4 produces when the sun hits it just right.

Here’s my most used lenses for the Fuji and Leica:

Leica Summilux-M 50mm f/1.4 ASPH

Fuji 16mm f/1.4

Fuji 23mm f/1.4 (reviewed)

Fuji 35mm f/1.4

Fuji 56mm f/1.2

As far as lighting goes I use two Godox AD200‘s for off camera lighting and a Godox v860ii on camera for fill. The lithium batteries are amazing and the the recycle time on the AD200‘s is lightning fast when kept below 1/16. I’ve been using Godox for about a year and they are still going strong, even though I’ve dropped and smashed them into things about a million times.

I also keep a Litepanels Croma (discontinued) on me at weddings for fast night portraits when I don’t have time to set up OFC.

For light modifiers I use Magmod for almost everything when it comes to OCF portraits. Magmod has really changed the way I shoot by making their modifiers so simple and fast to use. Variations of the grid, sphere, and gels are my favorite. For large group shots I’ll grab my Profoto Umbrella Deep XL for a nice soft light.

To carry my gear I use the Think Tank Retrospective 10 V2.0 most of the time. I can easily fit 2 bodies and 4 lenses in the bag and it’s hands down one of the best bags I’ve ever used.

If I need something larger I’ll reach for my Peak Design Everyday Backpack 30L, usually when I’m carry off camera flash. When I want to keep things simple with just a mirrorless body with 2 lenses it’s the ONA Bowery bag.

If anyone has any questions I would love to hear them in the comments. Thanks for taking the time to read my Shotkit!

Here’s a full list of my most used gear:

Cameras:

Nikon D850 (x2)
Nikon D5
Leica M10
Fuji X-T3/X-T2

Lenses:

Nikon 24mm f/1.4
Nikon 35mm f/1.4
Nikon 58mm f/1.4
Nikon 85mm f/1.4
Nikon 105mm f/2.8 Macro
Nikon 45mmm f/2.8 Tilt Shift
Nikon 24-70mm f/2.8G
Nikon 16-35mm f/4
Leica Summilux-M 50mm f/1.4 ASPH
Fuji 16mm f/1.4
Fuji 23mm f/1.4
Fuji 35mm f/1.4
Fuji 56mm f/1.2

Lighting:

Godox AD200 (x2)
Godox V860ii (x3)
Godox X1N Trigger
Litepanels Croma LED
Magmod Grid/Gels/Sphere
Profoto Umbrella Deep XL in White

Bags/Accessories:

Think Tank Retrospective 10 V2.0
Think Tank International Roller V3.0
Peak Design Everyday Backpack 30L
ONA Bowery
Holdfast Death Trooper Money Maker
Peak Design Leash
Peak Design Cuff

www.twistedoaksstudio.com | @erictwistedoaks