Jimmy Bui

My name is Jimmy Bui and I’m a wedding photographer based in Riverside, California. I was an elementary school teacher and worked in public education for ten years before I found my passion for photography.

I consider myself incredibly lucky to be working in an industry filled with inspirational artists, and I hope to inspire those to pursue their dreams as others have done for me.

When it comes to equipment, first and foremost, I’m a lighting guy. I’ll think about the lighting first before I decide which camera and which lens I will use. Most of the time during a wedding, I’ll use the natural light that’s available, and I’ll bust out the occasional reflector or even a 4×6′ California Sunbounce.

I’m definitely no stranger to strobe work, as I was a fashion photographer before I devoted myself to wedding photography full-time. The Profoto system is absolutely amazing, and the company has done a fantastic job tailoring their recent line of strobes for the working wedding photographer.

I use the Profoto B1 when I’m shooting in bright sunlight and just need some extra power (It gives 500 WS). I also use the Profoto B2 when I need to be quick with a portrait session. The great thing about the system is that they’re both TTL capable, which is huge for a wedding photographer who needs to work fast.

I also have a set of (2) Canon 600 EX-RT‘s that I use on my cameras for bounce flash, and (4) Yongnuo YN-600 EX-RT‘s. I mainly use these for the reception and I like to place the Yongnuo flashes around the four corners of a reception hall to add beautiful rim lighting to the guests.

I’ll be upgrading my speedlites to the newly announced Profoto A1. To have a strobe/speedlite system that can all be controlled under one system will be huge for me and my workflow.

I also have the Godox LED 120C Video Light that I use for small details like rings, jewelry, flowers, etc. I’ll also sometimes use the light for creative portraits.

Now, on to the bread and butter of my equipment:

I shoot with the Canon 5D Mark IV and it’s my workhorse camera system for weddings. All the things that I wished the Mark III had, is now in the Mark IV and I couldn’t be happier. I keep two bodies on me for most of the day, one with a telephoto lens and the other with a wide-angle lens, and they’re attached to my Holdfast Money Maker Camera Strap, which is awesome.

For the ceremony and wedding portrait session, I’ll usually use a combination of the Canon 35mm f/1.4 II and the Sigma 85mm f/1.4 Art or the Canon 50mm f/1.2 and Canon 135mm f/2.

I’ll switch off to the Sigma 12-24mm f/4 Art lens when I want to get crazy for an ultra-wide portrait shot, and I like to use the Canon 16-35mm f/2.8 III for the reception paired with one of my telephoto prime lenses.

When I’m feeling particularly inspired (or need inspiration), I’ll bust out my Leica system. I have the Leica M7 film camera, and I love shooting and experimenting with different film stocks. Some of my favorite 35mm film stock include the Kodak Ektar 100, the Kodak Portra 800, the Fuji Natura 1600, and the Ilford Delta BW 400.

I also have the Leica M10, which is a digital full frame mirrorless camera. I absolutely love this camera, and with the new, redesigned sensor and high ISO capability, it matches my shooting style to the T. The files are absolutely beautiful too.

As for Leica lenses, I have the Summilux 50mm f/1.4 and the Summilux 28mm f/1.4. These are some of my favorite lenses, not because of their “on the surface” qualities, but because of their character. It is true when people say that Leica has a special “look” and using this system always re-ignites my passion for photography.

Not pictured is the plethora of bags and cases that I use. Depending on the situation, whether it’s an engagement shoot or big wedding, whether I need to be super mobile or I’m shooting in studio, or if I’m traveling out of state or out of the country, I’ll pick a bag or case that will best fit my needs.

Here are some of the bags/cases that I use: LowePro ProTactic 450 AW, LowePro ProTactic 350 AW, Peak Design Everyday Backpack 30L, Peak Design Everyday Messenger 15″, Ona Bowery Camera Bag, Think Tank Airport Navigator, Think Tank Logistics Manager 30, Think Tank Production Manager 40, and Pelican 1485Air Hard Case.

www.jimmybuiphotography.com

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