Kama Catch Me

This is Gitte & Ropate Kama from Kama Catch Me Photography. We are currently based in Fiji having been in the UK perviously (Ropate is originally from Fiji and I’m from Belgium).

Being able to incorporate travel with ‘work’ suits our nomadic lifestyle, and this adventurous approach is something we’ve incorporated into weddings which we call an ‘Off The Beaten Path’ (OTBP) session.

Going OTBP came about as we realised that the majority of Destination weddings were being held in resorts, and we felt it important to take the couples on an adventure to give them their own personal experience at the same time.

Wedding Day Gear:
We shoot as a duo and most of the day I shoot with the Canon 35mm f/1.4 and the Canon 85mm f/1.2 and my husband uses the Canon 70-200mm f/2.8 IS II and a Canon 35mm f/1.4. We shoot with Canon 5D Mark III bodies and Holdfast Money Maker straps.

During the reception we mostly use Canon 630EX-RT flashes and the Canon 24mm f/1.4 and the Canon 135mm f/2.

Our favourite camera bags during a wedding are the ZKIN Champ Camera Bag and the Ona Capri bag. We number all of our memory cards and store them in ThinkTank Pixel Pocket Rocket Card Cases.

Shooting in Harsh Conditions:
With Fiji being a hot and humid country we store our gear in an airtight container with a dehumidifier to prevent mould. Because of the same conditions we also have to replace our gear regularly so we have plenty of back up gear as we can’t buy gear in Fiji.  To get our gear serviced we have to travel overseas and take everything with us and get it serviced in Australia/NZ or Europe, it’s not ideal but nonetheless a necessary compromise for living and shooting in paradise.

That’s one of the reasons why we like the Canon 70-200mm f/2.8 IS ii: because it’s never given up on us. All our the other lenses have broken down at some point because of the harsh conditions but the trusted 70-200mm continues to be our workhorse.

When the sun is really harsh and when its super windy, we use the KINOTEHNIK viewfinder to get the exposure right. Its a great help when shooting on a beach on a super hot day.

When we initially started shooting in Fiji and going OTBP, we didn’t realise how damaging just a little but of salt water (or extensive amounts of time in the Sun and Sand) could be. From experience we have learnt the hard way (a few knackered bodies) to protect our gear from the elements, especially Sea Water and Sand.

Nowadays when we have to take a boat or seaplane we carry our gear in waterproof bags. The Lowepro Dry Zone Duffle Bag 20L and a Quicksilver Dry Bag both of which are so handy and saved us the despair of having to take precious time out of our travels just to repair gear.

For our underwater shoots we use an SPL Splash Underwater housing.

Travelling overseas:
While travelling or going on road trips we use the trusty ZKIN Champ Camera Bag and ZKIN Yeti Camera Bag, it was the design that initially drew us towards these winners but their quality, durability and practicality is what has kept us going back.

List of Gear:
4x Canon 5D Mark III
1x Canon 5D Mark II
1x Canon 24mm f/1.4
1x Canon 24-70mm f/2.8
2x Canon 35mm f/1.4
1x Canon 45mm f/2.8 TS-E
1x Canon 50mm f/1.2
1x Canon 85mm f/1.2
1x Canon 135mm f/2
1x Canon 70-200mm f/2.8 IS ii
4x Canon 630EX-RT Flashes
1x Canon ST-E3-RT Speedlite Transmitter
2x KINOTEHNIK LCDVF 3C Optical viewfinders
2x Hold Fast Gear – Moneymaker straps
1x MeFoto Roadtrip Tripod
2x ThinkTank Pixel Pocket Rocket Card Cases
1x ZKIN Champ Camera Bag
1x ZKIN Yeti Camera Bag
1x Ona Bag – The Capri
1x Lowepro DryZone Duffle Bag 20L
1x Quicksilver Sea Stash Sealable Wetsuit Dry bag
1x SPL Splash underwater housing

www.kamacatchme.com

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