Keith Acedera
Wedding | Last Updated: April 4, 2024
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Hello! I’m a wedding photographer based out of Toronto, Canada. I am also an avid traveller, a music lover, a father of two beautiful girls and a husband in love with the most amazing person I know! I have been shooting weddings since 2009 but have been in love with photography since I was 8 years old. I even remember asking Santa Claus to get me a simple point and shoot camera back in the film days. Sure enough, I tried my best to avoid his naughty list! As Christmas 1990 came along, I was granted my very first camera — Vivitar AF300…after all, I was a good kid!
I chose to shoot weddings right after getting married in 2008 to my beautiful wife. The very emotions of my own wedding day simply inspired me to tell other people’s stories, so I quickly picked up my first DSLR camera from Canon (Rebel T1i
) and never jumped ship to another brand ever since! That’s right! …I’m a Canon boy! There’s just something about the Canon colors and the way it renders photos!
Here are the tools I use:
Cameras
I use the Canon 5D Mark IV
as my primary camera and a Canon 6D
as my second body. I definitely carry both with me all throughout a wedding day, but the 5D Mark IV
is my bread and butter! Ever since it came out in the market, you can’t help but appreciate the low light capabilities as well as the much improved dynamic range and AF! On the flip side, the 6D
has also been in my bag for quite some time now and I can appreciate its simplicity and is my favorite camera to take when travelling! When compared to the Canon 5D Mark III
, it just locks the focus super quick without much struggle. Plus the lighter weight is just a killer combo! My aging back surely thanks me!
Lenses
Canon 35mm f/1.4L
(version 1) – Well, this lens is probably the most versatile lens in my bag and I just can’t replace it. It’s my workhorse! She’s my one true love! Even with the newer version of this lens, I still love the colors and contrast of this lens. If I was to bring only one lens with me, this would be it! You can do everything and anything with it, including shooting an entire wedding day with just this one lens! Some of my favorite money shots just come out of this baby, especially during those times when space is tight, like the dance floor! I even shoot my own kids 90% of the time with this lens and it never misses a beat for me!
Canon 85mm f/1.8
– I think this is one of those awesome, yet underrated lenses out there! Yes, that’s right…I choose this over the ever-so-awesome Canon 85mm f/1.2L
lens! This is one of the first few lenses I bought but sold it a few years back….clearly a mistake! I realized what I lost and had to buy her back again! For the record, I tried my very best to love the renowned Canon 85mm f/1.2L
, but when I get home from a wedding day, I look at how many shots I’ve missed! Sure, you get those dreamy shots, but at the end of the day, if you are not coming home with keeper shots…what’s the point?!? The AF speed on this lens is just blazin’ fast! And when you pair that with its ability to take some amazing portraits…this lens is money! And speaking of ‘money’, it’s a fraction of the cost of the 85mm f/1.2L
! Oh and did I mention that this lens is super light and a joy to use?!?! =) It’s a win-win in my books!
Canon 135mm f/2.0L
– Butter, butter, butter!!! The camera gods just made this specially for us! Definitely my favourite lens to use in my bag whenever I can! Once I step outdoors, I don’t even think about it….I just grab this and everything that comes out of it is just magic! If I can only shoot an entire wedding with this, I would! Needless to say, the f/2.0 aperture is just a life-saver when it comes to dimly lit churches and reception venues. I just love using this for all my candid shots and guest reactions during speeches. If you love doing portraits, this lens is unbeatable! The lightweight just makes it a joy to use without breaking your neck walking around.
Canon 15mm f/2.8 Fisheye
– Feeling creative on the wedding day?!? Well this is the best tool to do it! I love using this for some environmental portraits! And what it does, it does well in low light! The f/2.8 aperture was also the main selling point for me. I was initially thinking of getting the newer, sharper Canon 8-15mm f/4.0L
lens, but I felt the f/4.0 aperture will fall short for me when used in low light conditions. That’s a full stop of light difference! Needless to say, this lens is plenty sharp for me. I had a good challenge tracking this guy down as it was no longer in production when I decided to add it in my bag. Luckily, I still managed to find a great copy in the used market.
Lights
Canon Speedlight 580 EX II Flash
– It’s not the latest and greatest, but it surely once was! Still does the job for me and that’s all that matters.
Transmitters
Phottix Strato II Multi 5-in-1 Wireless Triggers
– I use these with both my flashes and strobes. I tried many systems out there and found that these worked the best for me. The range and distance I get out of these is crazy!! And at only $100 a pair (transmitter & receiver), it’s really tough to beat!
I’ve been becoming more and more of a minimalist these days and truly believe in the “Less is more!” concept….which is why I try to keep my gear as simple as possible. I used to carry a whole lot more when I first started but slowly realized that I really don’t need all that! Even with the above gear, I feel like I can still trim it more…who knows?!? …perhaps one day I just might decide to rock it with 2 lenses and 1 flash! =)
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