Kiyah Crittendon

Hi! My name is Kiyah and my socks hardly ever match. I am a dog lover, a frequent nap taker, and a wedding photographer based in Atlanta, Georgia. My photography journey started years ago in middle school thanks to my dad’s love for photography, disposable cameras, and my first point-and-shoot. Since then, I’ve become obsessed with photography and the stories, adventures, and the people that it has brought into my life.

DIGITAL

I started out with Canon back in ~2005 and I’m pretty sure I’ll be a Canon girl forever. I had Canon Powershots and Rebels, and now my main body is a Canon 6D. It’s full-frame, great in low light situations, and has wi-fi already built in, which is probably my favorite feature. If it had a dual memory card slot, it’d be a 10/10 for me. Still, I love this camera body and will always recommend it to others.

As for lenses, I’ve cycled through nearly every focal length, and I’m still so indecisive about which I like best. Recently, the Canon 50mm f/1.4 has been my favorite because it’s so versatile and creates really beautiful portraits.

Yet, the Sigma 35mm f/1.4 Art is another favorite that I hate to not have with me at all shoots. This lens is ideal for the documentary-like approach that I use in my photography and it creates some stunning bokeh in the right light.

I use the Canon 85mm f/1.8 often during wedding ceremonies and couples’ portraits for its awesome bokeh as well. The Tamron 70-200mm f/2.8 is my go-to for wedding ceremonies because I love that it lets me get really close into those intimate moments at the altar.

FILM

In high school, I took a black and white film class, which introduced me to the beauty that is the darkroom. I fell in love with the process of developing my own photographs, and I knew from then that film would always be a part of my life. One day I hope to have my own darkroom in my house!

I have a collection of about nine film cameras; some of them are actually usable and some are just for decoration. The one I use most is the Olympus OM-88, and it was a gift from my uncle. It has a 35-70mm lens, uses power focus, and doesn’t actually have the ability to change any exposure settings without an added piece of equipment. Sadly, one time, I shot a whole roll on this camera not knowing the film wasn’t advancing, but that’s the risk that comes with film photography!

My favorite films to use are Ilford HP5 400 and Portra 400. I also use a Polaroid OneStep 600 on wedding days (when I can remember) so that my couples can leave holding a photograph of them.

OTHER STUFF

I use two flashes mainly during wedding receptions: Canon 580EX and Yongnuo YN600EX-RT. Both flashes do their job well! I recently got a glass prism for experimenting with rainbows and reflections. I’m excited to play with it more and add some interesting variety to my images.

I added a bison leather Holdfast Money Maker in mahogany to my gear last year and I really don’t know how I ever worked without it. I love the freedom of being able to let go of my camera with both hands and just have it safely hanging beside me. It’s also so ideal for wearing two bodies at once. I feel pretty legit on wedding days wearing it!

Lastly, I wear the Abby Marsala crossbody camera bag from Jo Totes to pretty much every shoot and every wedding. It looks like a purse, but it’s actually a camera bag and can fit a decent amount of equipment inside.

www.kiyahcrittendon.com