Inside My Camera Bag | Matthew Sowa

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My name is Matthew Sowa. I earned my degree from the premier photography college in Warsaw, Poland in 1994. In 1998 I graduated from Art school in Ostrava, The Czech Republic. I freelanced for “Warsaw of Life,” a Warsaw daily newspaper, from 1992-1996, and also at European Pressphoto Agency. Since 2005 I have been working full time as a photographer in New York City, covering more than 600 weddings.

Creativity, passion and energy define my style. My documentary wedding approach is balanced by contemporary portraits created in dramatic way. I infuse my work with enthusiasm, spontaneity and fresh eye. My perspective and dramatic mood are based on the strong and simple composition very often emphasized by shooting in black & white.

What is in my bag?

There are always three cameras and at least 5 different lenses on each wedding assignment.

2X Nikon D4s and one Sony a7s II

My favorite lens is the Nikon 35mm f/1.4 G. I use this lens a lot on the wedding day. A special during the preparation and portraits session with the environment.

The other two favorites are the Nikon 105mm f/1.4 ED and 85mm f/1.4 ED. I use them for the single portraits and group shots.

Nikon 70-200mm f/2.8 GII ED is my number ONE during the ceremony and portraits, depending on the location.

Nikon 24-70mm f/2.8G ED. This range is the “bread & butter” in wedding photography. I always use it for the entire reception along with Nikon AF-S 85mm f/1.4 G or Nikon 70-200mm f/2.8 GII ED.

4X Nikon SB-800 Speedlite with Phottix Strato II

Since 2015, I have started working with mirrorless cameras. Currently, I have been shooting with a Sony a7s II with the silence shutter mode, mostly during the preparation and ceremony.

My favorite lens is wide-angle Voigtlander Ultron Aspherical 21mm f/1.8. This is a fantastic manual lens with close up adapter.

List of Kit

Bodies:
Nikon D4s
Sony a7s II

Lenses:
Nikon AF-S 35mm f/1.4G
Nikon AF-S 50mm f/1.4G
Nikon AF-S 85mm f/1.4 G
Nikon AF-S 105mm f/1.4G ED
Nikon AF-S Micro 105mm f/2.8 G ED
Nikon AF-S 14-24mm f/2.8G ED
Nikon AF-S 24-70mm f/2.8G ED
Nikon AF-S 70-200mm f/2.8 GII ED
Sony Zeiss FE 28mm f/2
Sony Zeiss FE 55mm f/1.8
Sony FE 70-200mm f/4 G OSS
Voigtlander Ultron Aspherical 21mm f/1.8