Nick Ray
Wedding | Last Updated: February 11, 2021
I’m a wedding photographer based on the edge of London in the UK.
I studied photography at art college and I’ve always worked as a photographer.
My background is in press photography and I was a photojournalist for The Times, based in London but shooting stories all over the world, including the conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan.
I changed direction when I got married and had children and I’m now primarily a wedding photographer, although I do have a few commercial clients and I shoot some film and TV stills every now and then.
As a photojournalist by background, I believe in telling the story of the wedding day through natural moments and looking for real reactions and emotions – this is what will have real meaning for the couple in years to come.
In addition to the natural moments I love shooting portraits at a wedding, I keep these relaxed and informal and try not to pose the couple too much. I’m looking to capture their interactions and their feelings for one another.
I started my professional career in the days of film using Nikon equipment and in 2000 I was one of the first photographers at The Times to buy my own digital camera – the Nikon D1 – which made me indispensable, so it was a good career move.
I continued to shoot Nikon, upgrading to the higher-resolution D1X, before switching systems completely in 2005 when I bought two Canon EOS 1D MK II
bodies.
I’ve been shooting Canon ever since. I currently use a couple of Canon 5D MK III
bodies alongside a Leica Q.
I’ve kept the 5D MK III
bodies longer than I normally would as I’m planning another change of system to Sony and their newly announced A9ii camera.
Canon 5D MK lll
(x2)
The workhorses of my business; they never skip a beat.
Leica Q
Digital rangefinder style camera with a fixed 28mm f/1.7 lens. I often use this during the bridal preparations and in the evening. It’s not the fastest camera, but it’s a joy to use and the quality of the photographs it produces is sublime.
Canon 16-35mm f/2.8
This is the original MK1 version of the lens. I’ve had it since forever and I really only use it on the dance floor, or for a very wide perspective shot (for example from the back of a church).
Canon 35mm f/2
This lens is on one of my bodies at all times. The 35mm is the classic photojournalist’s lens although I’ve definitely fallen for the 28mm focal length of my Leica Q’s fixed lens.
Canon 50mm f/1.2
Light goes in one end, magic comes out of the other end. That is all.
Canon 135mm f/2
I’ve had this one a long time, over ten years, and it is as sharp as the day I bought it. I use it for portraits and speeches. Absolutely beautiful lens.
Canon 70-200mm f/2.8
This was a workhorse lens back in my days of press photography. I don’t really use it for weddings, although it’s in the car as a backup. It’s still a good lens and an option if I need a longer reach.
Flash
I normally only use flash on the dancefloor in the evening, although I will do a flash-lit evening portrait if the idea for an interesting shot presents itself. I use Godox flashes
and transmitter
.
(x3)
(x2)
(x2)
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s
(not pictured)Thinktank Shapeshifter backpack bag
(not pictured)Batteries & CF Cards
Suncream
www.nickrayphotography.co.uk | @nickrayphoto
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