Rahul Khona
Wedding | Last Updated: April 4, 2024
I love to document and create stories that are unique to my couples. My unobtrusive photo-journalistic approach to weddings enables me to capture those precious fleeting moments that disappear in the blink of an eye. Even though I am heavily story-driven, I love to create stunning portraits that feel natural and romantic. But sometimes, I also unleash my creativity to create glamorous and even editorial style fashion looks.
Even though I have a lot of kit in my bag, most of my day I am relying on my two Canon 5D MK III’s with my Canon 35mm f/1.4L and Canon 85mm f/1.2L lenses. I started my wedding career using the original Canon 5D ‘s, and have always been with Canon since.
Even though I used to own zoom lenses, I have always shot with primes – I find it keeps me on my toes, moving around a lot to find that perfect composition. At times, when I can’t get close enough to the action or don’t want to seem too intrusive I reach for my Canon 135mm f/2L lens. This lens is probably one of Canon’s best. The sharpness is incredible and the focus is super fast too, and for the price, it is unbelievable. 95% of my day however, I use the Canon 35mm f/1.4L and 85mm f/1.2L combo, I love the clarity, sharpness and bokeh that they produce, but more importantly, I find that they are the best tools I have to tell my story of a wedding day and convey my vision perfectly.
As you can see, I also carry a lot of flashes with me! Being heavily involved in the Asian market, the majority of my weddings tend to be in hotels. So I tend to use my Phottix Mitro’s as off-camera flashes, triggered by my Phottix Odins’s which are the most reliable triggers I have ever used (and boy have I tested a lot out!)
I also carry the Yongnuo YN-560 II flashes which I use for my off camera portraits, especially on pre-wedding shoots, as they are super cheap and it doesn’t hurt my wallet as much if they fall and break when outdoors. I also recently switched from velcro grids and gels to the new Magmods. This is one of the best additions to my kit recently as they are so simple and easy to use, allowing me more time to interact with my couples rather than messing about arranging my lighting.
Another important tool in my kitbag is my Westcott Icelight. I love this light, it’s a daylight balanced, continuous LED light, which I use often on ‘getting ready’ images and my evening reception portraits. Compared to other options the Icelight doesn’t come cheap, but compared to the other options, this is by far the best LED light I have used, as the light produced is so soft, and it simply creates gorgeous results. The only negative point I had with this light, is that I wasn’t able to control the spill as much, but Westcott recently released barn doors for it, which is a great addition.
I carry all my kit in my Think Tank International V2 bag, which fits everything in perfectly including my Macbook Air which travels with me to every wedding. It is indispensable for when I travel to destination weddings too.
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