Sergio Cueto

Wedding | Last Updated: April 4, 2024

Hi there! My name is Sergio Cueto. I’m a wedding photographer based in Madrid (Spain) and father of two wonderful kids. When I’m not photographing, I love to build Lego constructions and film stop motion short videos with them.

I studied Audiovisual Communication at University, hoping to become a film director…but ended up working as a TV news cameraman.

I really enjoyed being in the eye of the storm, capturing pictures for the news that people would later see in their houses. Working as a TV news cameraman means that you need to anticipate, to make technical decisions quickly. You have to know when the decisive moment is going to happen, and get to the right place at the right time: that’s the perfect training to be a wedding photographer!

I started my career as a photographer in 2011, and somehow I applied my direct, non-invasive TV news style to my wedding photography. I would say that my style is documentary photography spiced with a bit of creativity: I always want to give my clients a picture that makes them think “how the hell did he do that?”

I do not consider myself a technical person or a “pixel peeper.” I don’t even know every single one my gear’s specs. I think of my equipment as the tools that help me to tell a story and give my own vision of it. I do not feel any kind of loyalty for any specific brand; I simply choose the one that I think is more appropriate for me to do the best of my work. I started out using Canon and in 2015 I changed my 5D Mark III for two Nikon D750s which have made me (almost) happy ever since.

At weddings I always use my two D750s, 35mm f/1.4 and 85mm f/1.8, and a BlackRapid BR-RSDR2 harness. I believe these two lenses are enough to tell the story of a wedding (it would be enough with the 35mm), moreover, having limited options makes me think less about the gear and more about the photography.

I use Sandisk Extreme Pro 64Gb memory cards so I don’t need to change them too often during the wedding day. The rest of the cards remain in the ThinkTank Pixel Pocket memory card holder, inside my pocket.

Equipment

2x Nikon D750. I have a love-hate relationship with them due to the shutter issues that affected both cameras. They are lighter than my old Canon 5D Mark III, and I adore the dynamic range, the fast focusing even in low light situations, the detail in deep shadow areas and the tilting screen. What I miss the most of my Canon is the quiet shutter mode, as the D750 quiet shutter mode is as noisy as the normal one.

My usual camera configuration is: AF-C mode with back button focus; BW screen so that I’m not distracted by color and I can see light, shadows and focus more clearly (I will edit the color after the wedding); dual memory card slots for instant backup (both recording RAW files); and user settings U1 & U2 set with general outdoor highlight and indoor flash modes.

Sigma 24mm f/1.4 ART. (AKA “The party guy”) This lens remains inside the bag until the first dance and reception: It is the perfect lens to give the viewer the sensation of being inside the party.

Sigma 35mm f/1.4 ART. (AKA “The storyteller guy”) This one is my primary lens and I only change it at the party, when the 24mm comes into play. The focus is fast and accurate, and the lens has an awesome sharpness for a fraction of the price of the Nikon 35mm f/1.4. Its only drawback is its weight. If I had to choose just one lens, this Sigma would be the one.

Nikon 58mm f/1.4G. Never comes with me to weddings. I use it for couple sessions, engagements and stuff like that. It’s not as sharp as other 50mm and sometimes it’s hard to focus when wide open, but this lens has a great character and its bokeh is delightful.

Nikon 85mm f/1.8D. (AKA “The beautifier”) This little old one has a precise focus and, even though it’s not super-sharp at f/1.8, I love its dreamy color and bokeh. It really shines when I photograph portraits and couple sessions.

Nikon 105mm f/2.8G IF-ED. This big guy only comes out of my bag when it’s time to photograph details since I prefer working with the light Nikon 85mm f/1.8D.

2x Nikon SB-910 Speedlights. Even though I’m an available light enthusiast, I don’t cry if I have to light a scene. In Spain there are plenty of churches with horrible lighting, so I do use my speedlights quite often (off camera as often as possible).

2x Yongnuo YN-685 Speedlights. I added these two recently so that I can be able to setup off-camera lights in large venues. Reliable, powerful and a great value for the money compared with the SB-910. As an extra, they can be triggered directly with the Yongnuo YN-622N.

Magmod system (MagSphere, MagGrid, MagGel). I simply love this speedlight modifier system: fast, versatile, and easy to use. It works great both when I want to balance flash and natural lights and for creating some dramatic or artsy light effects.

Manfrotto LED. This is my emergency pocket light for parties and low light areas in which it sometimes helps me to get focus or acts as a fill light.

My bags are Think Tank Retrospective 30 and Lowepro Pro Roller X200.

www.sergiocueto.com