Inside My Camera Bag | Simone Addison

Hi! I’m Simone and I’m a wedding and portrait photographer based in Perth, Western Australia.

I was always a creative person growing up and after I graduated university, I started photographing in a portrait studio. A few years later I branched out on my own and began photographing weddings full time. Almost ten years later I still love capturing the biggest day of people’s lives.

Weddings today are so different and couples are not afraid to make their day more unique. I’ve photographed big and small and each one is special. I’m pretty stoked that I get to say that I photograph happiness for a living.

I’m not keen on dramatic posing so I like to let the day happen as naturally as possible. I do help my couples in front of the camera by asking them to talk to each other and get them to relax and be themselves.

I’m drawn to fun, honest and romantic imagery. I enjoy incorporating graphic elements into an image and finding new angles to work with. I’ve got a Fine Art background so I like to experiment with my images and try out new techniques.

I’m a big believer in mastering the gear you have so I keep my kit relatively simple.

Canon 5D Mark III x3: My work horses. I shoot with two on my Holdfast straps and one sits in my bag as backup. I’ve always had Canon and tried other brands but just found that I kept going back to Canon.

Holdfast Money Maker Harness: Since the 5D Mark III and lenses are rather heavy, I invested in a good leather harness and it’s helped to alleviate some of the stress on my back during a wedding.

Canon 24-70mm f/2.8: This one stays on one camera all day. It’s definitely a great all-rounder. I contemplated getting the 24mm prime but I like being able to zoom in when I need to.

Canon 50mm f/1.4: Love this lens for portraits, close ups and detail shots. I will commonly shoot at f/1.8 to get the dreamy bokeh.

Canon 70-200mm f/2.8: This lens tends to come out mostly for ceremonies and a small part of the location shoot. I enjoy how I can be rather sneaky and capture the candid photos during the ceremony and get that close-up shot of the ring exchange while being further back in the aisle.

Canon 600 EX Flash x2: One is my workhorse and the other is a backup. I like to use flash when the dance floor is pumping and a couple of back-lit night shots.

Canon ST-E3-RT: Love this wireless transmitter. I tried cheaper versions in the past and they didn’t cut it and weren’t reliable. Used for my limited off-camera flash photos.

I’ve also recently purchased the Canon 85mm f/1.8 and I’m awaiting its arrival. Hopefully I can use it for portraits and getting a bit closer to speakers at dimly-lit receptions.

www.simoneaddisonphotography.com.au