My name is Dylan Kitchener from The Kitcheners, and I’ve been photographing weddings and elopements for over fifteen years, capturing stories across Scotland and around the world.

I’m based in Edinburgh, where I live with my wife Joanna and our two boys, Gustav and Bruno.

Over the years, I’ve learned that great photography has far more to do with light, timing, composition, framing, and human connection than with the gear itself.

That said, having equipment that gives you the freedom and flexibility to fully express your creative vision is a huge advantage.

I think it’s incredibly important to know your gear inside out. Your camera should feel like an extension of your hands, not something that ever limits you technically when moments are unfolding fast.

I shot Nikon for many years, but made the move to Canon in 2023 when their mirrorless system felt like the strongest option available for the way I work.

The autofocus performance, lens lineup and overall shooting experience made it an easy decision.

Here’s what’s currently in my wedding photography bag:

Canon R3 – This is my primary camera body and the camera I rely on most heavily throughout a wedding day.

Photographing outdoor elopements in Scotland means dealing with unpredictable weather, so the exceptional weather sealing is a huge plus.

It also has incredible autofocus, excellent low-light performance, and outstanding battery life, all of which are essential when you’re shooting long wedding days in constantly changing conditions.

I also prefer the colour science from the R3 compared with the other Canon bodies I’ve used.

The slightly smaller file sizes are surprisingly welcome too, especially when you’re generating enormous amounts of work each season and trying to keep hard drive space under control.

As an added bonus, it’s also a very capable video camera!

Canon R5 – This has been my secondary camera body and will soon be replaced by the Canon R5 Mark II. When I need higher resolution or the ability to crop aggressively without sacrificing image quality, the R5 is the perfect tool for the job.

It’s also noticeably smaller and lighter than the R3, which makes it a brilliant travel companion for destination weddings and overseas elopements.

Canon R6 – My third body and backup camera. Reliable, fast and always ready to step in when needed, not pictured as I’m using it to take the photo.

Canon RF 28–70mm f/2L USM – This lens is my baby. The RF 28-70mm f/2L lives on my R3 for about 80% of a wedding day. It’s an absolute powerhouse and genuinely feels like having a bag full of prime lenses rolled into one lens.

The image quality is stunning, but what I love most is the flexibility it gives me. Weddings move quickly, and situations change constantly. This lens allows me to work fast, adapt instantly and capture moments in a more complete, fluid way.

The only real downside is the size and weight. At around 1.4kg, especially paired with the R3, it’s not exactly subtle. But it’s a compromise I’m more than happy to make because of what this lens gives back creatively.

Canon EF 85mm f/1.4L IS USM – I absolutely love this lens. Whenever I want to isolate a subject or create a more intimate, compressed look, this is my go-to choice.

The autofocus is incredibly fast, and the rendering is beautiful, with gorgeous background separation and a lovely sense of depth.

Because it’s an EF lens, it requires an adapter on the RF system, which makes the overall setup a little longer than I’d ideally like. For that reason, I’m planning to move over to the Canon RF 85mm f/1.4L VCM Hybrid Prime lens very soon.

Canon RF 15–35mm f/2.8L IS USM – Whenever I need to go wider, this is the lens I reach for. It’s sharp, fast to focus, has excellent image stabilisation, and gives me the extra field of view needed for landscapes, environmental portraits, and tighter spaces, all of which are particularly useful when photographing Scottish elopements in dramatic outdoor locations.

Canon RF 70–200mm f/2.8L IS USM – Probably my least-used lens, but one that still comes to every single wedding.

There are moments when you simply can’t get close to ceremonies, speeches and quieter documentary moments, and this lens is perfect for those situations.

The retractable 70mm design also makes it much easier to travel with than previous versions, which I really appreciate.

DJI Mini Pro 4 – It’s small and light, so it’s perfect for travelling and hiking with.  I often use a drone for video work and am starting to incorporate it more into stills work, too.

Godox V1 Pro – My flash of choice, mostly reserved for the dance floor.

I tend to use flash sparingly throughout the day, but when the lights go down and the dance floor kicks off, the Godox V1 Pro delivers exactly what I need.

Holdfast Vegan Leather Money Maker – This is really comfortable for long wedding days, looks good and keeps my two cameras easily accessible at all times.

That’s my update for 2026.

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2019

My name is Dylan Kitchener and I am a 30 year old wedding photographer living in Scotland and one half of Kitchener Photography (the other half being my super-talented and beautiful wife, Joanna).

I started photographing in Australia in 2008 when I purchased my first Nikon D90 simply because I’m a bit of a geek and a DSLR was a new thing to play with.

What started off as a curiosity, quickly developed into a passion and I haven’t looked back since. Today Joanna and I are fortunate enough to be photographing weddings around the United Kingdom and many other exciting overseas destinations over the next 12 months.

To me, each wedding day is a beautiful and unique cinematic story waiting to be told and that’s how I like to approach it. I love photographing weddings and honestly can’t imagine doing anything else now.

Gear-wise, at the moment I shoot with 2 Nikon D800 ’s usually with the Nikon 35mm f/1.4 and Nikon 85mm f/1.4 attached on each body.

I use the Nikon 35mm f/1.4 for the majority of situations during the wedding day and the Nikon 85mm f/1.4 (or Nikon 135mm f/2) for situations where I want to maintain some distance such as the ceremony or any other intimate moments where I don’t want to be too imposing.

The rest of my kit:

-My good-luck cap
-Nikon 50mm f/1.4
-Holdfast Money Maker camera harness
-Nikon  SB-910 Speedlight
–Hama Lens Cleaning Pen

www.kitchenerphotography.co.uk

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