Inside My Digital camera Bag | David Weightman

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Hello, I’m David. I’m a marriage photographer based mostly in Surrey, within the UK.

I’m a type of photographers whose About Me web page describes how I found an outdated digital camera mendacity round at residence and have by no means appeared again since.

For me, it was my grandfather’s outdated Zeiss Icon digital camera, and I used to be sixteen on the time. I started to study extra about pictures as a part of a GNVQ in Artwork & Design and went on to do a level in Images on the College for the Artistic Arts in Surrey.

Early in my profession, I dabbled with vogue and editorial pictures and was fortunate sufficient to cowl Paris Style Week. Taking pictures a canopy story for one of many Sunday dietary supplements within the UK.

In 2003-2004 I used to be awarded a scholarship to work for Benetton in Italy at their communication analysis centre, Fabrica. On my return to England, I had the chance to shoot just a few weddings for household and associates earlier than I ultimately launched my enterprise in 2007.

I’m drawn to the uncanny and humorous moments of a marriage day, and as somebody who promotes themselves as a documentary wedding ceremony photographer, I’m significantly all in favour of the way in which totally different generations come collectively on the day.

I really discover the thought of documentary wedding ceremony pictures barely problematic, and I put this all the way down to the picture concept lectures we obtained at school and publicity to the up to date artwork pictures scene.

Though I’m passionate concerning the documentary method (I exploit the time period loads in my advertising and marketing), I discover the truth that the consumer can also be the principle topic of our footage to be reasonably at odds with creating a completely sincere illustration of their wedding ceremony.

I’m digressing considerably, however it’s why, sometimes, I love to do private initiatives that discover totally different facets of weddings. I’ve simply accomplished a mission wherein I documented a mom of the bride and her daughter making her wedding ceremony costume.

Lately I’ve additionally accomplished a sequence of portraits of lately engaged {couples} attending one of many huge wedding ceremony gala’s right here within the UK and a sequence of blended media portraits of the longest married couple at every wedding ceremony I attended that specific 12 months.

Cameras

Sony A9 x 2 – these cameras gave my pictures a brand new lease of life after I switched from Nikon. I’ll select a primary lens to placed on one physique that I believe will probably be most helpful for that a part of the day or if I’ve a selected shot in thoughts. The opposite A9 has the zoom lens hooked up.

My important Sony A9 is about up with bounce flash, both with Pixapro 350II, or I’ll use this as a set off to fireplace the extra highly effective Pixapro Pika200, which I’ve been identified handy maintain on the dance ground!

Which may sound extreme, however with the MagSphere from Magmod hooked up, it provides a high quality of sunshine that’s fairly lovely, and the recycle time is instantaneous.

My second A9 is then used as my ambient mild “stroll round” digital camera.

A part of my philosophy on weddings is that there may very well be essential moments occurring anyplace at any time, so I don’t wish to prohibit myself to solely capturing the dance ground within the night.

Sony A7c – my most up-to-date buy primarily as a journey digital camera, however for weddings, I depart it arrange with my Zeiss Batis 25mm f/2 and a Godox/Pixapro 350II on a flash cable from Vello.

So in the course of the night of the marriage, I’ll have three cameras arrange.

With the A7c, I exploit direct flash, cease the lens to f/8 and focus manually to round one and a half metres. This mix works very well because the LCD display screen is clearly seen at the hours of darkness. Nice on the dance ground!

Lenses

Sigma 28-70mm f/2.8 Modern – I lately traded in my Sony GM 24-70mm f/2.8 for this a lot smaller and lighter zoom.

I’m loving how well-balanced it’s on my Sony A9, and it’s hooked up to my important digital camera ninety per cent of the time.

It’s fairly probably the right lens for my type of pictures!

Evidently, I’m a giant advocate for utilizing a zoom lens at weddings.

Sony Zeiss Sonnar 55mm f/1.8 – one in every of Sony’s smallest lenses and one which I’m unlikely to ever promote. This one is usually used at winter weddings.

Sony Zeiss Distagon 35mm f/1.4 – that is my get-out-of-jail lens in low mild conditions or after I actually wish to blur out the background.

Zeiss Batis 85mm f/1.8 – this lens has a focal distance that will get me shut sufficient however nonetheless provides me sufficient house within the body to be inventive with my composition. Often for the ceremony and speeches.

Zeiss Batis 25mm f/2 – my good dance ground lens.

Sony Zeiss Sonnar 35mm f/2.8 – this can be a nice journey lens and a very good backup. It was one in every of my first lenses after I switched from Nikon to Sony, because it encapsulated the potential of the mirrorless system on the time.

Lighting

Pixapro 350II x 3 – I really like that they run on lithium-ion batteries, and utilizing one in every of them as a set off may be very dependable.

Pixapro Pika 200TTL – so versatile and so highly effective. It’s like having a studio strobe in your bag!

Iwata Genius Professional – this LED mild is the scale of a big cell phone and is nice to have in an emergency for that uncommon event after I would possibly want to spice up the sunshine ranges or give the autofocus a serving to hand.

I exploit a Lowepro Tahoe 150 Backpack , which is a straightforward rucksack that just about carries all the pieces that I want. For an awesome light-weight stand that’s good for vacation spot weddings, I exploit the Manfrotto Nanopole.

Among the different gear I carry is a Suppose Tank Lens Changer 25 V3.0 which is nice for carrying an additional lens, spare SD playing cards and a lens material.

To not neglect my Black Widow Spider Holster which is such a easy design but good for any mirrorless digital camera.