Even if you are not really all that interested in reading about my equipment, which I totally get, I recommend that you read the section below on Backup Cameras.
First let me state that great equipment does not make a great photographer. That said, top notch equipment does give a photographer a distinct edge and better images, which means that you get top quality images.
My Primary camera is a Canon 1d Mark IV.
This Pro camera has a high quality 16.2 Mega-pixel sensor and shoots up to 10 pictures per second. The high quality sensor in this body creates images with enough quality to print a poster sized print (30"x40"). And although very few people ever order a print that large, the quality of the sensor translates into extremely clear sharp images for smaller prints and albums as well. The Mark IV cameras are extremely durable which is exactly what I want when shooting in a "once-in-a-lifetime" event like a wedding. Yet despite their durability sometimes things go wrong, like the day I dropped a camera while shooting a wedding....which brings us to backup equipment.
My backup (secondary) camera is an exact duplicate of my primary camera, the Canon 1d Mark IV. One of the things that separates a really great photographer from a mediocre photographer is that a great photographer is intimately familiar with their equipment and knows exactly how to get the best images from it... in an instant. Which is why using a backup/secondary camera that is exactly the same as your primary camera is so important.
On the wedding day that I dropped my camera at a wedding and it stopped working, I simply handed it to my assistant and he handed me my "backup" camera and we went right on shooting - in a room of 20+ people only the Bride & Groom noticed what had happened, and that's because I was shooting their picture at the time.
If you don't use a camera regularly, especially with today's sophisticated digital cameras, you won't remember all the features and options you need to take the best images. When I'm at your wedding I don't want to have to change equipment in the middle and try to remember exact how this other camera works.
The other reason I use a duplicate backup camera is that I want the images from your wedding to be a consistent high quality and that can only be delivered by a duplicate camera. For many photographer's their backup up camera is their old technology camera - in other words it's the camera they shot with a few years ago - the one they used until they could afford a better/newer camera.
Why don't all photographers carry exact duplicate equipment? The answer to that is simple, Expense. It expensive to carry 2 copies of the latest camera or in my case 3 copies). One way photographers get away with charging less is that they use an older or less sophisticated equipment. This can save them thousands of dollars a year, and while this might translate into a small savings on your wedding package, it's simply not a risk I'm willing to take on your behalf. I would not take this risk with my own daughters wedding images, and I won't take it with yours.
My third backup camera works exactly the same as my first two cameras, except it is the Top of the Line Canon 21 Megapixel 1Ds. And my fourth camera is a highly specialized body, a Canon 5D, converted to shoot B&W Infrared images, which have a wonderful etherial look that simply can't be duplicated.
I use Canon's "L" Red Strip lenses. These super high quality, extra sharp, durable lenses are the choice of professional the world over. These superior lenses use a combination of ultra-low dispersion glass, multi-coatings, fluoride glass, and special elements to provide the clearest most detailed images available.
These lenses also feature high speed focusing motors that help me lock in focus quickly and capture those special fleeting moments at your wedding.
They also are fast lenses (f/2.8) so they work better in low light and allow selective focus to make for better and more interesting images.
I use Canon 580EX flashes that are matched to the Canon 1d Mark III camera to provide excellent lighting under even difficult lighting situations. I carry up to 5 - 580ex flashes along with 2 high power Quantum flashes to light churches and reception halls as need to provide superior pictures.
Beyond the primary components listed above is a nearly endless list of lights, lenses, batteries, and accessories that I use to craft the best wedding images from your event.
Do I use everything at every wedding?
No, however having options increases creative choices and the quality of your images.
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