“Your CAMERA takes really good pictures!”
is something every photographer loathes to hear. It’s like asking a chef (after an amazing meal) what kind of STOVE she has…
While I do believe it is the PHOTOGRAPHER that makes the pictures, professional gear is essential to getting the job done right, and I have always invested in such. Since beginning my career in 1996, I’ve literally shot MILLIONS of photos, on THOUSANDS, yes, THOUSANDS of photoshoots.
What’s in my bag?
I’m a Nikon girl through and through. I carry a camera and a backup camera on every shoot. There’s nothing more unprofessional than having an equipment failure when you’re on the job. I shoot with the Nikon D6 and Z9 professional camera bodies and have the Nikon D4s and D3 as backups. I always shoot on two cards in case one fails.
I carry a variety of lenses but keep these in my bag at all times:
Nikon 16mm 2.8
Nikon 24mm 2.8
Nikon 35mm 2.8
Nikon 85mm 1.4
Nikon 70-200mm 2.8
Nikon 50mm 1.2
Other gear I have with me on location:
2 – Godox AD600 pros
2 – Godox AD200s
1 – Nikon SB-800 Off-camera Flash
x-Rite color checker for consistency of color
And a Minolta light meter I’ve had since I started my career.
This is just what I often use on location. In my studio, I use GodoxAD600 pros.