For Photographers: What I shoot with

For Photographers

June 20, 2013

Before I go any further with this post I just wanted to say that by writing this post I’m in no way saying I’m an expert on lenses or photography (or really anything besides fast food and sitcoms…I’m pretty beast in both categories) and so you should take what I say with a grain of salt. I can only share what works for me, and if that helps you, awesome! If not, I’m sorry…have you had Taco Bell’s beefy crunch burrito? So delicious.

Now that my disclaimer is out of the way, let’s get started! If you’ve been reading my blog for a while, you probably know that I shoot with a 5D Mark II. You might not know what lenses I shoot with though, and that’s what I’m sharing today! I shoot almost every wedding with only three lenses, the 35 1.4, the 50 1.2, and the 135 2.0. They’re all so great and fit my needs and my shooting style really well. When I first started photography I shot a lot with the 24-70…I used that and the 50 1.8 at each wedding. Occasionally I would rent the 70-200 because I thought I had to. That’s what PROFESSIONALS used. Or so I thought.

I soon became enamored with the short black lenses with the fancy red rings around their tops. I knew that I wanted to use them but I didn’t know why…but once I rented one for the first time (I think it was the 35 1.4) I fell in love. Prime lenses pretty much can’t be beat by zoom lenses. To me comparing a zoom to a prime is like comparing a steak hot pocket to a steak that has been lovingly marinated and cooked to perfection. Okay, maybe that’s an extreme analogy, but I think that even though a zoom lens is more convenient, a prime lense is just so much more worth the extra money and the trouble it takes to use your feet to zoom. Plus you burn more calories that way and then you can afford to eat more steak and steak hot pockets.

Seriously though, prime lenses are much more crisp and sharp than their zoom counterparts. The colors are richer and more saturated, and the clarity is way better. I also appreciate that with a prime lens you have to be much more intentional with your compositions and since most primes stop down to lower apertures than zooms do, you have to really take care with how you shoot because really wide apertures are NOT forgiving. Random helpful hint: when switching from a cropped sensor body to a full frame, there IS a learning curve. The depth of field is so much more shallow on a full frame body, shooting at 1.6 on a Mark II isn’t the same as shooting at 1.6 on a 50D. Take it from me:)

ANYWAY, random tips and food references aside, here’s some info on how I use each lens on a wedding day!

35 1.4

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I use this lens more and more all the time. I LOVE it. I just think its a super versatile lens and I really love how sharp and bright the images it produces are. It’s pretty much a must have for shooting family formals and larger bridal parties. I would say I shoot with the 35 about forty percent of the day or so…I use it for details, family formals, bridal party, and dancing shots at the reception. I’ll also use it anytime I’m in a really tight situation, like a small getting ready room. Β I shoot the wedding processional with the 35 as well! The processional can be one of the most challenging things to shoot…often they happen in dark churches where light is at a minimum, which makes focusing (especially on moving subjects) somewhat difficult. I prefer to use the 35 over any other lenses for the processional because it focuses very fast, is sharp, and stops down to 1.4 in case I need that little bit of extra light! I tried using the 135 for processionals, but honestly, it wasn’t for me. The longer the lens, the more background separation there is and the harder it is to nail that focus.

50 1.2

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I love this lens too. It’s my favorite for shooting portraits and suits my style better than the 85, which I’ve tried, but wasn’t really a huge fan of. I love shallow depth of field, but I actually prefer the bokeh on the 50 to the 85…I know, I’m crazy. I use the 50 to shoot portraits, ceremonies, receptions (toasts, first dance, etc), details, etc. If you can only afford one prime and you want something that’s going to be a great jack of all trades, a 50 1.2 is a great choice! I have second shot weddings with only the 50 1.2 in tow and still managed to get a variety of great images!

135 2.o

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Although I don’t use this lens very much, it’s such a necessary lens! I really only use it for one part of the day, but that part of the day happens to be the most important….the ceremony! I prefer this lens over the huge 70-200 for a few reasons…one, I don’t have a ton of upper body strength (let’s just keep it real now) and two, the 70-200 only stops down to 2.8, which doesn’t cut it in a dark church. The one thing that weighs 70-200s favor is that it does have IS built in, so it’s a little easier to use a slower shutter speed. Another thing I hate about the 70-200 is that it’s WHITE. It sticks out like a huge sore thumb. The 135 is shorter and black, so it blends in better and I don’t stick out quite as much. It also doesn’t scream STEAL ME quite as loudly, which I appreciate. Β The only other times I will use the 135 is if the reception is in a super huge space and I don’t want to be all up in front for the toasts. Normally the 50 is adequate, but there have been a couple occasions where I used the 135 instead:)

Those are the three lenses I use to shoot every wedding! This particular combo may not work for everyone, but it works really well for me! Hope this was at least a little bit helpful:)

Leave a Comment

  1. Linda says:

    I love this post! It’s really helpful to see photographers who don’t necessarily use what the “PROFESSIONALS” use, because it encourages me to continue on my new journey on doing things because they work for ME, and not just because everyone else is doing it! I’m shooting a wedding tomorrow and am renting the 70-200 and the 105mm, for this wedding, and the one I have next weekend – it’ll be interesting to see how they work for me! I really only want to figure out which lens works best for me for the ceremony, because I feel pretty good about my 50mm for everything else at the moment! I think the next lens I rent for weddings will be the 35mm – I keep hearing how awesome it is πŸ™‚ Thanks for sharing!

  2. Dani says:

    This post made me hungry. And I think I am going to go give my 85mm some love since no one likes it but me. πŸ™‚

  3. Lauren C says:

    I shoot Nikon and I’m not sure if there will be a huge difference, but I’ve heard so many people rave about their 35mm. I think I might have to buy a new lens soon πŸ˜‰

  4. Emilia Jane says:

    I love the 135 SO MUCH!!!

  5. Fun post! It’s funny to see which lenses are peoples favorites & why! I LOVE my 85 1.2, but it definitely has it’s pros & cons!

  6. Emily says:

    I need to get the 135. Thanks for helping to convince me. πŸ™‚

  7. Becca B. says:

    Katie, you are hilarious. I know nothing about lenses and photography, yet I still found this post wildly entertaining because of your funny, unique writing voice πŸ™‚ The food analogies definitely helped

  8. Such a great post. I’ve never considered the 135, but might as I am a prime lover myself. 50 – is my fave! x

  9. paulina says:

    thanks for sharing your lens picks, katie!! i know i like wide shots and i’m looking forward to testing out the 35mm!

  10. Sarah says:

    Great post. I have shot many a wedding with only a 50mm and its definitely time to broaden my horizons! Thanks for the tips!

  11. Karis says:

    Hey Katie! This is such helpful post! I love getting insight into what others like best to shoot with πŸ™‚

    Is this still you go-to lens lineup? If I’m shooting a wedding alone, is it possible to use the 35 for the processional and then switch to the 135 really quick for the ceremony? What would you suggest?

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