For Photographers
Small Weddings
Planning TIPS
couples sessions
Weddings
LGBTQ
Here, I celebrate and affirm your love no matter what your love looks like. I know the wedding industry was built on a foundation of whiteness, thinness, and cisheteronormativity.I stand to change that. Join me.
Your queer wedding photographer & posing coach.
I'm Theo
Want to photograph weddings? I love this job and wish I had this resource before I started this career. Here is my breakdown of what you need to show up to a wedding as a professional.
Disclosure: The links included are affiliate links. This is all the gear I actually use and love. I encourage you to support your local camera shops with this list. If you prefer to purchase online, please use these links to help me continue sharing this type of education for free!
Photographing a wedding is unlike most other photography jobs. We need to be ready for anything. We are documenting once-in-a-lifetime memories, and it is our task to ensure these memories make their way into the visual archive of our clients’ lives.
My whole life, I collected antique photos and had a fondness for antique wedding images. I would always flip through stacks of old photographs at antique malls, looking for any images that resembled myself. Before I even knew I was queer, I knew I was different and could never seem to find any vintage photos that felt alternative. I know that queer people have always been here, but their images are widely missing from the world’s archives.
That’s why I love photographing weddings. I get the chance to fill in the missing gaps in the archives of images.
Now let’s get to the good stuff. The absolute minimum kit I would bring to a wedding includes:
With this kit, you would have a set of professional equipment and a backup set. Cameras are unpredictable, and you always need a backup plan.
My first piece of advice to anyone purchasing a camera is to get the best mirrorless camera you can afford. There are two major types of pro-level digital cameras: Digital Single Lens Reflex (DSLR) and mirrorless cameras. On eBay or Facebook Marketplace, there are hundreds of DSLR cameras available, often at lower price points than mirrorless. While DSLRs are often more affordable, the technology and innovation are all happening in the mirrorless world. Once you start building your photography kit, you will be adding lenses, bodies, and accessories, and you want everything to be compatible for the longest possible time. Buying a mirrorless camera (and mirrorless lenses) means you can continue to upgrade within that ecosystem. Most major camera manufacturers are phasing out DSLR technology, so you will likely no longer be able to upgrade within a DSLR ecosystem. It’s best to start mirrorless and stick with it!
Primary Cameras:
Backup Camera:
Film Camera:
If you could only get two lenses:
Other lenses I love having in my kit:
Taken on the Z6ii 50 1.2, the Nikon f6 24-70, Nikon Zf 26 2.8
On-Camera Flash:
Off-Camera Lighting:
Camera Bags:
I spend countless hours researching every gear decision I make. I have found that this set of equipment has made me prepared for anything!
This is the first post in this series. Look out for more coming soon!
Theo Nash