What’s In Your Bag: A Video and Photo Wedding Kit

Prakash Tilokani is a name to be reckoned with, in wedding photography. Decades of expertise and a bent towards video has greatly influenced his kit. He shares what goes into a professional wedding photo kit.

A video and photo wedding kit helps me create that perfect blend of high quality multimedia to offer to clients in an increasingly competitive market.

Prakash Tilokani’s kit

1. The One-size-fits-all Bag
I never allow any equipment to be checked in while travelling, and so I have chosen a large trolley bag. When filled, it weighs slightly more than the allowed limit and I usually have to argue my way through at the airport.

2. An Optical Viewfinder for Video
Weddings are hectic and confirming focus through the LCD is tough. This loupe covers the LCD and acts as an OVF. So, I can bring the LCD to my eye and see what is being recorded.

3. A Continuous Light Source
This LED light has variable colour temperatures and filters that range from white to yellow. It also acts as a fill light and sidelight.

4. The 1D C Choice
The best thing about this full frame beauty is that it gives me great high ISO quality, along with the best video functionality possible in any DSLR. Basically, it is a pure visual treat.

5. Hot Shoe Mic for Sound Bytes
Since I create multimedia slideshows for my clients, which involve both stills and video, I try to be innovative with the format. This directional mic helps me record interviews and sound bytes.

6. For Large Venues
The 135mm f/2 helps me especially when I have to make a lot of portraits in spacious venues. It is also simpler to cart around this lens, than its heavier 70–200mm sibling.

7. Soft-focus Portraiture
A soft-focus filter coupled with a 70–200mm f/2.8 lens helps me make classic soft-focus portraits that people love. While the effect can be created digitally, I prefer shooting it the traditional way.

8. The 50mm Magic
My favourite lens for portraiture and candids is the 50mm f/1.2. I love the focal length, the aperture range and composing frames becomes a breeze with this lens.

9. The 85mm Advantage
The 85mm f/1.2 follows close on the heels of the 50mm in terms of being my favourite. It is sharp, offers crisp quality, wonderfully saturated colours and extremely shallow depth-of-field.

10. Accessorising the Main Body
A twin hot shoe bracket helps me attach a flashgun and an LED light, or an LED light and a mic, at the same time. These combinations transform the camera into a complete rig.

11. Convenience with a Monopod
During weddings, I am always running a lot. A monopod is lightweight, convenient and useful for relatively slow shutterspeeds. It also offers support for heavy lenses and entire rigs.

This article originally appeared in the April 2014 issue of Better Photography.