Wedding Season: Our Top Kit Picks

Whether it’s your first wedding, or you are a wedding photography novice, it’s important to have the right kit so you are prepared for all kinds of scenarios that a wedding may bring. Photographing a wedding is probably one of the most varied jobs you can do as a photographer; from portraits to product shots, it’s always best to be prepared so the day runs as smooth as possible.

We have put together a list of our top kit picks to take with you for a wedding job, each job will have different needs and requirements, but this is our basic kit which can be built upon depending on the day, location and party size. With weddings, sometimes less is more in terms of equipment as the days are long and lots of equipment can get heavy very quickly.

Being prepared for equipment to fail on the day is something to be aware of, so we recommend taking spares of most things you intend to bring. This is to ensure you are prepared incase equipment fails, yet you can still deliver excellent service for your clients.

With wedding season upon us, throughout the month of August we will be running a wedding themed promotion. This includes specialist kits from our affiliates Chris Ord and Leivi Saltman, wedding themed reposts and special offers on our favourite wedding kit pieces.

Our top kit picks have been put together through personal experience, customer recommendation and demand from our loyal customers. We hope this list is helpful for both beginners and experienced photographers who are finding their way into the wedding photography industry.

If you are wanting to learn more about how to set up your lighting for weddings, see our previous blog post here.

Backpack for Cameras and Equipment

To kick our list off, we recommend having a trusty backpack. This investment will save your equipment (and your back) from damage throughout the day; we recommend a backpack over a roller bag as there is quite often rough terrain such as grass or gravel which will make it difficult to navigate.

The Godox CB-20 is the new kid on the block in terms of Godox accessories. This spacious bag comes with 5 interior padded dividers and features a padded water-resistant nylon material. Not only does it protect your equipment from damage, this backpack is stylish and compact, meaning you will look the part as well.

Want to edit your shots on the go? The CB-20 features a padded laptop safety pocket which can fit any tablet or laptop up to 15”. What’s not to like?

Shop the Godox CB-20 here.

V1 Portable Roundhead Flashgun

The speedlight is probably the most popular choice of flash for weddings as they are small, compact and work directly on top of your camera of choice. The versatility of the V1 means that it’s suitable for a wide range of photography types and situations, this is due to the rotating angle which creates a variety of lighting options or positions.

Use the V1 to create a simple fill light whilst shooting group portraits, outdoor candids or decorations. This Godox round head creates studio-level soft, even light effects whilst continuing to ensure crisp images even with shots that requirement movement (those beloved dancefloor shots).

The Godox V1 offers a powerful 76Ws of power as well as 480 full power flashes, making it the perfect companion for on-location photographers at busy events such as weddings. The V1 is extremely user friendly and easy to use; unlike traditional speedlights, the V1 features a round-head design which is magnetic, meaning you can attach accessory kits quickly and easily. Another plus point to using the V1 is that it can handle High Speed Sync and can be used as a controller for other Godox lights if you are wanting a bigger set up.

Shop the Godox V1 here.

Spare Batteries

We recommend taking spares of everything you are going to include in your kit. Having a backup battery or two for your flash is a necessity - as you don’t want to be caught out and left without any light source for the rest of the day. It might also be worth carrying a battery charger with you so you can plug your batteries in somewhere in the venue whilst they’re not in use.

Lencarta stock all kinds of spare batteries for your photography equipment, find them here.

Godox AD200 Pro Location Flashgun System

An alternative to using the V1 speedlight, is to use an off-camera flash which is portable enough to fit into your backpack. The Godox AD200 Pro is a wedding photographers’ best friend. The AD200 Pro is capable of keeping up with the fast paced, high demand that wedding photography requires. Being able to directly control the light with an off-camera flash gives you authority on setting, light and time.

The AD200 Pro has three times the power of a speedlight, which is great if you find yourself needing more light than the V1 can provide. It’s useful to carry both types of flashes if you find yourself shooting outdoors on a gloomy day and you need a bit more power than the V1 can pump out.

The AD200 Pro is capable of providing up to 200Ws of power, all whilst being compact and ergonomically designed for users in mind. With this flash you can achieve 500 full powered flashes from a single charge, meaning you will be getting the most out of your batteries! The AD200 Pro has a built in 2.4Ghz receiver making it controllable using one of the Godox X Series triggers (X2T or XPro), which is controllable for a range of up to 100m.

Shop the Godox AD200 Pro here.

Share your wedding shots with us by tagging @lencarta or #lencarta for a chance to be featured! Thank you to @danmasphoto (left) and @newfocus_photos (right) for sharing their recent wedding work.

AK-R1

The AK-R1 accessory kit works with both the V1 and the AD200 Pro, meaning you can get a set of high quality, inexpensive light modifiers which work with both flashes you take on the day. This saves on both money and space in your backpack!

Included in the accessory kit:

• Coloured Gels
• Dome Diffuser
• Four Wing Reflector
• Honeycomb
• Barndoors
• Snoot
• Bounce Card