What to bring for a photo shoot


amachi

Senior Member
Jul 20, 2009
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What do you guys normally pack for a photo shoot if you are out there for photo shoot without an assistant? For an example, let's say it's for a pre-wedding photo shoot.

Do you bring your lighting equipment out? Reflector? How many flashes do you bring? And how do you usually pack your equipments? I know we can't generalize all photo shoots as the same, maybe you can take one photo shoot that you do as an example and tell us what equipments that you brought and how you packed them :)

The reason why I am starting this thread is to know how to carry our equipments efficiently, especially when we are out there without an assistant.
 

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It starts with the planning. What shoot is that? What kind of shots are you hoping to get? With that in mind, you'll know what equipment to bring.
 

It starts with the planning. What shoot is that? What kind of shots are you hoping to get? With that in mind, you'll know what equipment to bring.

Hm, care to share an example? Like is there any recent photo shoot that you do? What you bring? And how you pack it? :)
 

Well it also depends if the photographer drives or not. If have own transport then bring more than he needs is safer, just dump the equipment in the car incase there's a need for it.
 

What do you guys normally pack for a photo shoot if you are out there for photo shoot without an assistant? For an example, let's say it's for a pre-wedding photo shoot.

Do you bring your lighting equipment out? Reflector? How many flashes do you bring? And how do you usually pack your equipments? I know we can't generalize all photo shoots as the same, maybe you can take one photo shoot that you do as an example and tell us what equipments that you brought and how you packed them :)

The reason why I am starting this thread is to know how to carry our equipments efficiently, especially when we are out there without an assistant.

Without an assistant, you'll need to be pretty good alone. You'll not have the luxury of a well placed reflector, unless you are going to use stands and clips and have to pose the couple slowly.

If you have an idea on how you are going to conduct the shoot, you'll probably be shooting with a single flash and a few choice lenses on your system. This should be held in a shoulder bag which you can probably grab easily and quickly.

Think carefully first and plan correctly. :)
 

This is the kind of thing you learn from personal experience; you have your own equipment so you know what you need to bring, what you can leave at home, what you think you can effectively work with on location.

Each shoot is different; if the job I'm doing requires something I'll bring it. Generally if contrained by circumstances, I'll not bring something I envisage. So just because I might bring A, B, C and D to a job and use this method or that method, for the next job I might be bringing A, E, J and N.

I'll develop a different style of carrying/transporting things than the next photographer.

So you've got all this equipment. You've probably had very little experience using it otherwise you'd have the answer to your own question. Go out there, have fun. Think what's best for your shoot and what you think you can manage, bring that, and work based on that experience for the next shoot you have.

If you still think someone else can plan it for you, you're going to need to leave a lot more details; your full list of kit, what you prefer to shoot with, your shooting style, your transport, your bag options, your location, what sort of shoot it will be, etc etc. There are a lot of details - that leaves you in the best place to assess it.
 

if you go out alone, you need to take care of the subjects and your gears, so just keep things simple.

don't bring anything unfamiliar. bring reflector bring lighting but nobody help you, it will only slow you down or worst, didn't get the shot you want.

just only bring what you can manage, even down to one lens one body one flash is also good.
 

Hm, care to share an example? Like is there any recent photo shoot that you do? What you bring? And how you pack it? :)

Woah! It'd be too long for me to list down my thought process... It's really more like having a concept, and knowing the tools you need to shoot with it.

On certain instances, I may bring just a reflector, at other times, multiple flashes with various flash solutions. At other times, I may just bring my telephoto lenses (85mm - 300mm... my longest range) for certain shoots... At other times, my ultra-wide angles (10mm or so) proves to be the most useful for particular concepts.
 

What do you guys normally pack for a photo shoot if you are out there for photo shoot without an assistant? For an example, let's say it's for a pre-wedding photo shoot.

Do you bring your lighting equipment out? Reflector? How many flashes do you bring? And how do you usually pack your equipments? I know we can't generalize all photo shoots as the same, maybe you can take one photo shoot that you do as an example and tell us what equipments that you brought and how you packed them :)

The reason why I am starting this thread is to know how to carry our equipments efficiently, especially when we are out there without an assistant.

If its me and my wife for an outdoor portrait shoot... i will bring my heavy duty lightstand, 1 softbox, 3-in-1 reflector, 2 flashes, 4 lenses and 2 bodies.. all packed inside an Think Tank Airport Takeoff.
 

First and foremost, bring along your creativity to the shoot. The logistic needed caters to the creativity.:)
 

Hey all, thanks for the replies :D

Like some of you mentioned, I have equipments that I need but I might have too little experience in photo shoot. Maybe it's better if I share what problem I got during a photo shoot.

I always shoot with a D700 + 24mm and 50mm. My SB-900 is always in my bag as well. If I shoot during the day only, I will also bring my reflector. If I know I will continue shooting until night time, I will have light stand + umbrella with me too. Regarding transportations, I am relying on cabs and public transportations. Also, I don't have an assistant, well, once in a while I can ask my friend to help me, but he is not always available.

I understand that this kind of thing can be learned through experiences, which I am lack of, hence I am asking around here as part of my experience hehe, well, sort of a guidance for me :)

So, maybe it's good if I breakdown the questions, I will assume I always do photo shoot without an assistant :)
1. How do you manage to use a reflector when no one holds it for you?
2. If you know you will use a lighting equipments, how do you pack it and use it on field? I usually packed my gears (camera + lenses + speedlight) in Crumpler bag, light stand and umbrella in another bag, and another one for a reflector. My hands are pretty full with this all :sweat: especially when on field, we have to move around shooting in a few areas :sweat:
 

For your info . . .

I saw a photographer using only a camera with 18-200mm lens for the whole wedding session shoot at Botanic Garden.

Cheers. :)
 

Hey all, thanks for the replies

Like some of you mentioned, I have equipments that I need but I might have too little experience in photo shoot. Maybe it's better if I share what problem I got during a photo shoot.

I always shoot with a D700 + 24mm and 50mm. My SB-900 is always in my bag as well. If I shoot during the day only, I will also bring my reflector. If I know I will continue shooting until night time, I will have light stand + umbrella with me too. Regarding transportations, I am relying on cabs and public transportations. Also, I don't have an assistant, well, once in a while I can ask my friend to help me, but he is not always available.

I understand that this kind of thing can be learned through experiences, which I am lack of, hence I am asking around here as part of my experience hehe, well, sort of a guidance for me :)

So, maybe it's good if I breakdown the questions, I will assume I always do photo shoot without an assistant :)
1. How do you manage to use a reflector when no one holds it for you?
2. If you know you will use a lighting equipments, how do you pack it and use it on field? I usually packed my gears (camera + lenses + speedlight) in Crumpler bag, light stand and umbrella in another bag, and another one for a reflector. My hands are pretty full with this all :sweat: especially when on field, we have to move around shooting in a few areas :sweat:

As I said earlier, if YOU had read...

Without an assistant, you'd have to position the reflector using a stand and clips and pose the couple slowly.

Not a PRACTICAL solution if you are pressed for time. :nono:

Stick with a on-board flash and switch the lens around to suit the situation.

Think about it and try it around and see how it goes...
 

Hi,i'm not wedding photographer here.just want to share some opinion from what i've been through.i had my pre-wedding photos shot at JB.i remember the photographer only carry a bag containing 1 body,1 L series super telephoto lens,i L series wide angle lens,1 external flash with diffuser,1 L series standard lens.although he had an assistant with him but he didin't bring any tripod,umbrella flash etc.the gear was simple.but we like the result of it.i guess he really really understand his gears very well and know really well of the environment and circumstances.so we didn't wait for long for he to give us pose,so the whole process was not really tiring and it was quite fun.
so what i mean is you don't necessarily need to bring a lot a lot of your equipments,the most important is to understand your gear and environment of where you'll be taking pictures.so you'll know what you need.
Apenny of my thoughts...No offence...!!!!
 

Hi,i'm not wedding photographer here.just want to share some opinion from what i've been through.i had my pre-wedding photos shot at JB.i remember the photographer only carry a bag containing 1 body,1 L series super telephoto lens,i L series wide angle lens,1 external flash with diffuser,1 L series standard lens.although he had an assistant with him but he didin't bring any tripod,umbrella flash etc.the gear was simple.but we like the result of it.i guess he really really understand his gears very well and know really well of the environment and circumstances.so we didn't wait for long for he to give us pose,so the whole process was not really tiring and it was quite fun.
so what i mean is you don't necessarily need to bring a lot a lot of your equipments,the most important is to understand your gear and environment of where you'll be taking pictures.so you'll know what you need.
Apenny of my thoughts...No offence...!!!!
i've seen a photographer taking just 1 lens n assistant with reflector for pre-wedding shoot.
no flash, nothing.
results were pretty decent though.
 

As I said earlier, if YOU had read...

Without an assistant, you'd have to position the reflector using a stand and clips and pose the couple slowly.

Not a PRACTICAL solution if you are pressed for time. :nono:

Stick with a on-board flash and switch the lens around to suit the situation.

Think about it and try it around and see how it goes...

Pardon my ignorance :embrass:

I was replying for all instead of individual, hence it implied that I didn't read your post.

I'll give it a try with flash-on-camera though I haven't had much success with this. But you are right, it is not efficient at all if I have to juggle between setting up equipments and directing the poses for the models.
 

What do you guys normally pack for a photo shoot if you are out there for photo shoot without an assistant? For an example, let's say it's for a pre-wedding photo shoot.

Do you bring your lighting equipment out? Reflector? How many flashes do you bring? And how do you usually pack your equipments? I know we can't generalize all photo shoots as the same, maybe you can take one photo shoot that you do as an example and tell us what equipments that you brought and how you packed them :)

The reason why I am starting this thread is to know how to carry our equipments efficiently, especially when we are out there without an assistant.

For me, I bring lens + camera + flash + diffuser..
Sometimes, maybe bring reflector but mostly never use at all.
 

the couple should have AT LEAST a driver and/or a couple of helpers to help with make up etc etc etc ......... get THEM to help out

I suggest bring as much as you can......... thats part of gaining experience..... later when you're wiser, than you can pare down what is non-essential.... advise here is just advise.... your own experience is most important

Thats the parody in life.......... when you dont bring something, you will end up needing it desperately.......... when you bring everything, you find you are carrying along alot of unnecessary stuff
 

TS: If you are bring alot of stuff for your shoot, do remember that you didn't forget to check before you leave the place.


Just to share, I was doing a comcard shoot in Duxton Hill the other day, and I left my flash (580ex2) on one of the table outside the pub and went cross the street for some shot. A kind gentleman from the pub, came rushing across the street and pass me back my flash. :thumbsup: