9 Items that every professional photographer must have for the fashion week
If you want to start photographing fashion shows for the press you will need some professional photography equipment in your Pelicase.
Given the wide variety of accessories that can be added to a kit, how to make the right choices?
In today's post, I will tell you what is essential and what definitely cannot be missing for a photographer that might need to capture images at the backstage, front-row and podium.
Do you want to know what I take with me to photograph fashion shows? Keep reading!
January 2020
Blog post by Antonio Barros
- Camera
I use a Canon 1DX MK2 DSLR camera, it works with a wide variety of lenses. This camera is very fast and works well in dark conditions.
Choosing the best camera is often a cost-effective survey. For professional photography, full frame cameras are preferable. That's because they usually have well-developed systems, sturdy construction, more functionality and behave better in adverse conditions, such as situations with a lack of light.
Fashion shows are not always well lit and you will need to buy the best possible camera you can afford to get good results. - Lenses
When you buy a camera you should also buy some zoom lenses, which cover different focal lengths. You should also try to buy the best lenses you can afford. Cheap lenses won't give you fast focus and won't perform well in darker shows.
I use a Canon 24-70mm 2.8 to photograph the first looks and beauty at the backstage. I also use this lens to photograph the front-row and photocalls.
For the podium I use a Canon 70-200mm 2.8 or a Canon 100-400mm. Everything depends on how bright the show is, how much distance I have between each model and how far I'm from the runway. If you don't have enough budget for those two, I would recomend starting with the 70-200mm. - Backup battery
The battery of a DSLR camera usually lasts a long time, but I suggest always to have a second battery in hand. Unforeseen events like excessive energy consumption by the transmitter to submit pictures, can be solved with a backup battery.
Never forget to keep all batteries charged before work! - Backup memory card
The card is one of the most sensitive parts of the photo equipment, as it is subject to file corruption, transfer defects and bad contact, in addition to space limitations.
If for some reason you need to photograph in RAW format, memory space is even more relevant. If a show has to many looks on the runway, having an extra card might save your day. - Flash
You can't rely on natural light to photograph at the backstage or to photograph the front-row of a show. You need to have a flash. - Camera Flash Bracket
I always use the Camera Flash bracket to get a nice light of celebrities on the photocall. With the backet I have less shadows of the subject on the background. - Monopod
The monopod is extremely important. Some shows can take up to 30 minutes and holding the camera with a 100-400mm just with your arms can be excrutiating.
You need the support of the monopod to get sharp pictures. Photographers without monopod usually take more space on the podium and also bump their cameras against other photographers. Nobody without a monood can stand still the entire show without disturbing the others. - Pelicase
As important as the Monopod, I use my Pelicase to transport my equipment, to save a spot on the podium, and as a stool to stand or as a chair to sit. - Cleaning material
You need something to remove the dust from your lenses. Some fashion shows might be in old dusty warehouses or outside.
