One Camera, or Two?

When I first started photographing weddings, I carried one camera and would swap out my lenses as needed. This worked OK, for the most part, but I never liked having to juggle my lenses, and there were several times when I felt like I “missed” a great shot because I was changing out lenses. Or worse, I would see the shot I wanted to take, but my lens was either too wide or too close, and I knew by the time I changed it, the moment would be gone.

Of course, one solution to this single-camera problem would be to just shoot with one honking zoom lens that covered a wide range of lengths. Maybe the closest lens to that description would be Canon’s EF 24-105mm f/4L IS USM. It has a nice range, but frankly, f/4 is really slow when it comes to low-light wedding situations. For me, that’s just not an option.

Another semi-solution is to carry a camera bag like the shootsac or the Kelly Moore bag, both of which are stylish and allow you to quickly access your lenses to change them out. I know a lot of photographers use this method (and I applaud them), but I don’t like the idea of having to tote a bag slung on one shoulder around. If I’m going to be carting 10 pounds of equipment, I’d rather have the weight more evenly distributed. Additionally, this method still leaves me with having to rapidly change out my lenses.

So, I went with the two camera method and began to carry two cameras for most parts of the wedding day. One camera usually held a telephoto lens, the other a wide angle. I love having the ability to capture the same scene with different angles, and I love the freedom of not having to worry about changing my lens at a crucial moment. And yet, this method has its own set of difficulties, the main one being that I have to tote two cameras around and keep them on my shoulders without slipping off. The regular camera straps that came with the cameras certainly did not help me. I always felt like I was drowning in camera straps and I could never comfortably carry them without feeling like one or the other was about to slip off.

Case in point: here I am having to hold both cameras with normal straps.

I needed something that would solve this camera strap problem. Enter the Black Rapid R-Straps. I wish I’d thought of this idea! These straps actually bolt to the bottom of your camera, securely letting your camera hang down by your side while freeing up your hands. You can use them singly, which I sometimes do, but you can also double them up and attach the two with connectors in the back. This is what I normally do for most of the wedding day. OK, I may look like I just parachuted into the wedding (sort of), but I really love the freedom of movement I get with these things!

Some examples…these photos were taken by one of the attendees at the trash the dress workshop I held last fall.

Yeah, that’s right. I can crouch on a rock in a stream and not worry about my other camera falling to its watery demise. I think a fashion bag would seem really out of place here.

Here I am using my wide angle…

And here I’ve quickly switched to my telephoto without having to change lenses in the middle of the stream. Literally.

Jay took this photo of me doing my thang at Kristin and Lee’s wedding. (note: I’m not actually using my flash…I just didn’t take it off).

And for a good example of capturing the same scene with different angles, here’s a set from Caitlin and Derick’s wedding. Wide angle.

Telephoto.

So, for me, I’ve found that using two cameras is my favorite method. I also carry two cameras when I do engagement shoots, allowing me the freedom to move about without being tied to a camera bag. That being said, I actually do have my own handmade version of the shootsac, which I use on specific occasions when I want to carry more things than lenses (like traveling in Scotland or going to my upcoming brother-in-law’s wedding). I’ll share more about that in a later post.