Some of my favorite photo accessories
I’m used to working in the professional studio world, but I do try to find budget friendly accessories that can
do the same thing as expensive gear. Paul Buff has some great flash gear, Sunbounce has the best reflec-
tors. My camera bags are by Tamrac, and I buy my cameras, reflectors and light stands from Adorama, I
rent extra gear from Lensrenstals.com
Wedding Flash Recipe: For weddings I use 2 standard folding light stands that reach up to 12 feet high, and
I mount each Canon 600 EX flash using an umbrella holder (without umbrella) then slide them on the 5/8
stud on each light stand. For wedding groups I use the Gary Fong line of flash diffusers, they emit an amaz-
ing spread of a soft halo that can light any large group. I use wireless flash triggers to keep my camera
lightweight, and to have an off camera flash effect. I’ve tried flash umbrellas, but this is much easier and
works just as well. I also use gel correction filters inside the Gary Fong diffusers to match the room light, I use
high speed flash sync and manually set each flash to get the brightness level needed for the room that I’m
shooting in, also using high ISO 1600, f4 at 1/125th. This formula mixes the ambient room light with the Can-
on Speedlites nicely. I can also quickly move a flash to my camera handle bracket with a ”Custom Brack-
et” using the umbrella clamp, and instantly move around the room with the flash mounted to my camera.
I can take the diffuser off of my background flash when I want a stronger directional backlight, especially
for receptions. I set my flashes to manual for the best control over my brightness levels. The diffusers create
a halo effect that I diagramed earlier in the book.