Wedding Photographer Susan Stripling Unpacks Her Gear Bag [RF Video of the Week]

One of the most burning questions photographers are dying to ask successful shooters (whether as advice or simply out of curiosity) is what kind of gear they consider essential. We’ve done a couple installations of “What’s in Your Bag?” (one back in 2012 and then another just this year) in which we asked photographers from various genres to lay out what they pack in their bags.

This week, we give you wedding photographer Susan Stripling‘s version. She doesn’t pack lightly, but she sure goes through a host of essential gear that you might want to add to your gear bag.

Stripling packs two Airport Navigator Think Tank bags, which, in addition to all the gear that follows, can also fit a laptop or iPad—a big plus if you’re looking to do on-location editing and post-production.

Stowing two battery packs that she hooks to her monopods and speedlights to prolong her flash power, she has a Manfrotto monopod for her radio transmitter/receiver and off-camera flash setup, a Nikon D3 (her backup camera) and two Nikon D4s cameras, and two Nikon SB-910 Speedlights and one SB-900.

A host of lenses get packed away, too, which Stripling gives custom labeled back caps so she can access them without guessing and flipping them over: a 24-120mm, 105mm macro, 85mm f/1.4, 24-70mm, 16-35mm, two 35mm lenses (one to shoot dancing at receptions, the other—an f/1.4—for getting-ready moments), 28mm, and her 70-200mm, which Stripling says is her favorite that she uses for everything. For good measure, she throws in Kenko extension tubes and a Nikon teleconverter to make her macro lenses even longer, to get closer.

Submit your Video of the Week to Libby Peterson.

Related Links:

Speed Through Airports With This New Roller

What’s in Your Bag?

What’s in Your Bag? Chapter 2 (of an Ongoing Series)