As you are starting your wedding photography business you may be asking yourself what gear do I need? What lenses do I have to have in order to shoot my first wedding? It can be overwhelming trying to figure out which lenses to invest in, especially when the options seem endless. However, there are 3 lenses that I think every photographer needs in their collection: the 50mm f/1.8, the 85mm f/1.4, and the 24-70mm f/2.8. These three lenses give you the ability to capture the entirety of a wedding day successfully. From wide angle shots to intimate portraits, these 3 lenses are my go to on a wedding day!
Let’s break down why these lenses are essential and how they can be used throughout different parts of a wedding day.
1. 50mm f/1.8: The Most Versatile Lens
The 50mm f/1.8 is often referred to as a “nifty fifty,” and for good reason. This lens is the perfect balance between versatility and affordability, making it my top recommended lens to wedding photographers just starting out. This was the lens I started my wedding photography business with and I still use it at every single wedding.
Why do you need this lens?:
- Versatility: This lens can be used throughout the entirety of a wedding day. When I first started this was one of the only lenses I had to shoot with. It does well with close up images like details and getting ready photos, but it also is perfect for bride + groom portraits, family photos, and receptions.
- Wide Aperture: The f/1.8 aperture allows you to achieve a shallow depth of field, which creates that beautiful, creamy background(bokeh) that I love so much. This helps isolate your subject from the background, making your photos pop. Note there is also a 50mm f1.4 that is also incredible. If you want to spend a little more it is definitely worth the price difference for the aperture.
- Great for Low Light: Weddings are often held in dimly lit venues, such as churches or reception halls, where natural light may be limited. The 50mm f/1.8 lens allows you to shoot in low light without having to crank your ISO up super high.
When to use during a wedding day:
- Details: The 50mm lens is perfect for capturing details like the bride’s dress, invitation suite, shoes, and rings. Its sharpness and shallow depth of field help create beautiful close ups.
- Getting ready: This lens allows you to capture portraits in tight spaces such as the bride and groom suites without having to break out a wide angle lens.
- Large groups: This lens allows to you to capture close up, but also far away when needed for large groups during wedding party photos or family photos.
- Candid Moments: The 50mm is great for capturing candid moments of guests and the couple during the ceremony and reception without having to get too close or get too far away.
- Couple Portraits: When you’re taking portraits of the bride and groom, the 50mm allows for flattering close up shots as well as shots of the couple that incorporate the entirety of the background.
2. 85mm f/1.4: The Portrait Lens
The 85mm f/1.4 lens is my absolute favorite lens for portraits! You can just about bet if I am shooting portraits on a wedding day this is what I am shooting with. This lens creates stunning portraits and creates the most beautiful compression for the dreamy background that I just LOVE!
Why do you need this lens?:
- Beautiful Bokeh(blurred background): With its wide aperture of f/1.4, the 85mm produces stunning background blur (bokeh), making the subject stand out while smoothing out distracting elements behind them.
- Minimal Distortion: The 85mm focal length has less distortion compared to wider lenses, so features like your bride and groom’s face or body are depicted more naturally without the stretching or elongation that can happen with a wider lens (like 35mm or 50mm).
- Sharpness and Detail: Many 85mm lenses are known for their exceptional sharpness, especially when shooting wide open (f1.4) like I like to do for portraits.
When to use during a wedding day:
- Bride and Groom Portraits: The 85mm lens is perfect for capturing portraits of your bride and groom. No other lens gives the separation from your subject and background like this one.
- First looks: The 85mm f/1.4 is great for capturing emotion from a distance, allowing you to be discreet while still getting up-close emotional moments.
- Ceremony: If there is enough space, the ceremony is a great time to use the 85 too. It allows you to capture close up shots of the bride and groom while reading vows or exchanging rings.
- Bridal Party and Family Portraits: This lens is ideal for group portraits as well. It does need a bit of distance to get everyone in the frame, but it creates flattering images with incredible detail.
3. 24-70mm f/2.8: The Zoom Lens Every Photographer Needs
The 24-70mm f/2.8 lens is an essential lens for any wedding photographer. It has a wide zoom range, which allows flexibility to capture everything from wide-angle shots to tight portraits.
Why do you need this lens?:
- Versatility: The 24-70mm focal length gives you the flexibility to shoot wide shots when you need to capture the full scope of a scene, or zoom in for tight shots without changing lenses. It’s ideal for moments where you don’t want or have time to switch lenses quickly.
- Aperture: The f/2.8 aperture stays consistent throughout the zoom range. This is great for creating that beautiful creamy background in wide angle shots and close up portraits.
When to use during a wedding day:
- Getting ready: This lens allows you to capture portraits in tight spaces such as the bride and groom suites where there is not room for the 50mm lens. It also allows you to capture to full background of a room or venue, but has the flexibility of zooming in for tight images without changing lenses.
- Wide Ceremony Shots: The 24-70mm is perfect for capturing the entire ceremony. It gives you flexibility to capture a variety of angles without having to change lenses constantly through the ceremony.
- Group and Family Portraits: We all eventually have a wedding with an extremely large wedding party or one that has large families. The 24-70mm lens allows you to get everyone in the frame while maintaining a flattering perspective in the image which can be hard to do with a 50mm lens.
- Reception and Dancing: This lens allows you to quickly zoom in and out to capture the action. Receptions move quickly, so it is good to have a way to zoom in on the party and capture the emotion and fun.
The Wedding Photography Lens Trifecta
Setting yourself up for success with the right lenses from the beginning can make all the difference in your ability to capture a wedding day successfully. The 50mm f/1.8, 85mm f/1.4, and 24-70mm f/2.8 are three essential lenses that will help you tackle everything from wide shots to intimate bride and groom portraits.
Investing in these three lenses will give you the flexibility you need to capture every part of the wedding day beautifully. As you grow and develop your style, you’ll find that these lenses will continue to be your go-to on a wedding day.
Please note that as you are starting it is OKAY to buy one lens at a time. It took me a while to build up my gear for wedding days. I would start with the 50mm and then go from there. I like to purchase the same lens brand as my camera. Since I shoot with a Nikon z7II, I typically purchase straight from Nikon. However, I have also purchased from Adorama and B&H and have had great experiences with both.
Once you have these three in your bag for a wedding day, I recommend buying the macro 105mm f2.8 and the 70-200mm f2.8 lenses next.
If you have any questions about these lenses, or thought this blog was helpful would you leave me a comment below!? You can also email me or DM me on Instagram anytime!
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