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Ritz Charles Wedding in Carmel, Indiana | Elizabeth and Michael
Every single speech during the reception last night mentioned Beth’s infection laugh. And I got to experience it all day long. Elizabeth and Michael are truly the most joyful couple that I’ve had the pleasure of working with. My husband, Andry second shot this wedding with me, and he completely agreed that Michael and Beth’s Ritz Charles wedding was one of our all time favorites. From Elizabeth’s elegant ball gown, to the amazing lighting in the getting ready rooms, to the beautiful portrait locations in downtown Carmel, to the perfectly planned timeline, this wedding photographer was head over heels in love with everything and everyone I had the pleasure of photographing.
I was recommended to Elizabeth by her sister, who is also an amazing wedding photographer. Check out here work here! Ivana was Elizabeth’s matron of honor, so she couldn’t photograph her sister’s wedding. I was SO honored that she trusted me enough to capture her sister’s wedding. As an older sister myself, I completely understand how much you want the best for your sibling, so it meant the world to me. Ivana’s husband, Steven, captured the videography for this wedding, and I can’t wait to see the video when it’s finished!
Elizabeth and Michael, your wedding day was beyond amazing, and Andry and I were so honored to be a part of it. You are two of the most joyful, genuine souls we’ve ever met, and we are praying for you as you enter into the awesome adventure of marriage. Enjoy these sneak peaks while I finish editing your full gallery!
Vendor Team:
Carmel, Indiana Wedding Photographer: Rakoteet Photography
Venue: Ritz Charles
Florist: Kroger
Bridal Gown: Marie Gabriel Couture Bridal
Bridesmaid Dresses: The Dessy Group
Rings: James Allen (Michael's wedding band), Blue Nile (Elizabeth's wedding band)
Men’s Attire: The Black Tux
Videography: Ivana & Steven Videography
Photo booth: Picture Perfect Photo booth
What's In My Camera Bag | The Best Equipment For Wedding Photography
Today, I’m sharing with you every single piece of equipment, large and small that I use to photograph weddings (and couples sessions). I’ve built up my inventory over the past few years, and I’ve done tons and tons and tons of research of every single one of these items. I’ll give you my honest opinions on all of them and show you exactly how I use them with photo examples. As a disclaimer, if you decide to click on any of the links in this article and purchase any of these items through my links, I do receive a small commission. However, I can guarantee that all of these items are actually in my camera bag, and I truly believe this is the best equipment for wedding photography.
Cameras
I shoot with two Nikon D750’s on a wedding day. Of all the cameras I’ve used, this one is my absolutely favorite. I love the Nikon D750 and the colors that come out of it. Something that is really important to me, and should be important for any wedding photographer, is dual memory card slots. This means that every time I take a photo, it is saved to two different memory cards. As rare as it is for a memory card to get corrupted, as a wedding photographer, you need to be prepared for any situation without it affecting your client’s images. I have never had a problem with a memory card, but I feel so much better knowing I have another copy of the photos if something were to happen. Another option is the Refurbished Nikon D750. This version is a tiny bit cheaper. One of my D750’s was new, and the other I bought refurbished.
My backup camera is my Nikon D810. I know it might not make a lot of sense for this to be my backup camera considering it’s more expensive than the D750, and thought to be a better camera than the D750. I used to shoot with one D750 and one D810, but I realized I prefer the colors that come out of the D750, and it’s easier to edit images consistently if they are coming from the same type of camera. In addition to being my wedding backup, I like to use my D810 for landscape and travel photos. I used it for all of my Europe photos. The D810 also has dual card slots, but instead of taking two SD cards like the D750, it takes an SD and a CF card.
My second backup camera is my Nikon D3300. This is an entry level camera, great for anyone just starting out with photography. It was my first DSLR. I kept it around to use a a second backup, because you can never be too prepared when it comes to your client’s wedding images. I’m sure you’re probably getting the gist by now that I go a little overboard when it comes to back ups. Better safe than sorry!
Lenses
My absolute favorite lens is my Sigma Art 135mm 1.8. I use it whenever I can get far enough away from my subject for it to make sense. It provides beautiful compression, creating that nice background blur, and allowing my subject to really stand out in the photo. It comes in handy for ceremonies as well, especially in churches where I can’t stand very close to the bride and groom. I even use it for reception details sometimes.
Ever wonder how I get those close up ring shots? It’s my Tokina 100mm 2.8 Macro. A macro lens is an important addition to any wedding photographer’s collection. I use it for rings, details, and sometimes even for portraits. In my opinion, the Tokina version of this lens is very high quality, but it’s so much cheaper than other macro lenses. I always recomend this macro!
My Nikkor 85mm 1.8 comes in handy when I want a little more background compression than my 50mm, but I can’t quite get far enough away from my subject to use my 135mm.
My Nikkor 50mm 1.4 is by far the most versatile lens in my collection. I use this guy far more often than I use any other lens. It’s on one of my camera bodies almost the entire wedding day.
I use my Sigma Art 35mm 1.4 for large group photos like the bridal party and family photos. I also usually use this lens to capture the groom’s reaction to the bride coming down the aisle since I’m normally standing pretty close to him, next to the first row of seats.
I also find a wide angle lens to be super important. I love my Tokina 16-28mm 2.8. I use this for full room shots of the reception, a wide shot of the entire ceremony, and I’ve also had to use it when I’m in a really tight room where I can’t back up very far but I need to photos of very large groups, like the extended family. It’s also my favorite lens for travel and landscape photography.
Flashes
For receptions, and other dark spaces, I use two Nikon SB 700’s, one on my camera, and one off my camera on a stand. I use triggers to help the flashes communicate with each other and know when to fire. This helps me to light the room beautifully for a consistent style even in a dark reception.
On my other camera, I use a Yongnuo Flash. This is a great, super cheap flash option. Although I do prefer my SB 700’s.
Accessories
My secret weapon is my Holdfast Moneymaker. This is a harness that allows me to carry two cameras at once. As you may have noticed above, I prefer to shoot with prime (non-zoom) lenses For this reason, it’s super important that I shoot with two cameras, so I can easily switch back and forth between different focal lengths. In addition to also providing extra backup, it just looks really cool and professional. I get so many compliments on it from guests at every wedding.
Of course, SD and CF cards are important for shooting the photos! I find these SD Cards and these CF Cards to be the highest quality. I used to use cheap memory cards, but it slowed me down so much because I had to stop and wait for the cards to finish writing before I could take more photos. I highly recomend using these cards, because they are the fastest ones you can buy.
You’ll also need an SD Card Holder to protect your cards when you fill them up and need to switch them out on a wedding day. I have two of these, because I use 8 memory cards when I’m shooting a wedding by myself, and 16 when I have a second shooter. This may sound like a lot, but remember, I shoot with two cameras at a time, and they each have dual card slots.
Lastly, this is the backpack that I use to carry all of my gear around on a wedding day.
Leave a comment below letting me know if you have any questions OR tell me your favorite equipment for wedding photography!
Indianapolis And Destination Wedding Photographers: Rakoteet Photography
Downtown Indianapolis Wedding at Canal 337
Now that I’ve started blogging all of my wedding and couples photography, I wish I had started way sooner! Over my past few posts, I have fallen in love with sharing my heart and my clients’ stories. (Side not - it feels so weird to call people clients when I grow to know and love them so much!). So now that my busy wedding season is slowing down with the colder weather here in Indianapolis, I want to start sharing some of my favorite weddings from earlier this year before I started blogging.
Amanda and Sean’s wedding was one of my absolute favorites this year! They were married in late September at Canal 337. It was my first time working at this gorgeous venue, and a certainly hope it won’t be the last! I instantly feel in love with this downtown Indianapolis venue. Canal 337 sits right at the end of the canal walk, making it a perfect location for stunning photos. Amanda and Sean wanted to prioritize variety of backgrounds for their photos, and we certainly managed to accomplish that while staying perfectly on schedule.
The vendor team for this wedding was another dream team! It was my first time getting to work with the incredibly talented Bella Sorella Floral Design. I will certainly be recommending her to my clients from now on, because she did an amazing job! I was also obsessed with Amanda’s Christina Wu wedding dress from Nancy’s Bridal Boutique.
Amanda and Sean booked 6 hours of photography coverage, and they received a gallery of 840 beautifully edited, high resolution photos less than a week after their wedding.
Here are a few of my favorite photos from their wedding day. Enjoy!
Vendor Team:
Indianapolis Wedding Photographers: Rakoteet Photography
Venue: Canal 337
Florist: Bella Sorella Floral Design
Cake: Carmel Classic Cakes
Donuts: Jack’s Donuts
DJ: Sound Advice
Caterer: Thomas Caterers of Distinction
Gown: Nancy’s Bridal Boutique Designer: Christina Wu
Shoes: DSW
Jewelry/Rings: Diamonds Direct
Men’s Attire: Jos. A. Bank
Magical Moments Event Planning Head Shots and Branding Session
They say it’s the people you work with that determine how you feel about your job. And while I absolutely love what I actually do for a living, I also love the industry and the incredible, creative, and talented people I get to meet and work with along the way. My clients are amazing and mean the world to me, but the amazing vendors I work alongside make my job so easy and fun! That’s why I loved the opportunity to shoot a branding session and head shots for one of my favorite wedding planning teams, Magical Moments Event Planning.
The story of how I got connected with these two shows the power of relationships in this industry. I was heading home from a wedding late at night earlier this year when I received an Instagram message from Chrissy, the owner of Special Occassion Design asking me to come shoot a styled shoot the next morning. I had met Chrissy a few weeks earlier when I was photographing a floral workshop she attended. Of course, I jumped at the chance to work with a talented florist, and I also got the opportunity to work with some awesome vendors I hadn’t worked with before like Magical Moments Event Planning.
I’m so glad we got connected, because I loved working with this awesome mother-daughter duo! We actually worked together on our first real wedding this past weekend, and these two knocked it out of the park yet again. I’m also shooting Amanda’s destination wedding in Mexico in a few months, and I’m sure it’s going to be amazing, especially with all of the wedding planning experience her and her mom have! I shot Amanda’s engagement session a few months ago, and I loved getting her in front of my camera again, and with her mom this time for some branding photos!
Shooting head shots/branding photos for other wedding industry professionals is such an honor. These two are such a talented and creative pair, and I feel so privileged to get to be a small part of their brand. Enjoy a few of my favorite photos from our session this afternoon!
Downtown Indianapolis Couples Session
It’s always so fun when I have the privilege of shooting with a fellow photographer, especially when I get to shoot and an adorable couple’s session in downtown Indianapolis. Kaylee is the face behind Kaylee Creighton Photography, We have a very similar shooting and editing style, so it worked out perfectly for us to meet up and exchange sessions. I took photos of her, her boyfriend Levi, and their adorable golden doodle puppy, Sophie for their Christmas cards. I also took some head shots for Kaylee while we were there. In exchange, Kaylee took some photos of Andry and I, which I will share in my next blog post.
The Central Library is one of my new favorite spots for sessions downtown. I started using this location when the construction at the War Memorial caused me to not be able to use that spot anymore, but I quickly became obsessed with the library’s gorgeous architecture. I always love to find clean backgrounds to bring more attention to the couple in the photo, and the library definitely provides that. I also love the warm glow that comes through the windows from the outside.
Right across from the library is an open green area lined with sidewalks and trees. I almost couldn’t believe it when I showed up downtown, and realized that these trees still had beautiful fall colored leaves on them! Almost all of the trees in the city are bare by now, but I loved that there was still a little bit of fall left in downtown Indianapolis.
Kaylee, Levi, and Sophie are just the cutest little family. I loved getting to work with them. And I always love when couples bring their dogs to their session! Sophie is still a puppy, and she gets to excited, but we managed to get her looking at the camera for a few perfect shots. She did so well! I love all of the adorable photos that came from this session.
Finley Creek Vineyards Wedding
John and Lisa’s wedding yesterday at St. Monica Catholic Church and Finley Creek Vineyards was one of the most fun, beautiful, and well-organized weddings I’ve gotten to photograph this season. I loved getting to work with such a sweet couple as well as work with some of my favorite vendors again!
Magical Moments Event Planing created such a beautiful design for the reception that was a mix between a sailing theme and a fall theme, and Special Occasion Design by Chrissy filled the room with stunning florals.
John and Lisa were so laid back and stress-free which allowed for such a joyful and fun atmosphere at both their ceremony and reception. During portraits, even though it was freezing outside, the bridal party trusted me enough to step outside for most of our photos. We managed to find one tree at their ceremony venue, St. Monica Catholic Church, that still had some colorful leaves on it to create a beautiful fall vibe to their portraits.
At the reception, none of the guests were sitting down for too long. The live band, Blue Water Kings Band, had the crowd dancing the whole night, and this crowd loved to dance!
John and Lisa, you two are such a special couple, and I’m so grateful that I got to be a part of your incredible wedding day. I can’t wait to finish editing the rest of these photos! Until then, enjoy these sneak peaks from your day!
Amazing Vendor Team:
Photography: Rakoteet Photography
Wedding Planners: Magical Moments Event Planning
Venues: St. Monica Catholic Church and Finley Creek Vineyards
Florist: Special Occasion Design by Chrissy
Catering: Jacquie’s Catering
Bakery: Nothing Bundt Cakes
Live Band: Blue Water Kings Band
Videographer: Complete Weddings and Events
Bridal Gown: The Bridal Superstore
Jewelry and Rings: Pettite Gs
Men’s Attire: DC Tux
Coxhall Gardens Engagement Session: Erika and Austin
Austin proposed to Erika at Coxhall Gardens a few months ago, so they thought it would be special to have their engagement session right where they got engaged. I loved that idea! Coxhall Gardens is one of my favorite engagement session locations anyway. We caught the very end of the fall season, and ended up with chilly but beautiful weather. Erika wore two perfectly “fall” outfits, with an adorable hat! These two were so much fun to work with, and I’m already looking forward to their wedding next fall at Balmoral House!
Hidden Hollow Farm Wedding: MacKenzie and Gabriel
Despite the temperatures being below freezing yesterday, MacKenzie and Gabriel had the most perfect and beautiful wedding at Hidden Hollow Farm. This was my first time shooting a wedding at Hidden Hollow, and this venue is absolutely beautiful! It was perfect for MacKenzie and Gabriel who are an outdoorsy couple that loves camping and hiking. These two were such troopers, spending the day shivering with me while taking photos. At one point, I asked MacKenzie to put her ice cold hands on Gabriel’s face, and I’m sure he was so annoyed with me, but it was totally worth it for the amazing photos we were able to capture!
It was also my first time working with a new set of vendors, and I was so impressed with every one of them. This vendor team absolutely killed it. Copper Jade Events & Design did both the fantastic planning and the beautiful florals. Talk about a woman of many talents! Lavender and Hops Style Lounge did an incredible job with hair and makeup. And Turn It Up Sound Productions was such a fun DJ!
MacKenzie and Gabriel, you are two of the sweetest people I’ve ever met, and I’m wishing you a lifetime of happiness!
Vendors:
Photography: Rakoteet Photography
Venue: Hidden Hollow Farm
Planning and Florals: Copper Jade Events & Design
Cake and Desserts: Sweet Paige’s Cakes
DJ: Turn It Up Sound Productions
Hair and Makeup: Lavender and Hops Style Lounge
Catering: Whiskey Whiskers
Bride’s Gown: Nancy’s Bridal Boutique
Bridesmaid Dresses: Birdy Grey
Shoes: Toms
Rings: Zales and Nelson’s Jewelers
Men’s Attire and Invitations: Louie’s Tux Shop
Transportation: Lafayette Limo