KAYLA LEE PHOTOGRAPHY + DESIGN

KAYLA LEE PHOTOGRAPHY + DESIGN

Education

TOP GEAR: WHAT’S IN MY CAMERA BAG I EDUCATION

March 5, 2019

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When I pull up to your wedding, you are going to probably take note of three things:
(1) I am wearing a black dress.
(2) I pair that black dress with pink flats.
(3) I will be wheeling a Pelican Case that will look like I am moving in.
There’s no denying that a photographer has a ton of gear. But there are a ton of unspoken questions that kind of all boil down to one main query: What’s that all for?
Well, let me tell you what’s in my case and why I use it
Nikon D5 camera body: This is my sidekick on your wedding day, the one who makes the magic happen. This is my primary camera, the one I will use to shoot your wedding.
Nikon D810 camera body: Weird things can (and do) happen, so I always have a back up.
Pentax 645 medium-format film camera: I consider myself a hybrid photographer, meaning that I shoot both digital and film (when the light and opportunity presents itself). I always have this little buddy with me as another way to capture your day. Film serves as a reminder to me to slow down and find the moment. It has made me a better photographer, so I like to keep with it so I can continue to grow and provide you the best!
XQD/SD cards: Multiples are a necessity to make sure we save every possible memory.
Rolls of Kodak Portra 400: I am not a dark and moody photographer, so I choose Kodak Portra 400 film for my film photography. It creates creamy, dreamy skin tones and soft, subtle saturation. I love it!
35mm, 50mm, and 85mm lenses: I use these primarily for portraiture; which one I select depends on the setting. In a more intimate, smaller setting I may pull out the 35mm or 50mm, while outdoors I am more likely to use my 85mm (whenever I can I use the 85mm, it is my favorite as it has incredible bokeh–which means it blurs that background into beautiful buttery velvet, making you just POP! The other two also have pretty decent bokeh, but I may use those outdoors when I want to shoot a little wider while staying a little closer to you or to retain a little bit more of the background details).
105mm macro lens: This is my second favorite lens in my arsenal. Ring and detail shots are my jam, and it is this lens that lets me get super up-close-and-personal with all your delicate details and capture them clearly. I love it, and I never leave home without it!
135mm: This is my ceremony lens. I prefer prime lenses (lenses with fixed focal lengths, unlike zooms that have variable lengths), so this is my go-to lens for capturing your walk down the aisle and your “I do!”
70-200mm zoom lens: While I prefer my 135mm prime for ceremonies, something It is just not enough length. I always have this one as a back-up, just in case.
14-24mm wide angle lens: I bought this lens for one purpose, and one purpose only: To photograph Philadelphia’s Elfreth’s Alley. Macro photography might be my jam, but wide angle photography is my peanut butter. I love capturing dramatic establishing shots, such as the Glensheen where I was able to get the whole building in frame while standing just feet away. It is for a very specific purpose, so I carry it so we have the option should opportunity present itself for an epic wide angle shot.
3 Nikon SB-5000 Speedlight flashes: I consider myself a natural light photographer, so I try to avoid flash until the very minute it is needed. Rest assured, once we meet that moment I am 100% ready to light up your life.
Panasonic Eneloop Rechargeable Batteries: One can never have too many AA batteries .
When you see me rolling up to your venue with a suitcase that looks like I am moving in, rest assured that I am not; I just bring everything I could possibly need to capture your joy in the most authentic, comprehensive manner.

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BEHIND THE LENS

ABOUT KAYLA

At home on the road. Forever-focused on authenticity and the thrilling art of creation; always found in the moments that leave me breathless and in awe. 

After fourteen years as a high school educator, I stepped back through a door I thought was closed. Journalism came back into my life. Armed with a Masters of Arts in Communication, I was again challenged and prepared to tell the stories that would become history, but with a twist: It is now your legacy of love that I document. The tension I seek is that from every tear, smile, laugh, and moment of love on your wedding day. 

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