A "Run and Gun" kit is one that allows you to be highly mobile and capture a scene in a moments notice. It is, or should be, light weight and compact. The gear you use should be minimal and, most importantly, not get in your way of capturing the shot.
Everyone has their own philosophy on what a run and gun kit should consist of. It will vary depending on your camera system, the images you like to create and your tolerance for random b.s. (I shoot Nikon, so I am no stranger to random b.s. in critical moments). It will surely change with time, experience and available technology. Here is my philosophy on what my Event Run and Gun kit should consist of.
A Zoom Lens
My Choice: The Nikon 24-70 2.8S
Probably more important than the camera is the lens you choose. I personally believe that a zoom lens is the way to go. Having the ability to shoot at multiple focal lengths at a constant aperture is critical in dynamic situations. Many times have I found myself capturing a scene in the 50mm-70mm range, when suddenly something happens right in front of me. Being able to zoom into 24mm allows me to capture events happening more quickly than I otherwise would be able to with a prime. Yes, I can hear the prime purists now saying "zoom with your feet, blah, blah, blah". Well, the last time I checked I am no Usain Bolt, so moving fast enough to not miss a shot is not in my repertoire. Also, the constant aperture of f2.8 is great in low light situations. Let's be real, when was the last time you were in a "well lit event hall"? Sure, f2.8 is not f1.8 or f1.4, but once again, we are sacrificing aperture for focal length versatility.
A Flash
My Choice: Godox V1 w/ bounce card
Early in my photography career, I thought I could get away with always shooting at a low aperture and cranking my ISO to the moon. Everyone likes natural light, right? I quickly realized that most of the environments I was shooting events in severely lacked any lights stronger than a candle. My shots were often blurry, grainy or just lacking "pop". Enter a flash. Flash photography is a bit intimidating at first. Especially when you first turn off TTL and go full manual. Dialing in the correct settings does take some time. Changes in lighting and distance between you and the subject are obstacles to be aware of. But, once you get the hang of it, adding a lighting source like a flash can really make the difference in your images. Flashes will allow you to maintain proper shutter speed and aperture, while reducing the need for high ISO, in low light situations. Your photos will in turn be less grainy, blurry and more dynamic than they otherwise would be.
A Camera
My Choice: Nikon Z6II
The camera you use should check off a few boxes in order to qualify as a good event camera. It should:
Have dual card slots. You want to make sure you have added redundancy in case of a catastrophic failure, especially when doing paid work.
Have decent battery life. This is tricky for power hungry mirrorless cameras. Some manufacturers will periodically release new batteries that have increased capacity when compared to their predecessors.
Have Eye AF. If you strictly manual focus, then hats off to you. Good luck doing that in fast paced situations. Eye AF is a life safer in event photography. Sometimes shit happens and you need the camera to do the thinking for you. A camera with good Eye AF will help produce more images that are keepers for you and your client.
A Good Camera Strap
My Choice: Peak Design Slide Camera Strap
Not the sexiest item to think about, but it does play a part in the run and gun set up. Think about it, do you want to A) hand carry a camera for several hours or B) trust a $10 camera strap you got on Amazon to hold your $5000+ camera setup? Didn't think so! A quality camera strap offers three things. One, is safety. You know that your camera, lens and flash are safely secured to you at all times. You don't have to worry about accidently dropping your camera, setting it down and forgetting it or someone stealing it. It is with you at all times. Two, is accessibility. The primary focus of a run and gun kit is speed. A camera strap will allow you to have your camera at arms length at all times. Third, most importantly, is style. A nice looking strap will give you credibility. Style points are never a bad thing.
Other Auxiliary Components
While the items above should be the core of your run and gun kit, you should include the following as part of your total event photography kit.
Back Up Camera - In case you bought the cheap camera strap from Amazon and your primary camera took a tumble.
Extra Lenses - Don't go too crazy here. Sometimes less it more. I normally will carry a fast prime, like the 35 f1.8 or 85 f.18, along side my 24-70 f2.8.
Extra batteries and charger - You do not want to be caught with your pants down when your camera runs out of batteries. Same goes for your flash. Have spares on hand.
A Good Camera Bag - I use the Think Tank Airport Essentials. Not only does it hold all of the gear I've talked about in this article, but it also has a cable lock and locking zippers so I can secure my gear when I am not around my bag.
What's you Run and Gun kit consist of? Leave a comment down below!
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