Matthias Fast

I’m a wedding photographer based on opposite sides of the globe. My family and I chase the sun, spending summers in Vancouver, Canada and Cape Town, South Africa.

To be perfectly honest, I’m not much of a gearhead but there are a two things that are important to me when it comes to my camera kit. Because of the extensive traveling I do, I need all my gear to fit easily into a carry-on bag. The other important thing to me is having equipment that I can rely on to do the job. Going into a shoot or wedding, I need to have full confidence that my gear isn’t going to let me down. Here is what’s in my LowePro Roller X100 AW:

Nikon D750 bodies – Nikon was the first brand of camera I ever used and I haven’t turned away from them since. I could cut down on size/weight by going mirrorless but it goes back to the confidence I have in my equipment. Nikon has never given me a reason to switch. There isn’t anything to say about this body that hasn’t been said already but my favorite feature is the insane low light capabilities.

Nikon 85mm f/1.8 – Weighs little and does the job. Along with my 35mm, this rarely leaves my D750. I prefer this lens for shooting candids.

Nikon 50mm f/1.8 – Have it in my bag more as a backup. Extremely light, inexpensive and again, does the job. I use it most often for details.

Sigma 35mm f/1.4 – My workhorse. I absolutely love this lens and am very comfortable shooting it at f/ 1.4. Most of the images I take are with this lens.

Pioneer Photo Albums Memory Card Holder – Thin, durable and see through. I have two of these – one in my bag and one in my pocket. I’m a little paranoid about losing cards so as I shoot a wedding, I put completed cards into each so they are never both in the same place.

Yongnuo YN-560IV – I most often use these as a third light source for creative effect. For that reason I don’t need them to it have a ton of features. It’s also inexpensive which is always a bonus.

Nikon SB-700 – My primary flash. Has solid build quality but doesn’t weigh very much.

GorillaPod (not pictured) – Saves me from having to drag light stands around. They fit nicely into my bag and allow me to hang or stand flashes almost anywhere.

Yongnuo YN-622NII – Inexpensive and was a huge fan at first. They will probably be the next gear to go however as they’ve recently proven to be a little unreliable.

Socks – I never shoot a wedding without a second set in my bag. Putting on a fresh pair halfway through a long day is amazing! My preferred brands are Happy Feet and Stance.

Memory Cards – I always shoot with 32GB cards (the faster the better) but don’t have a brand preference. Usually end up purchasing whatever is on sale on Amazon.

mathiasfastphotography.com