Pro Hardware Does Not make a Pro photographer...

however, top of the line professional equipment does give me a distinct advantage to take the images that I see in my mind and turn them to real images.

My Primary camera is a Canon 1d X

This Pro level camera has a high quality 18 Meg sensor and shoots up to 12 pictures per second. The sensor in this body can create poster sized prints (30"x40") of very high quality.

The 1D X bodies are cut from a single block of Magnesium alloy which makes them extremely durable which is exactly what is needed when shooting in a "once-in-a-lifetime" event like your wedding. This also makes the body very rigid which keeps the lens and image sensor in proper alignment for the sharpest pictures.

Despite extreme durability sometimes things just go wrong.

My backup camera is an exact duplicate of my primary camera, another Canon 1d X.  Which insure your wedding images will be exactly consistent from start to finish, even if something does happen to the primary camera.

One of the things that separates a professional photographer from a amateur photographer is that a great photographers are intimately familiar with their equipment and know exactly how to get the best images from it... in an instant. Which is why using a backup/secondary camera that is exactly the same as your primary camera is so important.

If you don't use a camera regularly, especially with today's sophisticated digital cameras, you won't remember all the features and options you need to take the best images.  When I'm at your wedding I don't want to have to change equipment in the middle and try to remember exact how this other camera works.

The other reason I use a duplicate backup camera is that I want the images from your wedding to be a consistent high quality and that can only be delivered by a duplicate camera. For many photographer's their backup up camera is an older camera - in other words it is the camera they shot with a few years ago - the one they used until they could afford a better/newer camera.

Why don't all photographers carry exact duplicate equipment?  because it is expensive. It expensive to carry 2 copies of the same camera.  One way photographers get away with charging less is that they use an older or less sophisticated equipment.  It's simply not worth the risk to use older equipment or only have one camera at a wedding. I would not take this risk with my daughter's wedding images, and I won't take it with yours. 

My third camera is a Canon 5D Mark III that I use for video and remote unattended shooting.

My fourth camera is a highly specialized body, a Canon 5D, converted to shoot only B&W Infrared images, which have a wonderful etherial look that simply can't be duplicated.

I use Canon's "L" Red Strip lenses.  These super high quality, extra sharp, durable lenses are the choice of professional the world over.  These superior lenses use a combination of ultra-low dispersion glass, multi-coatings, fluoride glass, and special elements to provide the clearest most detailed images available.

These lenses also feature high speed focusing motors that help me lock in focus quickly and capture those special fleeting moments at your wedding.

They also are fast lenses (f/2.8) so they work better in low light and allow selective focus to make for better and more interesting images.

I use Canon 600EX RT state of the art flashes that are matched to the Canon 1D X camera to provide excellent lighting under even difficult lighting situations.  I carry up to five (5) - 600EX RT flashes along with 2 high power Quantum flashes to light churches and reception halls as need to provide superior pictures.

Beyond the primary components listed above is a nearly endless list of lights, lenses, batteries, and accessories that I use to craft the best wedding images from your event.

Do I use everything at every wedding? 
No, however having options increases creative choices and the quality of your images.