My Kit

Award-winning wedding photographer Albert packs lots of Canon kit, but it’s an open mind and piece of copper pipe that help him to capture top shots

Professional wedding photographer Albert Palmer on his six choice pieces of kit

The most important piece of equipment I take with me to a wedding is an open mind

the people I photograph are

in love. The most important piece of equipment I take with me to a wedding is an open mind. I try to avoid any preconceived ideas about what will happen, what people should do or how they should feel. I hope my images transport couples back to their wedding day, and that they remind people of not just what happened but of how they felt – whether it was saying their vows, seeing uncle John partying on the dance floor or joking with the bridesmaids. As a wedding photographer I’m often thrown into tricky situations where I have to think quickly and have little control over the light or environment.

I rely on my equipment to focus in the dark on moving subjects and capture the defining moment. My holy trinity of lenses is the Canon EF 35mm f/1.4l II USM, 50mm f/1.2l USM and the 85mm f/1.2l II USM. I use these for 95 per cent of the images I take. I also use three 600EX-RT flashes, which, while pricey, are incredible for off-camera flash. They make the process so simple and haven’t failed me once. I love to spice things up and try something new, and have a Canon EF 100mm f/2.8 USM Macro lens and Canon TS-E 45mm f/2.8 tilt-shift lens.

Also packed are a prism and a piece of copper pipe, which I use to shoot through and create one or two images that are a little bit different. The key is to know when to use them and when not to, as they can become gimmicky quite quickly.