Ask a wedding photographer what’s in their bag and they’ll talk about lenses. Ask what’s in the other bag and you get the real answer — the small kit that never gets photographed but quietly rescues the day.
The fix-it kit
- Safety pins and a mini sewing kit — for a popped bustle or a split seam mid-reception
- Stain-remover pen — red wine finds white dresses
- Blister plasters — new shoes, long day
- Hair pins, a small comb, clear nail polish (stops a stocking run)
- Boutonnière pins, double-sided tape, lint roller
- Tissues — a lot of tissues
- Mints, and a couple of granola bars for whoever forgot to eat
The gear that’s a backup of a backup
Two camera bodies minimum, so a failure is an inconvenience not a catastrophe. Duplicate lenses for the focal lengths that matter. Spare batteries for everything. Twice the memory cards we expect to need, and cameras that write to two cards at once so every frame exists in two places before we leave the venue. A backup flash. A headlamp for packing up in the dark.
Why it matters to you
The emergency kit is a small thing, but it’s a tell. A studio that carries stain pens and shoots to dual cards is a studio that has thought about what goes wrong and planned for it. That’s the same mindset that shows up in the contract, the backups and the second shooter — and it’s worth asking about when you’re hiring.
Richard Black Studio covers weddings, Bar & Bat Mitzvahs, Sweet 15 & 16 celebrations and special events across Long Island and New York — photography, films and professional live streaming from one team. Tell us what you’re planning and we’ll send availability and a quote.