So I get asked often what kind of equipment do I use, what software do I use to edit, and lots more of overly technical questions that I feel like they needed their own blog post to answer.

Camera Bodies I use:

+Canon 5D Mark III (main camera body)

+ Canon 5D Mark II (backup camera body-also used for traveling and blogging images for Hey There Hinson blog.)

Lenses I use (in order of most used to least used) :

+Canon 35mm f/1.4 L  (I use this lens for almost every shot at a wedding.  I love it’s versatility, how crisp it is, it’s fast focusing, and it’s color saturation. LOVE THIS LENS!)

+Canon 50mm f/1.4  (After getting the 35, I don’t use this one as much as I used to.  I’m wanting to upgrade this lens to the f/1.2 or the Sigma 50mm f/1.4 Art lens soon.  After buying the 35mm, I realized my 50mm really needed to step its game up.)

+Canon 100mm Macro f/2.8 IS L  (Ok, so I JUST bought this lens. Like literally-last week.  I’ve rented it for a few weddings here and there, but really didn’t know how much I loved this lens until I rented it for one wedding and shot about 500 photos with it! I bought it and have no regrets.  I use this lens for my detail shots…think rings, invitations, flowers, shoes, and all those little pretty wedding day things.) 

+Canon 70-200mm f/2.8 IS L  (I really only bought this mack-daddy lens because of the way it looked..and I typically whip this lens out when I’m shooting the groomsmen.  When they see this lens come out of my artillery bag, they really know I mean business. I love using this lens during wedding ceremonies or during First Looks so I’m there, but not intrusive and in the way.  

+Canon 17-40mm f/4 L  (I absolutely love this little powerhouse lens.  It’s been EVERYWHERE with me. From the rim of the Grand Canyon, to the black sand beaches of Hawaii….this lens is a great lens to travel with! I absolutely love it.  I throw this baby on when I REALLY want to get in the middle of things on the dance floor during wild wedding receptions.  It’s a great wide angle lens, not too bad on the price for a Canon “L” lens, and pretty crisp at all focal lengths. ) 

+Canon 85mm f/1.4 (I really should sell this lens and get the better 1.2 but I just don’t know if I like the focal length on this lens at all.  I feel a little “too close” to my subject, but I know it’s a must-have lens for portrait photographers.  I think I just like the look of the 35mm and the 50mm better. But someday soon, I’ll buckle down, empty out my wallet, and buy the Canon 85mm f/1.2 L.  

Thankfully, I have a super cute bag to store all these (plus, a few other smaller lenses) inside.  I carry my main equipment in a black Kelly Moore bag, which I LOVE using! It’s padded interior, all of its pockets, and its durability has really kept this bag one of my favorite pieces of equipment! 😉

At sessions or on wedding days, you can’t find me without my sidekick-my ShootSac. I love this bag! It really has helped me become a more efficient photographer, so I have to give it a ton of credit.   Having all my lenses, a flash, extra batteries, and memory cards right there on the side of my hip really makes shooting A LOT easier for me! It’s a MUST-HAVE for anyone shooting weddings or fast-paced sessions. 

I edit all of my images using Adobe Lightroom. I currently am testing out the Creative Cloud version of Lightroom so I can edit my images while I’m on the iPad or away from my laptop.  So far, I really like the CC version so much!  I try to stay out of Adobe Photoshop as much as I can, just because it slows my computer down SO MUCH. (Seriously, it goes into snail speed when PS is running!) So I do most of my major editing in LR and then take a selected number of images into Photoshop as needed.

Speaking of which, I use a 13″ MacBook Pro as my main computer to edit.  It’s a workhorse. I swear, I’ve spilled wine, coffee, broken the screen three times, dropped it countless times, accidentally thrown it down (while in my backpack), and it has yet to mess up on me! (Knock on wood!) My Mac is just down right amazing.  I plan on buying a Mac Pro Tower for Emma Loo for Christmas. It will be a HUGE change for me, but nothing will ever replace my MacBook.

I am SO old school when it comes to schedule making, goal listing, and maintaining my workflow throughout the day.  Every morning, I make a list of priorities and things I have got to get done, get edited, or get returned to clients.  I jot this list down in a cute notebook (I’ve literally have so many notebooks!) and then highlight in blue when I’ve completed it.  At the top of every notebook agenda entry, I make sure I put boxes at the top to check off when I’ve uploaded to various social media sites, checked my email three times throughout the day, and spent at least 1 hour a day of straight, no interruption editing (I’m still having a hard time with this one! That’s pretty hard to do some days!!)

So I hope y’all have enjoyed a little peek into my camera bag & office workflow for a regular day in the life of Emma Loo! If you have any questions about anything, leave a comment below or email me at emily@emmaloo-photography.com

Happy Shooting Y’all!

XO! -Emma Loo