I first discovered photographer Cindy Loughridge quite a few years ago now and have always been a huge fan of her beautiful portraits and stunning still lifes. There is one element that Cindy always nails in every single photograph and that is light. She knows how to find the light all photographers seek and uses it amazingly well no matter what camera she is wielding. I love her intimate, personal work and have a great fondness for her San Franciscan windows. The light, oh the light.

Cindy is a lifestyle and wedding photographer from San Francisco and just between us, she’s pretty much a flickr superstar. She also produces some beautiful actions which you can find on her website under Cinnamon Rose Actions and Presets. Cindy was kind enough to answer the Mocking Bird What’s in Your Kit? questions.

MB: What are your cameras of choice and why?

Cindy: I have many cameras, but my go to cameras are the Nikon D700 for client work and Hasselblad 500cm for personal work and I think it’s one of the easiest and most fun medium format cameras to use. I love the heavy “thunk” sound the shutter makes.

MB: Which are your favourite lenses to work with and why?

Cindy: I absolutely love the 50mm for ease of use, size. It’s just perfect. The 85mm for portraits, and it’s perfect for street shooting, without looking completely obvious. 35mm is great for wide shots and it doesn’t distort like some other wide lenses.

All these lenses, I shoot on my D700 or F100.

MB: What equipment do you prefer to use to shoot portraits?

Cindy: The D700 and 85mm.  I can get close to the subject without sticking my camera in their face.

For film portraits, I absolutely love the Contax 645 with the 80mm f/2 lens.  The portraits are so dreamy with this combination. When I shoot clients, I love using the D700 and 85mm.  I can get close to them without sticking my camera in their face.

MB: Name a camera that you just love to have fun with.

Cindy: The Fuji Instax 210 – it’s the wider format of the Instax family.  It’s great outdoors and at parties.  Actually, it’s great anytime.

MB: What do you carry your equipment in?

Cindy: I use the Emera camera tote during the work week, there is at least one camera with me at all times. The tote is perfect for the extras that I like to take with me, folders, magazines, iPad.  On the weekend, I carry the new Emera Messenger bag; it is compact and will easily fit 2 cameras and a few essentials.

MB: Is there one piece of equipment/set up that you would recommend to a newbie shooter?

Cindy: For newbies, I really recommend they use the 50mm lens, instead of the kit lens that come with most digital camera packages.  I also recommend, they should shoot every day, shoot everything. Practice.  Learn everything about their camera. Try film.

MB: Film or Digital or both and why?

Cindy: I’m love both digital and film.  Digital because the results are immediate, it satisfies that instant gratification some of us crave or are used to.  Film because it’s not immediate, you have to slow down a bit, load the film, read the exposure, make the adjustments, complete the whole roll, develop the film and the thrill of anticipation when you finally get to see your images.

Cindy’s gear. That’s one sweet load.

Thank you for sharing all your equipment secrets with us, Cindy! It was such a pleasure to have you here on Mocking Bird.

Go here to check out Cindy’s portfolio, blog and flickrstream.

Related posts:

1. What’s In Your Kit? with Elizabeth Messina
2. What’s In Your Kit? With Jill Thomas
3. What’s In Your Kit? with Brian Ferry

You may know Jill’s work from her beautiful blog where she shares her mostly wedding portraits that are always so natural and full of gorgeous light. I really love the beautiful compositions Jill creates with her camera. Of course, Jill loves film as much as I do, so it was natural that I would fall in love with her photographs.

MB:  What is/are your camera/s of choice and why?

Jill: Contax 645 – because it is a medium format camera that allows me to work at my fast pace during weddings.  Also the images that come from this camera are just artistically beautiful.

Canon IV: A 35mm camera that is amazing.  It allows me to use my favourite Canon lenses when I want to shoot wide angle.  When talking Canon or Nikon 35mm – it is the best out there.

MB:Which are your favourite lenses to work with and why?

Jill: Zeiss 80mm – Zeiss glass is amazing.  If you have not pick up a Carl Zeiss lens, do so!  This lens is tack sharp, but because of the use of film, is still soft. I want my images to be simple and speak for themselves. The 80mm is perfect for this. It allows me to have an artistic but timeless style.

On my canon IV, my favourite lens is my 35mm 1.4.  I love this lens because it is slightly wide angle.  I am capturing images that are wider than the eye sees but this lens does not distort. It grabs a person’s eye because it is different just slightly. It is perfect to add a little artistic edge to your images. I just love it.

MB:What equipment do you prefer to use to shoot portraits?

Jill: Contax 645 with my 80mm – this is my first go to camera.

MB: Tell us about a camera that you just love to have fun with.

Jill: So I am crazy about cameras! I have way too many. I do not collect cameras because to me that says they just sit there and that makes my heart ache. I find cameras at thrift stores, antique stores, and on ebay. I shoot with them all and they all are in working order.

My fun street photography camera is my Hasslebad 500C/M – I slow down, wind the camera and compose each shot. Strangers just look amazing to me in the camera.
If I am bringing a camera with me on an outing with my kids, I bring my Brownie or Holga. I think my kids look so dang cute in these cameras. They are soft and just capture their moments perfect.

My favourite Polaroid is my Polaroid 600SE. I love Fuji film. This is how I love to capture my family. I love those Fuji images in my album. The lens is a Mamiya lens and it is so sharp. This camera gives you amazing instant photos.

My favourite artistic Polaroid is my Polaroid SX-70. I love details with this camera. Settings, scenery, and objects. I have these photos framed all over my home.
What I love about film is that every type of film and every camera capture moments differently. So I have found what cameras I love for what situations. Of course I love to mix it up and try new things … what photographer doesn’t? It is grabbing new cameras, trying new films, and shooting new things, that keep me inspired.

MB: What do you carry your equipment in?

Jill: All my equipment is in an old vintage hutch I purchased at an old beach shop. I love it. When I am shooting for fun, I just bring one camera with me at a time. It is like I picked my baby for the day. I have 2 kids and am pregnant, so I cannot carry a bunch on me.
If I am shooting a wedding, I have a roller Tenba suitcase and a Tamrac bag. I also love my Shootsac. My shootsac is not necessarily a lens sac, it is a film sac. Its compartments are perfect for keeping your film organized and ready.

MB: Is there one piece of equipment/set up that you would recommend to a newbie shooter?

Jill: For a newbie FILM photographer, I would recommend grabbing a Canon 35mm and just shooting your heart away. The Canon IN is on ebay for like $150 and is a great camera. If you have that and a good lens like the 50mm 1.2 or the 85mm 1.2 – you would be ready … just shoot away. Try new film types, to find what film best represents you. Find what films work best when and where. Also pick up an instant and stay inspired.  you can get the Polaroid 340 land camera very inexpensive as well. It is so fun to work with Fuji film and this is a great camera to start experimenting on.
Just to add: one camera I don’t own and is next on my list is the Leica M6. It is an amazing 35mm that will soon become my best friend!

Thank you SO much Jill for those wonderfully informative answers. What a treat this was! You literally named all my most coveted cameras and you own them all! I think I’ll have to come over and raid your camera closet some day.

To see more of Jill’s work, please visit her site and blog and you can follow her here on twitter.

Please join me in thanking Jill for this great interview in the comments below. :)

Related posts:

1. What’s In Your Kit? with Elizabeth Messina
2. What’s In Your Kit? With Lisa Warninger
3. Thomas Haas, I Love You

Dream like, magical and yet like nothing you’ve seen before is how I would describe Elizabeth Messina’s wedding photography. Any girl would die happy to have Elizabeth shoot their portrait and to have her present on your wedding day would be absolutely dreamy.

Not only are her portraits incredible but she shoots weddings with a story telling vibe and captures all the little details with care and the perfect light. She writes the gorgeous blog, Kiss The Groom where she shares her latest wedding sessions. I can get lost on Kiss The Groom for hours and I always leave wanting to go out and buy a fancy pair of heels. She shoots the hell out of heels! Elizabeth’s  stylish work can be found in many wedding and style magazines.

I was so happy when Elizabeth agreed to share her equipment with us.

MB: What is your camera of choice?

Elizabeth: Contax 645

MB: Which are your favourite lenses to work with?

Elizabeth: I always like to be close to my subject. On my Contax I prefer the 80 mm Zeiss lens. It’s perfect.

I asked Elizabeth which lenses she likes to shoot for portraits and she said she likes the 80mm mentioned above.

MB: Name a camera you just love to have fun with.

Elizabeth: I have a wonderful collection of film cameras. Some of my favourites include my Holgas, Polaroid sx70′s, Lubitel’s, the new Fuji Polaroids.

Thank you so much for playing Elizabeth! To hear that some of the best photographers in the business are still shooting with film makes my heart sing.

You can find Elizabeth’s work here on her portfolio site and of course at Kiss the Groom. Get thee there now to leave her fabulous comments of love.

Related posts:

1. What’s In Your Kit? with One Love Photo
2. What’s In Your Kit? With Lisa Warninger
3. What’s In Your Kit? with Cannelle et Vanille