We are Savannah and Greg, the husband-wife team behind Authentic Collective. We’ve been shooting weddings and now exclusively elopements since 2019.
Savannah started the business in 2018 after people contacted her about capturing their engagement session. She was running a jewelry business when she advertised her jewelry by taking photos of it, which drew people into her work.
Like most photographers, we’ve continued to add to our gear over time based on needs but do our best to be minimalists as most of our elopements involve at least some hiking, and we prefer to run light to avoid getting worn out just dragging around unnecessary gear.
We’ve been shooting Nikon since the DSLR days, although that isn’t to say we didn’t try other systems before committing to the Nikon mirrorless lineup.
Overall, we see our gear as a tool. And while you can have a unique perfect tool for each job, the more versatile our gear can be, the more minimalized our kit can be, allowing us to run and gun while shooting elopements.
Nikon Z6 II – We have three of these bodies, which have been our workhorses since they were released.
A light camera with superb autofocus, easy-to-navigate menus, and quick function buttons to change your settings in a snap.
The colors are on point for Nikon, and the file size is small enough not to clog up our backup systems when overshooting, as we tend to.
Nikon Z8 – We initially bought this as it was the first Nikon camera that wasn’t priced like the Nikon Z9, that included internal 4k 60p LOG video. Since we do both photo and video, this was a must-have.
Greg loves this camera, Savannah not so much. The increased body size makes it a more challenging camera for Savannah to use than the Nikon Z6’s.
Nikon Z6 III – This camera is excellent as a dual-purpose photo and video camera, but many photographers may become annoyed by the flip-out screen.
Nikon geared this camera more towards videographers when they designed it, compared to the Nikon Z6 II. We love how light it is, as the Nikon Z8 can start to feel heavy after eight-plus hours of filming.
The IBIS in this camera is a real step forward for Nikon filmmakers.
Nikon F3 – This camera has the most satisfying shutter I’ve ever experienced. Savannah bought it as a birthday gift for me. It takes beautiful photos, and the focus is pretty easy to dial.
We use this for personal use and when couples add 35mm film photos.
Yashica Auto Focus – We found this camera in an old bin at Savannah’s house. We threw batteries in, and it works!
It’s probably my favorite camera, even if I don’t feel like bringing one, because it is incredibly light and takes vintage-looking photos.
Is the autofocus missing fifty percent of the time? Sure. Is that half the fun? Heck yeah! We throw HP2 film in this as the black and white combined with the focus on this thing looks incredible.
This is our dedicated black and white camera for couples who want to add 35mm film photos.
Nikon Z 70-200mm f/2.8 S – When working with mountains in the background, you need a lens with compression to make them huge.
We love the versatility of this lens, although, yes, it is HUGE. But there’s nothing else that can isolate someone from the background during vows while not interrupting the moment.
We love this lens!
Nikon Z 24-70mm f/2.8 S – This lens is almost always on at least one of our cameras. The focal length is versatile, giving you much variety with one lens.
It’s almost always wide enough for what we shoot, and it can still pull the couple in when needed.
Nikon Z 50mm f/1.2 S – This is far and away the most expensive lens we’ve ever purchased, but WOW, it’s worth it.
The bokeh this lens puts out is insane, and unlike Nikon’s older f/1.4 lenses, you can use it at f/1.2 and still get accurate focus. This is a monster during portraits and another lens that rarely is dismounted from cameras.
Nikon Z 85mm f/1.8 S – Another lens that is incredible for portraits. It creates a beautiful isolation of the subject while letting tons of light in.
Nikon Z 28-75mm f/2.8 – Nikon finally got a zoom lens for videography. The zoom on this is incredibly smooth, and the way the autofocus behaves is just right for videography.
I used to be obsessed with the Tamron version of this lens, and now having something made by Nikon is excellent!
Nikon 60mm f/2.8 Macro – This lens has been in our bag almost since the start, and it is the only lens we can say that about. It just does the job you need from a macro lens, and yeah, because it’s an F mount, it may take one extra shot to nail the focus, so why replace it when it works?
Nikon 50mm f/1.8 F-Mount – The perfect little nifty fifty for the Nikon F3. We bought a 35mm for this camera, thinking we’d use it more often, but I am obsessed with this lens. It’s light, small, versatile, and everything you need on a 35mm camera.
Peter McKinnon Variable ND Filter (2-5 stop) – This ND retains colors and performs exceptionally well, even in harsh conditions. The whole design of this filter is everything you could ask for.
The case, once open, mounts to the backside so you never lose the mount cover, and it’s small enough to pop into your pocket when not in use.
Godox V1-N – These are our on-camera flashes, and they are super versatile. They function quite well as flashes and have a solid adjustable bulb setting for when you need just a little pop of light for night photography.
Peak Design Straps – Having only two straps for our countless cameras and switching between them is a huge benefit. Whether you have a light 35mm on or a massive 70-200mm, these straps hold up exceptionally well.
We bought these back in 2019, and they are still going strong!
3-Legged Thing – While small tripods can be annoying to set up, they are an essential part of the elopement kit!
Whether it’s for a B Cam for a ceremony or a tripod for night photos, having something you can jam into your backpack that is lightweight is essential.
Using the Adobe Editing Suite, we do almost all of our editing in Lightroom, using only Photoshop to remove pesky people or objects.
We switch to Premiere Pro for our videography while sometimes jumping into After Effects to remove a person or a bag in the background.
ACE Presets – We have our own presets for photos and a LUT (Look Up Table) we created for videos. We also have an Imagen AI editing profile, which we use in our workflow to get our images eighty-five percent of the way there before we go in and put on the final touches.
We work primarily above 9000 feet and often above 12000 feet, and at that elevation, oxygen becomes scarce. While we benefit from living here and being acclimated, we must carry Boost Oxygen for our couples, as many come from much lower elevations and haven’t had much time to adjust.
The sun is also very intense in Colorado, and you will easily get burnt, even if you usually don’t, so we carry Supergoop Sunscreen. Not to mention our tummies; we always have a stash of Patter Bars for us and the couple.
Patter is a locally owned food company based in Denver. The Coconut and Cashew bar will change your life!
If you are a photographer worried about taking a chance, just do it!
We picked up our successful business in Georgia and moved to Colorado, changing niches from traditional weddings to elopements. And while yes, it was stressful, scary, and hard work, we could not be more happy doing what we love in our favorite place in the lower forty-eight!
If you want to learn how to grow your business and create a sustainable marketing strategy that will allow you to take significant risks like this, hit our For Photographers page and reach out!
Credit : Source Post
