It was around this time 6 years ago that I used my college graduation money to buy my first camera! Back then I had no idea that I wanted my photography hobby into a career! Now I’m so incredibly grateful that I’m going on year 5 of being a full-time wedding photographer.

Before I get into what my favorite lens, I thought I’d share what I recommend if you’re looking to buy your first DSLR camera. Starting out I had a Canon Rebel T3 which came with the not so great kit lens. But it helped me practice & learn until I knew what I wanted. Once I discovered I wanted a lens I could create beautiful bokeh ( blurry background), I bought the canon 50 1.8 lens! So whenever someone asks me what’s a good starting out camera I usually recommend a Canon Rebel with a 50 1.8 lens. It’s a pretty affordable lens that leads to pretty results ( because lenses are crazy expensive!)

So this leads me to my favorite lens…

It’s the canon 50 1.2 L lens which I use on my Canon 5D Mark III camera! This is quite the upgrade from the 50 1.8. I’ve actually owned all the 50 lenses ( the 1.8 & 1.4) and the 1.2 is by far my fav! It’s pretty pricey though but 100% worth it! I honestly use it about 95% of the time. It’s perfect for any shoot whether it’s engagement, family, baby or senior photos!

I especially LOVE it on wedding days because I can use it throughout the whole day! I plan on doing another blog where I go over my other equipment & breaking down the other lens I use for different parts of the day. But I use the 50 1.2 throughout the day from getting ready to the ceremony to portraits (bridal party, family, bride & groom) and then even at the reception!

It’s a prime lens which means your feet are the zoom! It’s super sharp & has dreamy bokeh! I love being close to my clients, so that makes this perfect! My 2nd favorite lens is the canon 85 which I try to get myself to use for portraits occasionally as well! If you’re a photographer who shoots Canon I highly recommend renting the 50 1.2 and seeing how you like it! I find that renting first helps me decide if it’s worth the money! I probably rented this lens for a couple months before buying it! It’s a huge purchase and one I wouldn’t really recommend if you’re just doing photography as a hobby!