Gear


Inside Nick Fancher’s Lean, Mean Portrait Photography Kit

October 20, 2020

By Brienne Walsh

Before the pandemic hit, Nick Fancher, an editorial and commercial photographer based in Columbus, Ohio, traveled every month. With a client list that includes Tidal, Apple Music, Sotheby’s, Dwell and Revolver, Fancher also teaches creative portraiture workshops in New York, Los Angeles and London. The pandemic slowed down his workload considerably (he has stayed home besides one trip to Nashville for a personal shoot), but it allowed him time to ponder what helped him succeed in the photo industry. One contributing element he landed on was his travel portrait photography kit, which Fancher says he has whittled down over the years to get the “leanest and meanest kit possible.”

[READ: How Nick Fancher Lights for Dramatic, Experimental Portraits]

portrait photographer nick fancher in studio with his travel kit gear
© Nick Fancher

The gear kit—consisting of two cameras, two lenses, two lighting setups and a variety of essential props—can fit in a single bag. The bag is small enough to carry on a flight, cutting down on time spent at the airport waiting for luggage, or at customs waiting for equipment to clear. “With a single bag, I look like a tourist,” he says. “I can roll up and do a shoot, no problem.” It has also allowed him to keep a tight budget on shoots. “I don’t want to risk gear getting stolen or damaged if I’m checking a bag, because if it does, that’s coming out of my end,” he says.  

[READ: 6 Go-To Fashion and Portrait Photo Tools of Julia Trotti]

With his travel kit, Fancher says, he can shoot a wide variety of subjects, from indoor group shots to outdoor portraits. Below, he outlines his ten most indispensable on-the-go photo tools and why he can’t live without them.

1. Canon 5D Mark IV 

canon 5d mark iv camera for travel portrait photography

Fancher knows the Canon 5D Mark IV as well as he does the back of his own hand—better, perhaps. “I’ve been using the 5D system for years,” he says. “I know the button layout by memory and I’m very fast with it.”  

Something he likes, in particular, about the Mark IV, is that it can take multiple exposures and project them into live view. Multiple exposures are something that Fancher shoots frequently. “The camera overlays the first image as I’m taking my second,” he says. “I can do multiple exposures on the go with the camera perfectly.” 

Not having to fiddle with camera settings allows Fancher to get into the flow of work even if he’s someplace entirely unfamiliar. The shutter click of the 5D helps get him focused. “I tried shooting exclusively with a mirrorless camera for a while, but the silence threw me off,” he says. 

Price: $2,499

2. Canon EF 85mm f/1.2L

canon 85mm lens for travel portrait photography

Fancher say the Canon EF 85mm f/1.2L gets him exactly the type of crop and resolution he needs for portraits—such as the portrait of actor and comedian Kevin Hart in the gallery above, which he photographed for Hartbeat Productions. Fanchers pairs the 85mm lens with his Canon 5D Mark IV.  

Price: $1,999

3. Panasonic Lumix GH5 Micro Four Thirds

panasonic lumix gh5 camera for travel portrait photography

Increasingly, Fancher finds that clients are requesting that he take video along with still images. Because he would like to keep the majority of a client’s budget for himself, he has learned over the years to write, storyboard, direct, shoot and edit his own films, all created with the Panasonic Lumix GH5 camera. Fancher likes that the camera captures 4K video, and that he can shoot wide-lens environmental images and group shots.  

Even if he’s not shooting video on assignment, he travels with the Panasonic Lumix in case his Canon 5D Mark IV malfunctions. “If my Canon gets busted, I have another rig right there,” he says. 

Price: $1,397.99

4. Panasonic 12-35mm f/2.8  

panasonic 12-35mm lens for travel portrait photography

Using the Panasonic 12-35mm f/2.8 lens on his Panasonic Lumix, Fancher is able to capture wide-angle images that round out his story. For example, he used his Panasonic gear to capture the band Lamb of God (as seen in the gallery above) for the cover of Metal Hammer. The shoot took place in Richmond, Virginia, in February, right before the pandemic became widespread in the U.S. For the cover shot, Fancher needed to capture all five members of the band in a single image. He did so with the wide-angle capabilities of the Panasonic and a projector, which fit into his travel bags. Then, for individual portraits, Fancher switched to his Canon setup.  

Price: $997.99

5. Godox AD200 Pocket Flash

godox ad200 pocket flashes for travel portrait photography

What Fancher says he loves best about the Godox AD200 Pocket Flashes (he carries two in his travel kit) is that their batteries last for weeks without needing to be recharged. “I can do ten shoots on the batteries,” he says. The lights, which he finds to be “super lightweight,” can be used in almost any lighting scenario, indoor or outdoor. Fancher uses them as his primary lighting source when traveling. “They’re mobile, and I don’t need power to use them.” They’re also pretty affordable. Fancher recommends buying the Godox round head flash attachment, at roughly $100, to even out the light emitted by the flashes.

Price: $299

6. Rosco Gels

color rosco gels for lighting portrait photography on the go

Fancher combined gels from Rosco’s Digital After Dark and Photo Lighting filter kits. “Some are bold, some are color corrective,” Fancher notes. “I had to piece-meal the perfect kit together.” 

[READ: A Complete Guide to Color-Effect Gels in Portrait Photography]

Fancher, who shoots subjects ranging from bankers to ballet dancers, uses color in his images about half of the time. Early in October, he did a personal project with ballet dancers, whose bodies he wrapped in LED lights, as seen in the gallery above. (Fancher recently started shooting in his studio again, with the appropriate social distancing protocols in place.) He used his hybrid gel kit to wrap the Godox pocket flashes, which allowed him to paint the final images with color.

Prices: $40-50

7. LumoPro LP605 7.5’ Light Stand

lumopro light stand

Fancher likes that the LumoPro LP605, a lightweight and compact light stand, can capture most subjects standing up—unless they are over 7 feet tall. “The stand is sufficient for most people,” he notes. When shooting especially tall subjects while traveling, Fancher will ask them to sit down, or he places the LumoPro on a table.  

Price: $44.99

8. Cactus CB-60W Softbox

A cactus cb-60w softbox

Fancher generally uses the Cactus CB-60W to fill in ambient light, or to light a subject’s hair and shoulders. He likes that the light emitted from the softbox doesn’t spill out of the sides like an umbrella light would. He also likes that the Cactus CB-60W, at 2 feet wide and 2 feet long, folds up to the size of a frisbee.  

Price: $95

9. DIY Snoot 

a custom snoot for portrait photography

Fancher creates his own snoot using black foam core and gaffer tape. The snoot fits over his speed lights. If he’s planning on using a snoot, he brings Cactus RF60 speed lights rather than his Godox AD200 pocket flashes in his travel kit. His creations fold flat in his gear bag, and last, he says, “forever.”

He uses the snoot as a light modifier to create the effect of light coming in through a window in a windowless space, or to concentrate light on a specific aspect of his compositions (as seen in the gallery above). “If I want a razor-sharp line of light, I use the snoot,” he says. 

10. ONA’s The Prince Street Bag

ona the prince street bag

In order to carry his perfect travel gear kit, Fancher needs the perfect bag. He choose the ONA’s The Prince Street, which looks like a regular carry-on. “It’s nice because it has a flap buckle that can be adjusted to keep everything secure if your bag is really jam-packed,” he says. He also likes the bag’s back and side pockets, which he uses to store everything from his gel packs to his sunglasses and headphones. “It’s really easy to access stuff without having to root through the bag,” he notes. 

Price: $409