[Jeremy Pollard]

Assuming the camera(s), glass, lav mic, tripod, lighting, batteries, memory cards, extra memory cards and more batteries are already taken care of:

1. A giant pouch that I can clip to my belt. I use the case that came with my 70-200 lens. It carries a smaller lens, batteries, ND filters, lens caps, all my memory cards, and a spare shotgun mic.

2. The aforementioned ND filter (an absolute essential only if your camera doesn’t have an ND filter built in).

3. Spare XLR cable and external recorder, like a Zoom H4N or H1. I had an XLR cable go bad in the middle of a wedding once and had to rely on the audio captured by a DSLR camera. Not. Good. Not having an extra cable and external recorder is a rookie mistake I will NEVER make again.

4. A slider. It’s a pain in the neck to lug around and set up, but the little extra motion it adds to your shots really makes a difference.

5. Shoulder mount kit. During dances the tripod will severely limit the shots you can get, and any stabilization is better than going handheld. If you can afford a decent gimbal then go for it, but you can find a basic shoulder mount for $100.

Honorable mention: Gaffers tape. No videographer’s kit is complete without a roll.

[Jeremy Pollard]

My two cents (and I suspect it’s worth about that much):

We are not making a statement, there are several practical reasons for dressing a certain way.

Entry-level DSLRs and professional cameras look very similar. Our equipment no longer identifies us as professionals. If you’re dressed in a jacket and tie and look like everybody else at the wedding, the guests won’t think twice about stepping in front of your shot. At least some will be mindful if they know you’re a hired professional.

Though I wouldn’t fathom wearing jeans and a T-shirt I do wear black slacks and a black collared Polo shirt (short or long sleeve depends on the weather, which here in Boston can be really cold or really hot). And that’s another reason I don’t wear jackets – videographers have a LOT of gear. It’s heavy, most weddings are in the summer, and it’s hot and usually very humid. If I’m dripping with sweat I’m miserable and I am afraid of my work suffering.