When it comes to photo gear, Brooklyn-based wedding, portrait and street photographer Jide Alakija brings a little of the old and a little of the new to his assignments. A devoted Nikon user who was recently named to Nikon’s prestigious Ambassador Program, he has more than 15 years’ experience in the industry and while he doesn’t need to always acquire the “latest and greatest” equipment to be creative, he does have essential tools he’s come to rely on to make photo magic.

His camera of choice is actually Nikon’s D750, which debuted over six years ago. “I have five of them,” Alakija says about the small, lightweight but still high-resolving DSLR (even by 2020 standards). And while he stays attuned to the latest tech trends and has even started considering moving to a more portable full-frame mirrorless camera system, he says there’s still a lot of mileage left in his collection of D750s and NIKKOR lenses.

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Alakija’s assignments have taken him across Africa, Europe, the Middle East and Asia; with the pandemic still making travel a nightmare, he’s staying closer to home. “I’m doing less going out, partly because there are fewer opportunities,” he explains. “Instead, I’m doing more teaching and more mentoring of photographers, many of whom are engaged in online learning right now. Some of [the teaching] is through Zoom, some of it is through videos I record, and some of it is through a chat server.”

In addition to his Nikon SB-910 speed light—”always have one on you when you leave the wedding ceremony, you never know when you might need it”— Alakija also relies on his Savage RGB360 Color Video Lights, often set to tungsten or blue, to create interesting backlit portraits. When he is able to go out and shoot again more freely, and safely, he will also be relying on the following essentials to help him continue making magic.

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The Nikon D750

What appeals to Alakija most about the D750—versus a larger, more “professional” camera like the Nikon D6—is its unobtrusiveness.

“The problem with the D6, for me, is it’s just too big and heavy,” he says. “It draws attention to you. Because of the D750’s weight and its size, it’s easy to walk around with inconspicuously. Carrying a heavy bag around when shooting a wedding is also very cumbersome and strenuous. The D750 lets me keep things simple and light.”

Alakija’s particularly impressed with D750’s image quality, especially its “great dynamic range.”

“Most people I photograph have dark skin and when you are shooting dark skin in low light, you don’t want to blow out the highlights. At the same time, the D750 is able to catch all the details in the shadow areas too.”

Though the 24.3MP full-frame D750 was introduced in 2014, it has approximately the same resolution as its recent successor, the 24.5MP D780. It’s also quite a bit cheaper: You can get the D750 for around $1,500 (body only) while the D780 sells for $2,300 (body only.)

Alakija has considered making the jump to Nikon’s Z-series full-frame mirrorless cameras, but he’s been put off that the Z7 and Z6 have only one card slot, and he prefers DSLR focusing overall. He also likes the optical viewfinder on DSLRs versus electronic viewfinders on mirrorless cameras.

Price: $1,499.95

NIKKOR Lenses

Alakija uses at least five NIKKOR lenses regularly and, given his stealthy approach to photography, it’s no surprise that four of them are small primes. He says he shoots 80 percent of his images with the “lightweight and nimble” AF NIKKOR 35mm f/2D (above).

“It’s the closest focal length to the human eye,” Alakija notes. “The kind of image I generally take will have that sort of look. There’s no real distortion but, at the same time, you get a lot of width with it. I want to create something that gives someone an impression of what I’m seeing, but with a tiny bit of artistic flare.”

For an even more artistic look, he turns to his AF-S NIKKOR 85mm f/1.8G (above), which gives his photos more compression compared to the 35mm. “I can bring the background and foreground together with the 85mm, and it focuses instantly. It’s quite light as well and it’s small enough to fit into my pocket.” While the 35mm is better for environmental portraits, he uses the 85mm to get in close and tight. “If it’s an image of someone’s face with some hands in there, that’s all I want to see.”

To create more “complex, multi-layered” compositions, he grabs his AF NIKKOR 28mm f/2.8D (below). He loves this lens for street photography because he can create compositions that show everything in the frame but with image depth. “The 28mm is best for that because you can have some very big distortion. Things appear larger that are closer to the lens and a lot smaller further away.”

Other favorites include the AF-S NIKKOR 50mm f/1.8G, which he uses when he wants to “tell a story” but with a “very clean composition,” and the AF-S NIKKOR 24-70mm f/2.8G ED, which offers versatility. “The range of focal lengths make this such a handy lens to take with me on small assignments.”

Prices: $386.95 (AF NIKKOR 35mm f/2D), $426.95 (AF-S NIKKOR 85mm f/1.8G), $286.95 (AF NIKKOR 28mm f/2.8D), $199.99 (AF-S NIKKOR 50mm f/1.8G), $1,446.95 (AF-S NIKKOR 24-70mm f/2.8G ED)

Lastolite LL LR3528 18-inch Mini TriGrip Reflector (Sunlite/SoftSilver)

Since Alakija shoots most of his work in available light, he uses this Lastolite reflector to add some pop, particularly during wedding shoots.

“Available light is always one directional and if I want to create light from a different direction, it’s a great way to bounce that light,” he says. “It’s got the gold on one side and the silver on the other, so not only do you get reflected light, it’s a very soft light.”

And because this 18-inch Lastolite reflector folds up easily into a small bag, it’s highly portable. “I take it everywhere with me.”

Price: $49.99

Apple iPhone

A good portion of Alakija’s work begins with his iPhone 11 and, occasionally, ends with it too. He frequently uses his iPhone to take photos of locations before he shoots an environmental portrait, employing it as a sort of visual notepad. Later, when he’s ready to shoot the portrait with his DSLR, he’ll already have a few setups lined up thanks to his phone.

But there have been times when the photos he takes with his iPhone become the final images as well.

“I have used my phone to take commercial portraits before and delivered the images to the clients on the spot,” he says. “Phones have really come a long way in terms of photography and in terms of their capabilities with the Internet.”

Prices: Starting at $699

The MacBook Pro

Alakija didn’t realize how important his MacBook Pro laptop was to him until recently when it started overheating and he couldn’t get it repaired because the pandemic caused Apple stores to close.

“I’m so used to doing everything with the MacBook Pro that it’s been a real adjustment for me,” he laments. “I can’t wait until the Apple store opens so I can get it fixed.”

Along being his chief image-processing center, he runs most of his photography business through the MacBook Pro. In the meantime, he’s had to switch over to a PC, which he’s had trouble getting used to. “Apple has really thought through the workflow for using their machines. It’s seamless.”

Prices: Starting at $1,299

Think Tank Airport Navigator

Having the right bag to carry all your gear in can be just as important as the equipment itself, says Alakija. “You need to have a bag that can hold a lot and at the same time is small enough to fit under the seat in a plane.”

The Airport Navigator is a dual-access roller bag with top and front openings designed to let you get to your gear quickly. And while it’s small—about the size of a large messenger bag—it can fit a significant amount of photo equipment: two DSLRs with battery grips, several lenses including a 70-200mm f/2.8 and up to a 300mm telephoto unmounted, along with additional accessories and flashes. There are also dedicated pockets for up to a 10-inch tablet computer and a 15.4-inch laptop.

“It’s weather-resistant and very durable,” he says. “It’s been with me around the world and it doesn’t scream camera bag, so it doesn’t attract thieves.  

Price: $289.75