Getting the Basic Photography Equipment
If you are thinking about taking your photography skills to a professional level, then you are going to need the right equipment. Making a living off of being a photographer is something that many young photography buff dream of, but of you want to get to the point where you can deliver professional quality shots to your clients and build a reputation for high standard services, then you need to practice hard and be equipped with the right tools.
As a fledgling photographer, it is doubtful that you have saved enough money for all the elaborate gizmos and gadgets that some high end photography studios make use of. However, most of that stuff you don’t even need, unless you are trying to create magazine art or get some pretty funky camera effects. For the average portrait or event photographer, a few basic tools are all you will need to start off and build a name for yourself.
The first thing you will need is a high quality camera. This will probably be the most expensive piece of equipment you’ll be buying to start with, so if you haven’t got a good quality camera yet, you should hold off on any other extras until you save enough to buy the best one that you can. No matter what other fancy equipment you get your hands on, if your camera sucks at being a camera and delivers poor quality shots, then your professional photography career will likely come to an end before it has even begun. If you buy nothing else, buy a good camera. Everything else you can more or less do without, or improvise if you must, but a good camera can’t be faked.
After you have bought your camera, you’ll want to try to invest in a few different lenses. These can be a bit pricey, so if you have someone that will lend you some lenses while you are starting off, it would be great. If not, you might be able to find a place where you can rent them. Your camera will already come with a good quality lens, and some may even come with an extra zoom or other special lens. But certain types of photography require special lenses, so if you are going to make a business out of your photography skills, you will probably want to save up and collect a few lenses that fit your type of photography.
A tripod is another very helpful piece of camera equipment. If you were lucky, your camera already came with one, but often they do not, in which case you will have to buy your own. Tripods are not very expensive, and if you get a very good, fully adjustable tripod, you will only need one for your entire career. Tripods are essential for formal portrait photos and especially helpful in time-lapse photography.
Lighting is a big issue for every photographer. Even if you take pictures outdoors, you will want to have some sort of alternate light source that you can rely on when things get shady or when you want to obtain a certain effect. Getting a detachable flash can help you to aim light better, if you rely solely on the camera flash for lighting. If you are planning on doing studio work, then you will probably want to invest in getting a studio lighting package. They are pretty reasonably priced, and you will be able to have all the lighting you need to light up your subject perfectly.
Comments