What are the equipments /stuffs a professional photographer needs ?

[kultchris]

Hi all .. I am just a newbie here . However .. I am just wondering .. for those of u who earn from photography as a living .. wat are the equipments u need , other than great skills and creativity . Other than camera equipments , do u guys also buy the Adobe photoshop soft ware or uses a mac to edit the pics ? I have a huge interest in being a events or wedding phographer in the near future .. however i was just thinking abt the cost of getting all the neccessary equipments .. seems like a pretty huge sum . Just curious abt it . Thanks guys

 

[ilario]

I'm not a pro, but a smart guess would be a good flash, tripod, fast computer, yes i believe photoshop software is quite important, probably a backup camera body as well because venue and wedding photography is pretty critical I doubt it will be a huge sum. It should be able to vary depending on ur choice, sometimes u dont need the best equipment as well to start with.

 

[chanxj]

Learn how to take proper photos first before even wanting to turn pro. There are so many technical aspects that need to be mastered such as exposure, composition, playing with light etc...... There are also soft skills you have to learn such as serving customers, how to deal with difficult customers, how to approach people and pose them...... Also in a business, if your business plan is good, i doubt it would be a big problem to afford the neccessary equipment. When you are just starting out, I do not think you need a full set of equipment ;-) Also when the time comes, you will know what equipment you would need. If you are asking what you need, you are not really ready yet as in my opinion as everyones style differs and thus the equipment needed differs although i have to say an external flash is quite an essential tool.

 

[Kit]

Hi all .. I am just a newbie here . However .. I am just wondering .. for those of u who earn from photography as a living .. wat are the equipments u need , other than great skills and creativity . Other than camera equipments , do u guys also buy the Adobe photoshop soft ware or uses a mac to edit the pics ? I have a huge interest in being a events or wedding phographer in the near future .. however i was just thinking abt the cost of getting all the neccessary equipments .. seems like a pretty huge sum . Just curious abt it . Thanks guys

Yoy will know what to buy when you gain enough experience to buy them.....

 

[theRBK]

Yoy will know what to buy when you gain enough experience to buy them.....

precisely... different photogs have different preferences for the equipment they want to use... and as chanxj says, work on the skill factor first, and from gaining experience, you would begin to determind what you prefer to use... go out and shoot some

 

[kultchris]

thanks guys .. I know i am definately not up to it yet .. but i am just curious abt the cost involved

 

[theRBK]

thanks guys .. I know i am definately not up to it yet .. but i am just curious abt the cost involved

you can be a pro with very affordable equipment... I know of some who use entry level DSLR and kit lens... some even use point and shoot cameras

 

[Ah Pao]

you can be a pro with very affordable equipment... I know of some who use entry level DSLR and kit lens... some even use point and shoot cameras

Conversely, expensive equipment does not make one a pro.

I quite sure there are some hobbyists among us that spend much more than a pro photographer (i.e. someone who does photography as a living).

 

[sin77]

To be a professional wedding photographer in near future?
How near?
Thinking of doing freelance ah?

 

[Fragnatic]

don't 4get, other than camera equipments, u also need supporting equipments.
like dry cabinet, camera bag, cleaning kit, computer, editing software, harddisk, memory cards, batteries, etc..

agree that skill and experience would be more important. once u are experienced enough, u would know wad kind of equipment u'll need. what are the lenses and stuff that are required for ur style of shooting, required for different situations, etc.

regarding the costs, u would not need to start with very gd equipment, or a wide range of equipment. once u are gd, and ppl are willing to pay more for ur services, u would have the budget to get more stuff u need.

 

[Neil in Wales]

As others have said its not the stuff its how you use it.
£500 in the UK would give you a start if you were willing to put in the hard work and had the skill to take the images needed.
All the best
Neil

 

[xziredmp]

Hi all .. I am just a newbie here . However .. I am just wondering .. for those of u who earn from photography as a living .. wat are the equipments u need , other than great skills and creativity . Other than camera equipments , do u guys also buy the Adobe photoshop soft ware or uses a mac to edit the pics ? I have a huge interest in being a events or wedding phographer in the near future .. however i was just thinking abt the cost of getting all the neccessary equipments .. seems like a pretty huge sum . Just curious abt it . Thanks guys

knowledge. skill. and more skill.

equipment is just another part of it.

u gotta have skills, and when people like what they see, they pay for it. there comes the money for you to upgrade your gears.

wedding ? i think singapore has too much wedding photographer.... not too much. too many.....

 

[sexalicious]

knowledge. skill. and more skill.

equipment is just another part of it.

u gotta have skills, and when people like what they see, they pay for it. there comes the money for you to upgrade your gears.

wedding ? i think singapore has too much wedding photographer.... not too much. too many.....

yes exactly.

a professional photographer need not a very good camera. just a simple Pns can do a great job.

 

[synapseman]

Let's be honest about one thing: Photographic equipment is not cheap. Actually, it's bloody expensive. More so if you're a pro because you'll need slightly better equipment, and you're going to need TWO of a lot of things. Camera bodies, flash, etc.

Start small, go slow. Building portfolio, gaining experience, saving up the cash, all this takes time (unless of course, you've got some really strong financial backing). There is a LOT to learn about general photography, and even more to learn about wedding photography specifically. I was into general photography for 13 years before I took up wedding assignments. Now 5 years into shooting weddings, I still find there so much more for me to learn (or maybe I'm just a slow learner, lah. Heh)

It just wouldn't be possible to list down everything in one post. Go buy/borrow a book instead to get an idea. The top level pros will need high end equipment, but for starters, the last thing that should be fussed over would be equipment. Some of the best wedding photogs I know started with extremely modest set-ups.

And oh, btw, the plural of "equipment" and "stuff" is still "equipment" and "stuff". No such thing as equipments and stuffs. Not as a noun anyway.

 

[catchlights]

you want to be in the business?
have a business mind is far more important than anything else.
else you will be out of business very soon.

you can loan money to set up a business
with money you can buy all you want and need

if you can shoot very well, but can't find buyer,
your business will fail.
if your shots are so so only, but able to find many buyers.
you are the one have the last laugh, and laughing all the way to the bank.

doing business only one goal,
making profit to sustain the business,
unless you are doing for charity.

I have seen many people come and go in all these years.
I wrote what I saw.

 

[xziredmp]

you want to be in the business?
have a business mind is far more important than anything else.
else you will be out of business very soon.

you can loan money to set up a business
with money you can buy all you want and need

if you can shoot very well, but can't find buyer,
your business will fail.
if your shots are so so only, but able to find many buyers.
you are the one have the last laugh, and laughing all the way to the bank.

doing business only one goal,
making profit to sustain the business,
unless you are doing for charity.

I have seen many people come and go in all these years.
I wrote what I saw.

true.... but come to think of it.... sooner or later, if the skills do not improve. also die. isnt it so ?

 

[catchlights]

true.... but come to think of it.... sooner or later, if the skills do not improve. also die. isnt it so ?

everybody has to be has certain standard, else the customers will know what are they paying is not worth it.
if ones are good, can stay in the market longer, else he/she will disappear very fast.

 

[xziredmp]

everybody has to be has certain standard, else the customers will know what are they paying is not worth it.
if ones are good, can stay in the market longer, else he/she will disappear very fast.

thats why i said skills are important.... i hope those starting out are not having a mindset of having the best, and the greatest will be pro....

apparently some members here think this way.....

 

[catchlights]

thats why i said skills are important.... i hope those starting out are not having a mindset of having the best, and the greatest will be pro....

apparently some members here think this way.....

if ones does not know the fundamental of photography, how can he/she call him/herself a photographer? but to be a professional, he/she need to know more than photography, business is the biggest part of professional photography, cos we spend most of our time in business dealing than actual shooting.

buying and owning all the pro gears will not make ones a professional photographer.

 

[creampuff]

if ones does not know the fundamental of photography, how can he/she call him/herself a photographer? but to be a professional, he/she need to know more than photography, business is the biggest part of professional photography, cos we spend most of our time in business dealing than actual shooting.

buying and owning all the pro gears will not make ones a professional photographer.

So true.

If I may add, this business isn't just about acquiring equipment or skill. Like any business that renders a service, people skills and personal integrity is a cornerstone to continued longevity in the trade.

Of the many photographers that I have came across in the course of my corporate work, those that stand out are those that don't take shortcuts, have a deep sense of personal responsibility and are willing to go the little bit extra to exceed the creative brief.

At the end of the day, if one consistently over promises and under delivers you can be sure there won't be much business by way of repeat customers or recommendations.