Know the Equipment You Should Have to Start Your Digital Photography Business

Many keen amateur photographers have emailed me requesting the basic start up requirements for a photo business. Let me say that starting any business requires you to have the basic tools of the trade.  If you are planning to start a digital photography business, remember that you need more than your camera to start.  You should have the basic equipment needed for the kind of photography service you are planning to start and the type of photographs you intend to take.  If you plan to be involved in studio and portrait photography, for example, you would need more equipment than a landscape photographer. This information is for those who are truly new to starting a photography business.

When starting your digital photography business, it is better to put premium on quality when purchasing the equipment you will need.  Be sure to have the basic equipment first, especially when you are on a tight budget, and just buy the additional equipment as your business grows.

Here are the digital photography essentials that you should have on hand before you start your photography business:

Camera (Duh), Lens, And Filter

Whether you prefer to use point-and-shoot cameras or digital SLR cameras, choose the ones with a large mega pixel counts as part of your photography business’ basic equipment.  You also need to make sure to purchase memory cards with large storage capacities that can hold photographs with high resolutions.

If you are to take close-up shots or landscape photos, you will also need additional camera lens.  Filters, on the other hand, can alter the appearance of your digital photographs so just select the ones that fit into your style of photography.

Tripod

Tripods are one of the most basic photography equipment that you should have.  There will surely be a lot of times in your photography business career when you would need the stability and convenience that a trusty tripod will give you.  The kind of tripod that you should purchase must be based on the type or kind pf photography business you are operating.  If you are planning on a studio photography business, your best choice may be tripods with wheels.  Portable tripods, on the other hand, would be what you will need if you plan to go into on-the-go photography.

Lights, Umbrella, Or Reflector.  These are very essential equipment if you plan to go into the studio photography business and other kinds of photography businesses that would entail you to do location shoots frequently. Hot or strobe lights can greatly enhance the available indoor light.  Hot lights remain on while strobe lights flash in sync with the camera.  You should have adjustable light stands to support your lights and to focus them as needed.

If you want to soften up the lighting, you need to use an umbrella attached to the light stand.  A reflector, on the other hand, is used if you want to deflect the shadows caused by the studio lights.

Backdrop

There are many kinds of backdrops that are currently being used in various photography businesses.  There are backdrops, for example, that feature painted scenes that will remain in the photographed image.  If you want a non-interfering background that you can replace digitally through editing, choose chroma key backdrops, which are usually available in either blue or green.  You can also choose to have portable backdrops.  This kind of backdrop needs to have stands or frames, depending on its size and fabric used.

Computer

Any photographer in the digital photography business knows that a computer is an essential piece of equipment these days.  A computer can be used to store, edit, and display your photographs.  With this, you also need to have some good photo editing software.  You can also use your computer to simplify the process of ordering prints, sending proofs and contacting your customers.

I always include my course at the bottom of these articles via this link so you can get underway with your own photography customers when you’re ready.

…I hope that has been helpful to you in some way,

Ray Baker