Gears You Should Invest In to Go Professional in Photography
Most people think that photography is merely about taking photos. However, it is far from it. The process of photography is a little more complicated than most of us realize. These involve computation, critical thinking, analysis, and even investments. Due to the involvement of money, the gear investment is a drawback for those without vast pockets.
By this, most aspiring photographers must be wise in choosing the right gears to invest in. Therefore, they frequently ask questions about the necessary tools for photographers.
To answer this question, the aspirants must evaluate and assess all factors involved in their photography life. This includes the type of photography that they should be doing. Are they doing portraits, weddings, landscapes, events, etc.? Moreover, they should know their intentions for photography. Are they using this platform to create a business or doing it as a hobby? All these factors directly affect the amount of equipment you will need.
Here are some of the Gears you should invest in if you want to go professional in photography:
Lens
Your camera would not work without a lens. Therefore, it would not work with just a camera body. It needs a lens in order to capture photographs. However, if you buy or own a camera, it probably comes with a standard kit lens. But, sometimes, a standard kit lens is not sufficient, especially in other types of photography like weddings, events, or portrait photography.
Therefore, I strongly advise you to immediately invest in a good lens. There are many types of camera lenses. If you are looking for a more intensive lens to suit a specific area, you should consider its focal length.
Photo from Nikon.
For landscape photography, the Canon EF-S 24mm f/2.8 STM Lens is a good pick for a wide-angle lens. On the other hand, for portrait and macro photography, you may consider the Nikon AF-S 85mm f/1.8G because of its greater focal length.
Tripod
A Tripod is truly a must-have in photography. Therefore, I encourage you to invest in a good tripod. This is because using a tripod eliminates the possibility of motion blur when using long exposures.
Photo from Manfrotto.
The Manfrotto 055 Aluminum 3-Section Tripod is a wonderful starting point for beginners. With this, you are assured of its strength and stability. In addition, it can support 20 lbs/9 kg without risk. Moreover, it is over 5 lb/2.3 kg making it portable.
Battery Grips
A battery grip’s primary benefit is that it has additional shutter-release buttons and command dials. Therefore, holding your camera vertically is more comfortable from an ergonomic standpoint. Additionally, battery grips increase your ability to keep your camera with a firm grip, which is a handy feature.
For various well-liked DSLRs, including the Canon 5D Mark II and the Nikon D7000, Vello offers a selection of battery grips.
Reflector
For both indoors and outdoors, folding reflectors serve as indispensable for filling shadows. It also creates a range of lighting effects with ambient or studio light. In addition, reflectors come in various sizes and forms and are colored in different combinations. Utilizing this allows you to illuminate shadow features in warm-toned, soft-neutral, or contrasty-neutral ways.
The Raya 5-in-1 Collapsible Reflector Disc (42″) is the most well-liked (and reasonably priced) variant. This disc offers a translucent diffusing panel with white, silver, gold, and black surfaces.
Speed Light
Using a Speedlight is the quickest and most effective approach to illuminate a scene. It is crucial for photographers specializing in event, product, or portrait photography.
For cameras like Canon 7D Mark II, the Neewer NW-670 TTL Flash Speedlite with LCD Display would be a great pick.
Filters
Although every digital camera has built-in White Balance adjustments, some filters cannot be adjusted from the convenience of your camera’s menu options. Although it might not seem like much, a filter can significantly improve your photograph.
Because of this, I recommend Hoya 58mm HD Digital Circular Polarizing Screw-in Filter. This will get rid of reflections and highlight colors like vivid blue skies, rich green foliage, and more.
Memory card and External Hard Drive
You cannot shoot images without a memory card. Therefore, a good selection of memory cards is a need. However, not all camera models use the same formats, so you need to match the appropriate memory card to your camera.
Lexar Professional SDHC/XC memory cards and SanDisk Extreme Pro SDHC are currently the fastest memory cards for cameras employing SD series memory cards
Additionally, there are circumstances where your memory is filled up. Therefore, backing up your images before reformatting the card is essential. Employing this, having an external hard drive for backup storage of your pictures is a good strategy.
A 1 terabyte of storage space external hard drive is already a great deal. There are tons of manufacturers where you can choose. This includes Seagate, Samsung, Sandisk, and a lot more.
I know firsthand how hard it is to choose the proper manufacturer or brand for the gears to invest in. One wrong decision has cost thousands of pesos already. And who would want that?
Therefore, aspiring photographers should have no reason to be ashamed to ask others for guidance. After all, it’s better to ask questions than make a decision you don’t know about. So, to all who are planning to buy gear, make sure you do some research first. Learn the specifications, advantages, and disadvantages of everything in the market. By this, you can mitigate making wrong decisions.
And above all, you should take time to appreciate photography as a special type of art.
