how do professionals get these results ?

[goodeye]

Hello, first I would like to mention english is not my first language so please excuse any grammar mistakes.
I am an aspiring photographer working and learning everyday to be better to start my photography business. First time I held my camera (D5200) and took a few pictures and looked at them and Inoticed that the pictures looked decent, kinda like the pictures I see online, so my reaction was "wow this doesn't seem to be as hard as I thought"; but then, when I see the work of local freelance photographers in my city (which is alot, it is really competitive) I get crushed and think how long will it take me to reach that level.

I want to publish my photos on social media to attract local businesses to work with me (as a side business), but not until my work is impressive enough so I have alot of learning to do. I am very inspired by magazines and photos from clothing brands, obviously since they put it out there in their websites or their pages and I assume that they are very meticulous of the end photos.
The reasons why I look at those two businesses, is because the average person is always impressed by brand photos and magazines, plus I assume the brands have really high standards of what is acceptable. that is what I'm working on, I want to give my clients that magazine look, that "mysterious yet inspiring and wonderful" cliche photos that you see everyday in magazine ads or billboards. so I look at those photos and wonder how do they get these results ? what do they do and what's their gear kit ? do I have to buy the most expenive camera to get the same results as them ?
Here are some pictures so you can see what I'm talking about:

These are some very nice pictures from louis vuitton:
Louis Vuitton America’s Cup Collection | LOUIS VUITTON ®
Louis Vuitton America’s Cup Collection | LOUIS VUITTON ®
Louis Vuitton America’s Cup Collection | LOUIS VUITTON ®

here are some coffee pictures:
This is from an article from business insider:
http://static4.businessinsider.com/...he-best-coffee-makers-out-there-right-now.jpg (article link: The best coffee makers out there right now)
Home background picture
Gift Boxes | Café de la Paix stunning pictures from a cafe website

GQ magazine instagram: GQ (@gq) • Instagram photos and videos
issue for some ideas: GQ Magazine January 2016 : Free Download & Streaming : Internet Archive

 

[dasmith232]

The most important area to work on for starting your own photography business has nothing to do with photography. You'll want (no, you'll need) to put together a decent business plan. What is the financial viability for your business? What can you expect for revenue flow? What will you do about insurance, taxes, branding and many other aspects of the cost of doing business?

The pictures you have listed tend towards product photography. It's really hard to start in photography in that field. Most "early" photography businesses go in the direction of a person in front of the lens: portrait work, family, lifestyle, weddings, senior photos, etc. Pictures of people tend to have payment for services rendered early in the process: "here's some money, take my picture." Product photography involves contracts that are long in processing and often handled through a marketing or advertising group or agency.

The D5200 is an excellent camera. While you wouldn't want to run a business with only one camera body (need to have backup, or stand-by equipment in case of failure), the D5200 is capable of handling the kinds of pictures that you're identifying above. And yeah, pretty much all cameras out there are able to capture great pictures pretty easily.

But that's the problem: anyone with any one of these cameras can take pretty good pictures. It's not the picture (taken with a camera/lens) that's going to make you successful. There's just too much competition doing the same thing, and many of those competitors are shooting for prices that you can't match, because they're not incurring business costs while living in the parent's house or whatever.

You need to set your work apart. Learn about light. Learn about the "quality and direction" of light. Someone who's taken the time to really get this skill will be ahead of the hordes of competition. Also, learn about post-processing. This is another skill that many starting photographers simply don't know how to do. Without these two categories of skill, even your best work will be indistinguishable from many others.

 

[tirediron]

Photography is part art and part trade. You need to learn the technical side (exposure, lighting, etc) so that you will understand HOW to get the results and then you need to train your mind to think creatively so that you can imagine the end result.

 

[Designer]

so I look at those photos and wonder how do they get these results ? what do they do and what's their gear kit ? do I have to buy the most expensive camera to get the same results as them ?

Hello!

The short answer is; they have the experience to know how to set up a shot and light it.

The professional photographer probably started with an idea in his head of how he wanted the photograph to look even before he started, then began to devise the scene bit-by-bit until he got it right, then took the photograph.

My opinion is that no, you do not need the most expensive camera, but you will definitely need to have some of the best lenses and whatever lighting equipment you need for any particular shot.

Naturally, a photographer's complete kit will cost many thousands of dollars, but there is no point in purchasing all of it before you learn how to use it.

 

[greybeard]

The most important area to work on for starting your own photography business has nothing to do with photography. You'll want (no, you'll need) to put together a decent business plan. What is the financial viability for your business? What can you expect for revenue flow? What will you do about insurance, taxes, branding and many other aspects of the cost of doing business?

The pictures you have listed tend towards product photography. It's really hard to start in photography in that field. Most "early" photography businesses go in the direction of a person in front of the lens: portrait work, family, lifestyle, weddings, senior photos, etc. Pictures of people tend to have payment for services rendered early in the process: "here's some money, take my picture." Product photography involves contracts that are long in processing and often handled through a marketing or advertising group or agency.

The D5200 is an excellent camera. While you wouldn't want to run a business with only one camera body (need to have backup, or stand-by equipment in case of failure), the D5200 is capable of handling the kinds of pictures that you're identifying above. And yeah, pretty much all cameras out there are able to capture great pictures pretty easily.

But that's the problem: anyone with any one of these cameras can take pretty good pictures. It's not the picture (taken with a camera/lens) that's going to make you successful. There's just too much competition doing the same thing, and many of those competitors are shooting for prices that you can't match, because they're not incurring business costs while living in the parent's house or whatever.

You need to set your work apart. Learn about light. Learn about the "quality and direction" of light. Someone who's taken the time to really get this skill will be ahead of the hordes of competition. Also, learn about post-processing. This is another skill that many starting photographers simply don't know how to do. Without these two categories of skill, even your best work will be indistinguishable from many others.

This is Gospel!

 

[table1349]

Step 1. Learn photography. Every aspect of photography and master the basic skills. Again all of them. That means leaning to do all of it manually. There is nothing wrong with using auto modes, but if you rely on them without understanding the basics behind them you will not be able to make the adjustments to get the look you want.

Step 2. Learn light. We all see light but it is a whole different thing to actually learn and understand light and how to use it be it from the sun or any other source. Photography is all about light.

Step 1 & Step 2 are best learned together. It is not an overnight process, it takes time, dedication and effort.

Step 3. Once you have actually learned photography then you are ready to consider getting into business. You already have some good advise how to start a business, any business.

 

[Charlie Gardiner]

Everyone has given you some great answers so I wont go over the same ones myself but what I would like to add is that when you compare your work to others you have to remeber that the work you are seeing from other people is their VERY BEST otherwise it would not have been released. Think about the hundreds or even thousands of shots that came before that ONE shot that you will never see. All of the practice in the years leading up to it as well as lots (and I means lots) of fails along the way.

Most important thing is to not get discouraged and to keep shooting. Practising and learning. Nothing worth having comes over night but it WILL come if you stick with it.

Good luck!!

 

[dennybeall]

"I don't need a Business Plan!"
We've all heard this a hundred times here on the Forum and in a business setting. As a SCORE Counselor I've heard it in relation to many different businesses and in my humble opinion - YOU MUST DO A COMPLETE COMPREHENSIVE BUSINESS PLAN!!!!
Sure, some folks get lucky and make it without one or they can basically do it in their head.
Part of the plan is getting up to speed on the skills needed to do the work portion and also learning the business skills you'll need. The Business Plan will tell you what skills you need. It's foolish to spend time and money to learn studio work if your plan calls for you to be a landscape photographer.
The hardest part is, once the Business Plan is done properly, doing what the plan says. And that may be Don't do it...................

 

[chuasam]

Good News and Bad News.

First the Good News:

• You don't need the most expensive camera and gear
• The technical bit is actually the easiest thing to learn in this whole exercise

The Bad News:

• You have to develop a very unique look for them to pick you out from the photographer they already have
• You have to be ridiculously persistent when working with these big companies
• They know they're big and can take FOREVER to pay

And...
Many of them have been shooting for decades and you're competing against them for the job


bon chance