Must Have Photographers Equipment ???

[zendianah]

Good Morning, Good Afternoon

In your opinion what is the must have digital photographers equipment on a low budget. Since friends ask me to shoot their weddings I would like the right stuff........I do tell them leave it to a pro, they say..well one day you want to be a pro....They hire another photographer as well....One thing I DO NOT want to screw up is someones special day!!!

Where I shoot -
Inside/ Outside would love a mini mobile studio if there is such thing... Love shooting my kids...

So far I have....
D50
70-200mm 2.8 lens
28-50mm kit lens
sb600 nikon speedlight
PhotoshopCS2
Adobe Illustrator

 

[Big Mike]

Well are we talking about must haves for a hobbyist photographer on a low budget or a wedding photographer?...because the list will be different.

If you are shooting weddings, back-up is a must. That means at least two cameras, at least two flashes, at least two lenses that you could use in most situations. Many will say that zoom lenses with a max aperture of F2.8 are a must for weddings.

I too have been asked many times to shoot weddings for family & friends. For several years, I wasn't prepared to do it...so I told them to hire a pro for the ceremony and the formals while I shoot everything else for them. This allowed me to get plenty of wedding experience without the pressure of being the primary photography. Now I'm finally ready and have started shooting entire weddings on my own.

Another option would be to find an established pro and assist them until you are ready.

So I guess the last thing on my list of must haves...is knowledge and/or experience.

 

[zendianah]

Completely agree with you.... Plus what the hell I want to party at the wedding.. Not just shoot pictures. Plus I would suck as a wedding photographer since I cry at weddings.. Im a big baby when it comes to weddings.

Do you suggest any type of lighting? -- besides the flash? A diffuser?
Are diffusers inexpensive? How about a 50mm 1.8 AF lens?

Its funny -- how people assume that you want to shoot weddings. I have NEVER wanted or desired to shoot weddings.. but I will because its a friend.. and may lose a couple over the possibilty of bad pics.

 

[xfloggingkylex]

so which is this a must have for? weddings or just as a general photographer?

 

[Big Mike]

Well, technically...there really isn't anything that is a 'must have' for photography...unless you count 'Light' and something to record it on.

For general photography, all you really need is a camera & a lens...the rest is up to what you want to do. A tripod is always a good thing to start with.

For wedding photography...it's hard to say what is a 'must have'. You could shoot a wedding with a single, cheap camera...and even do a good job of it...but I wouldn't recommend it. I'd say that you must have the equipment that will allow you to get the job done...this would include backup equipment.

 

[newrmdmike]

i think that with what you've got youll be able to cover everything. i only take a wide angle zoom and 85mm lens with me.

well, i take two bodies (finally both are digital) the two lenses, a ringlight, sb-800, reflectors, tripod, lens cleaner, memory cards and laptop (because i don't have but 3gb of memory cards), dvd's to back up the photos.
however, thats pretty much all the gear i have . . . so i'm sure that in the future i'll drag along more stuff.

what you have isn't the most important thing, its just that technique is enhanced by good equipment. the only musts i would say is two bodies (in case one breaks) two lenses (again, what if one breaks, i thought that would never happen until last week the aperture got stuck on a lens of mine), and a flash.


now . . .on a low budget, if i was going cheap on stuff i'd go cheap on the camera body, theres no substitute for good glass.

the toughest thing i think will be for you to work with a photographer you don't know, they are going to be driving hard for the shots they want, and don't want you to interfere, or prolly even to take pictures of what hes shooting of (thats his print sales down the drain). it'll be hard for you to get 1 on 1 time with the couple and bridal party, because then they will have to go through everything twice.

 

[zendianah]

Thank you for the advice. I have to say I have learned a ton of technical stuff from this site and I really appreciate it. Today is cloudy so I cant go shooting... Next sunny day Im going to shoot and then post.

 

[Big Mike]

Today is cloudy so I cant go shooting

Here is a tip for you...overcast days are great for shooting. It's great for shooting people because it's like being in a vast soft box and there are no dark shadows. It can be good for shooting landscapes for the same reason...there are less dark shadows which means that you can capture detail in a scene that might have been just black on a sunny day. Sure the sky doesn't look good...so compose your shots so the sky isn't in the shot.

 

[newrmdmike]

mmmm shade is my favorite, even when its cloudy, you can always get good falloff when you get near a building, tree, anything. but yeah, clouds help a ton!

 

[zendianah]

Shade -- and sunset? So I should wait till later in the day?

 

[xfloggingkylex]

haha, true mike, you technically only need light and a recording medium (shoe box camera anyone?) It has even been known for people to take pictures using their mouth as the "camera" just putting film on their tongue (probably on gauss or something) and then open your mouth for the shutter.

but as far as "must have" I was simply wondering if the question was more of a "things you'd really rather not have to take pictures without".

 

[EOS_JD]

Shade -- and sunset? So I should wait till later in the day?

Sunny bright days mean harsh shadows, blown highlights and people with squinty eyes! Take an image in bright sunlight of a person you know.

Look at the bright patches on the head or on their brighter clothes, look at how their eyes close tightly in the bright light and how there are harsh shadows in their eye sockets and/or from a subject standing close etc.

Cloudy days give a beautiful soft delightful light perfect for portraits. Might sound daft but true!

Wedding photographers prefer this type of light. Everyone else likes the sun.

 

[ironsidephoto]

definitely a diffuser, and never use direct flash.

 

[cameraart]

This is my first reply in TPF so here goes.

I agree with the things already mentioned, but to be a little more specific:

2 Cameras for reason already suggested
A fast 50mm lens for great sharp images and the increased ability to shoot indoors without flash. I also recommend a quality zoom but no need to go over 300mm. 300 is great for capturing the candids, the shorter lengths mean you are in front of the crowds also taking their shots.
2 Flash guns
Spare batteries and spare memory cards I find that a 4, 2 and 2x 1Gb are more than enough for me for the average wedding.
Tripod, even if you dont use it to steady your camera, it is handy for keeping the crowds away from your shooting point.
A checklist - of things you need to take along and the order of shots you want.
A prayer for a nicely overcast day, bright white wedding dresses and bright sunshine are not nice to deal with!

 

[EOS_JD]

A fast 50mm lens for great sharp images and the increased ability to shoot indoors without flash.

I'd say 50mm effective focal length. if you use a crop camera that equates to about 30mm. 50mm f1.4 (80mm equiv) that I have is a little too long indoors. I'd like the Sigma 30mm f1.4.

I also recommend a quality zoom but no need to go over 300mm. 300 is great for capturing the candids, the shorter lengths mean you are in front of the crowds also taking their shots.!

I'd say 2 quality zooms. One in the wide-mid tele range like a 17-55 f2.8 IS or a 24-70 f2.8L and a nice fast telephoto zoom like the 70-200 f28L IS. Expensive but fantastic. 200mm is perfect for capturing candids.
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