These days, anyone with a smart phone can pretend to be a photographer. For those in the business, though, the idea of doing the job for a living often means investing quite a bit of money in equipment since education isn't enough. Below are just some of the tools of the trade for the modern photographer.
The Camera
Most professional photographers will have at least one Digital Single-Lens Reflex (DSLR) camera at their disposal, if not a number of them. These cameras are a notch or two above your common digital cameras, often found at a cost of thousands of dollars each. The cameras can not only capture high-quality images, but they are designed to work with a variety of accessories.
Just one look at the small sample from a screenshot of DSLR cameras for sale that I've included with this article shows you how many there are on the market!
Lenses
Every good photographer will count a number of lenses among his or her list of photography equipment. Lenses can help with everything from zoom to dealing with certain types of lighting, with a fair number of other models that can change the very nature of a photograph.
Flashes
Photographers don't just take pictures outdoor, so most of them need to be in possession of at least two different flashes. Flashes help to provide proper illumination of a photograph, and also make sure that photos turn out correctly. And, flash is also used outdoors.
Accessories
There are also dozens of accessories that a good photograph might use, with each playing an important role in the process. Photographers will own a number of tripods, lighting rigs, reflectors, and a flash trigger in order to better capture specific pictures. Most will also have protective bags for each piece of gear in order to make sure that they arrive at their destination safely - high end bags meant for airline travel can be quite pricey, but they do a great job of protecting sensitive equipment.
Another necessary accessory is a memory card - in fact, they use the same models that you likely use in your own digital camera. These memory cards are a necessity because very few DSLR cameras have the necessary on-board memory to deal with an entire evening's worth of photographs.
Computer Programs
Finally, it's important to note that most photographers rely upon their computers just as much as they do on their cameras. Modern photography makes use of image editing software to smooth out rough edges and deal with issues like red-eye, and can be used to enhanced certain images for professional products. The most commonly used program is Photoshop, though dozens of other image editors are out there.
As you might be able to tell, a good photographer needs to have many tools at his or her disposal. If they have a specialized business, they might need even more than what was listed above - making photography not just an expensive business, but one that requires a great deal of preparation to undertake successfully. Next time you think that being a photographer just means taking a picture with the right filter, think back to this list of equipment - you might have a little more respect for what they do, and this will help you understand how important this is to consider when you're thinking of paying for photography services.
Here is a short video that explains some of the basics of getting set up if you are a beginner.
The Camera
Most professional photographers will have at least one Digital Single-Lens Reflex (DSLR) camera at their disposal, if not a number of them. These cameras are a notch or two above your common digital cameras, often found at a cost of thousands of dollars each. The cameras can not only capture high-quality images, but they are designed to work with a variety of accessories.
Just one look at the small sample from a screenshot of DSLR cameras for sale that I've included with this article shows you how many there are on the market!
Lenses
Every good photographer will count a number of lenses among his or her list of photography equipment. Lenses can help with everything from zoom to dealing with certain types of lighting, with a fair number of other models that can change the very nature of a photograph.
Flashes
Photographers don't just take pictures outdoor, so most of them need to be in possession of at least two different flashes. Flashes help to provide proper illumination of a photograph, and also make sure that photos turn out correctly. And, flash is also used outdoors.
Accessories
There are also dozens of accessories that a good photograph might use, with each playing an important role in the process. Photographers will own a number of tripods, lighting rigs, reflectors, and a flash trigger in order to better capture specific pictures. Most will also have protective bags for each piece of gear in order to make sure that they arrive at their destination safely - high end bags meant for airline travel can be quite pricey, but they do a great job of protecting sensitive equipment.
Another necessary accessory is a memory card - in fact, they use the same models that you likely use in your own digital camera. These memory cards are a necessity because very few DSLR cameras have the necessary on-board memory to deal with an entire evening's worth of photographs.
Computer Programs
Finally, it's important to note that most photographers rely upon their computers just as much as they do on their cameras. Modern photography makes use of image editing software to smooth out rough edges and deal with issues like red-eye, and can be used to enhanced certain images for professional products. The most commonly used program is Photoshop, though dozens of other image editors are out there.
As you might be able to tell, a good photographer needs to have many tools at his or her disposal. If they have a specialized business, they might need even more than what was listed above - making photography not just an expensive business, but one that requires a great deal of preparation to undertake successfully. Next time you think that being a photographer just means taking a picture with the right filter, think back to this list of equipment - you might have a little more respect for what they do, and this will help you understand how important this is to consider when you're thinking of paying for photography services.
Here is a short video that explains some of the basics of getting set up if you are a beginner.