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During my time in college, I’ve dipped my feet in various different forms of media and communications. I’ve joined Hofstra’s radio station, television network, online magazine, and worked on various film and television sets. But one thing I never expected to dive so deeply into is photography.
When I was in high school, I would casually take photos for fun with my friends, but it wasn’t until I was asked to do behind the scenes photography for a senior thesis film that I truly realized how far I could go with photography if I decided to take it seriously. Since February of this year, many opportunities have opened up for me through my network at Hofstra, and I have learned so much about how a photo shoot works, how a camera works, and the business side of freelance photography.
While I still have a lot to learn and I’d still only consider myself a beginner, I’d like to share some tips and essentials that helped me and hopefully would help a new photographer looking to get started.
10 Beginner Photo Shoot Essentials
- Camera body: Finding the right camera body can be a daunting task, and the options are seemingly endless. My recommendation for those who are looking to start out would be to buy something used or refurbished. Websites like MPB Used DSLR Bodies are a great place to find camera bodies and other gear for a reasonable price.
My Camera Body: Canon 80D
- Lenses: Along with finding the right camera body comes finding the right lenses to equip your camera with. Similar to bodies, there are endless amounts of lenses to choose from, each serving a different purpose and function depending on the type of photography you intend to do. Many photographers recommend a “nifty fifty” lens, which is a 50 millimeter prime lens. It allows for a beautiful, shallow depth of field which is perfect for portraits and still shots objects or people. Another beginner recommended lens is one with zoom capabilities, I opted for a 17-138 mm lens, meaning that there is a large range in focal lengths (how far you can zoom into something). Lenses can also be found on MPB Used DSLR Lenses for a lower price than buying something new, which is perfect for beginners who are still testing the waters and figuring out what you’ll need specifically.
My lenses: 50mm EF prime lens, 17-138 mm EF prime lens
- Once you have the basic essentials, there are a few accessories you should look into purchasing to make your shoots go smoother. First, a camera strap to make sure your camera doesn’t go anywhere.
My Camera Strap on Amazon
- A camera bag: Once you have gathered all of your gear, you’ll need a place to store it. I’d recommend a backpack with multiple pockets and compartments to keep everything organized and your arms free.
My camera backpack on Amazon
- Lens filters: Something that may be overlooked is the necessity for lens filters simply for the sake of protecting the glass. Lenses can be easily scratched or cracked, and adding a clear filter on top of your lenses is the best way to keep them safe. That way, if your lens is scratched, you can replace the filter rather than the entire lens (which is expensive!) There are also various different special lens filters that can be put on your lenses to create certain effects or lighting adjustments.
Clear lens filter on Amazon
- Extra Batteries & Battery Charger: More often than not, camera bodies only come with one battery, and when you’re on a long shoot, batteries drain faster than you’d think. This is why it is essential to have at least two extra fully charged batteries, in case something goes awry (you never want to be caught with dead camera batteries when you arrive at a shoot!). In the event that your batteries do run out, it is also essential to have an extra battery charger to refuel and be ready to keep shooting.
Canon 80D Compatible Batteries & Charger on Amazon
- SD Card Organizer: The worst thing that can happen after a successful shoot is losing your SD card with all of your photos. To combat this, you should have some sort of holder or organizer for all of your sd cards to ensure you keep track of them and they never go mysteriously missing.
SD Card Organizer on Amazon
- Lens cleaner pen: Dust and debris are bound to end up on your gear, especially if you’re doing a lot of traveling or work outside. Having the tools to quickly and efficiently clean your lenses and camera body will make a world of difference to the quality of your photos and will eliminate any possibility of dust spots in your photos.
Lens pen on Amazon
- A laptop: Having a laptop is not crucial to a successful shoot, but can become quite helpful when looking at inspiration photos or if you want to quickly check out what you’ve shot on a bigger screen. A laptop is also useful for keeping track of large amounts of people if you have to abide by certain time slots on a larger scale shoot.
2020 MacBook Pro on Amazon
- Water and a snack: If you are hired for a long shoot, you’ll need to keep your energy levels up throughout the day. Bringing a water bottle and a healthy snack is imperative if you want to make sure you last through the entire day (along with a comfortable pair of shoes, you’ll be standing and moving a LOT)
Hopefully these basic essentials will get any new photographer (myself included) set up for success and producing the best photos possible!