Advice for New Photographers

I always get emails asking how I do this, how I do that, and how did I start. I always give solid advice, as I remember being in that situation. We've ALL been in that situation. Sometimes, I think experienced photographers forget that they started small too, when they give advice to new photographers such as, "Go and buy a 47" LCD to display your photos."

This was pretty much the icing on the cake.

I am tired of seeing new photographers get bad advice! It will only delay the time it will take you to be successful. Perfect practice makes perfect!

So, I thought about the most important things that a new photographer NEEDS to know, in order to make a successful breakthrough into this already over-saturated industry.

Camera
Everything pretty much starts here. You DO NOT need a $4000 camera to make great images. You will learn that the quality of your work is directly affected by two factors; light, and your glass (lens). As much as you will be tempted to buy the kit, buy the BODY ONLY! The kit lens that comes with these cameras are...well...crap. Perfect practice makes perfect. Don't start out with shatty glass. Canon and Nikon both make entry level DSLR's for about $600 now.

Lens
Both Nikon and Canon make a f/4 image stabilized lens (or vibration reduction). Go with this. The IS, or VR will allow you to hand hold at slower shutter speeds. I've hand held at 1/5th of a second and maintained overall sharpness. Both lenses retail for around $600 or so. This is all you'll need to start, but if your going to be shooting weddings...brace yourself....breathe....you'll need to spend 2 grand on the 70-200 F/2.8

Flash
This decision depends on what you are going to be shooting. I will always tell you to operate your flash off camera. The act of merely taking the flash off the camera, and setting in on a stand to your left will dramatically increase the depth and dimension of your photo. You DO NOT need a $400 brand name flash to start! Vivitar still makes great flashes starting at about $80. (just DONT put this off brand flash ON your camera...you will fry it.)

Triggering Device
This part will be half as expensive as your camera. There are A LOT of different devices on the market, and all operate in different fashions. Remembering again what I said about, "perfect practice makes perfect," anty up the $400 you'll need for 2 Pocket Wizards. The are the most reliable means of triggering off camera flash.

CF Cards
I wouldn't buy anything bigger than a 2GB capacity card. I just couldn't trust every image I had on 1 16GB card. What if you lose it? What if it gets wet? You'll need at least 4.

So now you've got THE most basic setup you can have. The only other misc items I would add are; a stand, umbrella bracket, and a shoot through umbrella.

Now what?

Read
You really should start out at Strobist. That blog is THE biggest off camera lighting, and learning resource on the internet. Check out Lighting 101. You will spend about 4 months reading those exercises, and practicing. This WILL help you. After your done there, hit the forum. The one I recommend the most out of all of them is the Strobist Board on Flickr. These folks are downright there to help, and this is the only forum I know of where its not a popularity contest like high school. In the beginning, I logged over 2,000 hours of research and reading! I knew how to operate the flashes in manual, before I ever got them. I knew several lighting techniques, without having even done them yet because I didn't have the stuff! The good thing about forums, is that what ever is written there, is there forever! I basically read about every mistake all new photographers made, and did the exact opposite. If your going to be shooting weddings, read EVERY thing you can about David Jay, Dane Sanders, and Matt Adcock. There are a number of other world famous photographers, however these guys will be, "your bumpers in your bowling lane." Heh...Matt is more like a mentor to me now...such a great dude!

Workshops
This is where my passion lies. Its unbelievable to me the number of workshops available today! I highly recommend attending a workshop, but there are several factors to consider before you decide. The average workshop will run you between $500 and $2000. Some workshops show you how to sell $10,000 wedding albums, others let you shoot with every piece of equipment imaginable, and some are so outrageously priced thats it will cost you more than your equipment does at this point! None of this will help you. What will help you is spending time with other photographers, and listening to what they have to say.

Of course, at this point I have to introduce you LUMU!. If you want to operate your flash off camera, and get lit with 49 other photographers, then attend a LUMU! event!

Website
Ok...so you know how to light some stuff, you Got Lit at LUMU!, and now you've got some great photos to prove it. It's time to put them online, and for this you'll need a website. Your online presence is an extension of your personality. If you decide to build it yourself, you'll never be done with it. If you decide to spend big money on a custom site...well...you should have just bought another flash...remember what I say about the quality of your images being in "the light and the glass."

I have to recommend my friends Jen and Jamie over at portfoliositez.com. Those of you who know me, you guys know I rave about them all the time. No, I do not get paid for it! Its just that this is THE best package on the internet today, and these girls work so hard to provide such an awesome service! I mean, you cant beat a beautiful website with all the bells and whistles +hosting for $10 a month. It doesn't get any better than that!

So, I hope this helps you in your quest, because typing it has given me arthritis.

Good luck. Keep shooting.