J.F Photo

Hello all. I have recently decided to take my photography hobby to the next level and start a career. I have 3 years experience in the field with the help of a few pro photographers. I mainly have been photographing school sports and a few senior portraits and family photos with limited equipment. I will list my current list of equipment below. I want to start a photography business were I will be covering anything from sports, portrait, commercial, or wedding photography. I realized that I need to invest in better equipment and studio lighting equipment to give photos that dramatic look every photographer strives for. What I want from you experienced pro photographers is your opinion of my choice of equipment. Tell me if their is a better and cheaper setup or if you think I should add something to my list of items. Keep in mind I am on a very tight budget. Now for the long list of equipment :)

*List of Needed Equipment Below*

Flashpoint StreakLight 360 Ws Creative Collection
Amount of product: 2
http://www.adorama.com/FPLFSL360K2.html

Glow HexaPop 24" for portable off camera flash
Amount of product:2
http://www.adorama.com/FPSBSM24HP.html

Sekonic L-308S Flashmate
Amount of product: 1
http://www.adorama.com/SKL308S.html

Flashpoint Pro Air Cushioned Heavy Duty Boom Light Stand
Amount of product: 1
http://www.adorama.com/FPLSB13.html

Flashpoint RoveLight 600
Amount of product: 2
http://www.adorama.com/FPLFRL600.html

Canon EOS 7D Mark II DSLR Camera Body
Amount of product: 1
http://www.adorama.com/ICA7DM2.html

Canon EF 24-105mm
Amount of product: 1
http://www.adorama.com/CA24105AFU.html

*List of current equipment* Please don't laugh lol

Canon rebel T3

70-200 f/2.8 USM Lens

85mm f/1.8 USM Lens "Ultrasonic" *Not the "L" Lens

The crappy wide and telephoto kits lens from the box.

A cheap 4 light continuous lighting umbrella lights
with a backdrop and a black and white background.

Monopod

very nice benro ballhead tripod. Not sure of model

multipurpose reflector

Adobe Photoshop CC

Flashpoint StreakLight 360 Ws Creative Collection


Glow HexaPop 24" for portable off camera flash - R Series


Sekonic L-308S Flashmate


Flashpoint Pro Air Cushioned Heavy Duty Boom Light Stand


Flashpoint RoveLight 600


Canon EOS 7D Mark II


Canon EF 24-105mm f/4L IS USM

J.F Photo

Just now noticed I have a spelling error in the topic title. sorry I typed too fast.

Joecosentino Loc: Whitesboro, New York

Check out alien bee, Paul buff. They have kits already to go. I have a 3 strobe kit, they are great company to deal with. Mine have never had any issues but at imaging USA this year I heard several stories about how they dropped a strobe it stopped working they sent it in an fit was replaced with a new unit.

They also have the Einstein model too
On I also love the vagabond battery pack it lets me shoot anywhere

queencitysanta Loc: Charlotte, North Carolina

I also have Paul Buff, 3 D800's, Accusync trigger and receiver, umbrella's etc. I bought the Accusync trigger and receivers used but never used and out of warranty . A battery post had come detaches. I called them and returned it for free I just had to pay return postage.

What a great company!

dweaver Loc: Atlanta

You will love the 7d Mk II for sports. If you were doing just portrait work, then I'd recommend the 5d but you need the shutter speed, obviously. I rented one this past weekend to compare it to my 7d and really don't want to take it back today!

burkphoto Loc: High Point, NC

Add to your list of "equipment":

Advertising and SALES
A great portfolio, as prints and a web site
Business insurance
Working capital
Good transportation
Computer, software, Internet connection, pro web sharing site
Space to work

The pro photo market is shrinking rapidly. If you are going to dive into it now, head for the highest end you can find, quickly! The days when you could sell inexpensive portraits and make a lot of money are over. The big companies are all struggling, their market gone the way of Internet sharing sites and mobile devices.

speters Loc: Grangeville/Idaho

You should try first with what you have, a different camera and some more equipment is not going to make you a better photographer!

OddJobber Loc: Portland, OR

I don't want to be the first to piss on your parade, but...... You're putting way too much emphasis on equipment.

First requirement is experience. From the few photos you've posted, I honestly don't see much remarkable and you seem to be still struggling with basics. For portraits, excellent results can be achieved with little equipment and PRACTICE.

Our resident portrait shooter extrordinaire, CaptainC, recently posted his advice on how to do effective lighting with only one inexpensive light.

Add in the experience needed for sports, commercial and weddings and you'll be ready in another ten or fifteen years. Please pay attention to the advice posted by burkphoto. The portrait business is saturated with wannabe's.

The few successful upstart photogs I see lately are in niche markets, e.g., motocross, surfers, horse trials, dog shows, etc. And those folks have spent time developing networking, a thorough knowledge of the subject, and marketing skills.

Truly sorry to be so negative, but don't quit your day job just yet.

burkphoto Loc: High Point, NC

:thumbup: :thumbup: :thumbup:

At the end of the day, photography might start as a love and end as a professional business. These two facets or phases are quite different! Building a business is a completely different endeavor from having a love affair with a hobby.

I could, and probably will, write a book on this. After 33 years in the industry, I've seen nearly all sides of it, working for three of the largest portrait companies on earth. I know hundreds of folks who thought they were entering a creative field and were going to make lots of money, only to find themselves struggling to figure out what happened.

You have to be really, really good, and really well connected, or good at making connections, to survive. It's a tough biz. Seek the resources of PPA, WPPI, PMAI, DIMA, PSPA, SPAA, http://www.photovisionvideo.com/, and other professional educational sources.

Remember... It's not just about making images. It's about survival and making a living.

bkyser Loc: Fly over country in Indiana

JF, I make it a point to not discourage anyone from pursuing their passion. I too have been at this for many, many, many years.

I haven't seen any of your work, so I will leave that up to you, and your customers.

My main focus is weddings, but I also do portrait work. Haven't done sports in forever, so I won't comment on that.

Here goes.
If I were you, I wouldn't set out by buying a ton of equipment. I would (and do) rent equipment that is needed for certain things, and build that into the cost. If you aren't using it daily, then it is better to rent a few times and make absolutely sure it is what you need, and worth the investment.

Also, make sure you are legal. Get whatever your state/local government requires for you to do business, and also get an EIN from the IRS. Collect sales tax and do everything above board. An accountant is a VERY wise investment, even if it is just on a consultation basis. I've seen Craigslist 'pros" just going down the lists of their "competition" and turning people in for not paying their taxes. (even if the Craigslist "pro" didn't....happened here, it as pretty funny that he got caught at his own game)

Next, at the minimum, get general liability insurance for your business. Your homeowners, and even an umbrella won't cover you if you are working for a fee. Joining PPA is a pretty good investment, they have access to a really good rate for liability insurance, and they also include with membership $15000 in equipment insurance, and also help protect you with indemnification. (if a bride sues you for missing a shot they wanted and claims that you ruined the whole wedding.....it happens)

Honestly, equipment comes towards the end of my list when I help people get started. I don't see an issue with your choices, but I personally wouldn't make the same choices you did.

For weddings, I now have 2 of everything including lenses bodies, etc. People don't seem to understand if you say. "oops, my flash died, sorry, no more photos" Good way to get sued for non performance (see the PPA insurance mentioned above) For years, I just had one of everything, and rented back ups. It worked out fine. The up shot is, you can also use the rental equipment and not wear out your main equipment.

For portrait work, I agree with most here on UHH, you just can't beat Paul C Buff (Einsteins are the entry level in the buff line, but are dang near bulletproof, and will last you years) I make/paint/dye my own backdrops, probably have about 15 now. I get a lot of props by going to garage sales. Some see a broken suitcase, I see a nice prop that I can add a pillow to the bottom and a nice lining in the top, and it is now a very cute prop to put a baby in. You could spend a lot of $$ on that stuff, or you can purchase it for a quarter, and fix it up.

Kind of surprised that you didn't get completely blasted about wanting to start shooting professionally, a few years ago on UHH, you would have been brutalized. We seem to be a kinder/gentler UHH these days.

I would like to invite you to stop by the Wedding Photography section, and subscribe Go here http://www.uglyhedgehog.com/
scroll to the bottom, and hit the subscribe key. Lots of people willing to help those that are wanting to get their feet wet with wedding photography. (we're a fairly new section)

CaptainC Loc: Colorado, south of Denver

I have not seen any bad advice in all the responses posted.

Forget the gear. If you cannot make a profit with what you have, you won't make it with more of it.

The advice about a business license (if needed), sales tax license (if needed), equipment and liability insurance, joining the PPA (you GET the equipment insurance with membership), is spot on.

Now here is what you do not want to hear: Looking at the work you have posted - admittedly not all that much - I will tell you that you are way below professional standards. From what I see, you are not ready to turn professional.

You need lots more experience and you need to join a group where you can get critique from people who are qualified to give critique. Family and friends are not qualified.

The feedback you get here is largely worthless as most of the people commenting have no credentials and will praise anything. If you post in the People Photography section and ASK for critique, there are actually some knowledgeable folks there that will tell the truth. Frankly, I am appalled at the feedback you received in your "tin foil" post.

I am not trying to "brutalize" you, but unless you have work that is far better than what I have seen, you just need more FORMAL training and experience to get your quality up to salable.

There seems to be two levels of competition out there: low-quality and cheap who cannot charge enough to be profitable, and the really good ones who are expensive and profitable. You can compete with the former, but why? You cannot compete at this point with the latter.

burkphoto Loc: High Point, NC

:thumbup: :thumbup:

Very good advice on all fronts!

The license, insurance, CPA backup, backup gear, professional associations, and use of rentals are all necessities in my book.

Paul Buff's flash gear is great. It's used by some of the biggest names in the business for very high volume work.

Join a professional group and go to their shows. Train your eye by looking at the best work on display. You'll be surprised at how much your own work improves when you see what can be done — and is being done — by competitors and industry superstars.