Although many of us are using our smartphones to take great photos these days, there is and always will be a place for professional photographers.
To go pro, this of course means you’ll want the best of the best when it comes to picking your photography gear. Like any luxury item, there are plenty of opportunities to choose from, but sometimes it gets hard to distinguish between them – especially if you’re only beginning your photography journey. However, to make things easier, we’ve provided this list to help you get started as a professional photographer.
Digital SLR Camera
The name of Hasselblad is often mentioned as the best camera money can buy, and at around £36,000, it’s not hard to see why. But for our pick, we’re going with the slightly cheaper Nikon D5 at approximately £5,500 (without lens). Nikon has had a fantastic and reputable name in photography for many years, and the D5 is easily the finest in Nikon’s digital SLR range. The Nikon D5 is fast – very fast – as it’s able to take a staggering 12 shots per second (it can also capture 4K video). Its overall image quality, focus settings, and ability to capture incredible details make the D5 a solid first choice for a digital SLR camera.
Though it’s a fantastic selection for really any type of photography (portraiture, weddings, sports, landscapes, etc.), having a camera that can pick up stunning colour and detail is especially important if you’d like to get into product photography. This is definitely a good area to get started in, as you’ll learn about how your camera functions and the basics of light. This guide can help you understand using other equipment, camera settings, and even editing software.
Tripod
One of your biggest assets as a photographer will be your tripod. Great for taking long-exposure shots (traffic on a highway, stars in the sky, etc.), keeping your camera steady in action shots, or even just holding your camera in place while you perhaps adjust a subject on a table, tripods are a must for professional photographers.
As for what tripod to get, you’ll want something that is easily adjustable, lightweight, compact, and sturdy, so that’s why we like the Manfrotto Be Free for close to £175. Made from aluminium, the tripod is incredibly light at 1.1kg. Its quick-release head means you can swiftly remove your camera from the tripod and easily reattach it when necessary. Plus, it also comes with a travel bag.
Camera bag
Finally, a camera bag you can trust is a huge boon to a professional photographer. Keeping a camera and other equipment safe from bumps and bad weather is something all photographers worry about, but we recommend finding a bag in the Lowepro range. Their bagfinder section is neat, because you can enter in what camera you’re using and which lenses and accessories you might carry, and then you’re given options to match your selections. From backpacks to shoulder bags to toploading bags, you’ve got several possibilities depending on your requirements. Prices will vary from bag to bag, but you’re looking at around £185 for a quality item.
