choices: starting a business on $2000
Surrounded by nine computers, fifteen strobes and more light stands than you can shake a tripod at, I’ve been daydreaming. The dreams have been about what it would take to create a “bare minimum” photo business. Sometimes you grow a business and look around and one day the idea of paring things down sounds appealing.
Starting tomorrow we’ll be looking inside various bags in the Daylight Photo commercial photography location kit. Everything in those bags serves a purpose and is necessary for the work we do. But what if I were just starting out today? What if I only had $2000 and wanted to start out doing light editorial or portrait photography on the side? Could a half decent kit be put together for that $2000? Sounds like a challenge. The equipment would have to be somewhat low budget but must provide high quality images. I was intrigued by the thought and wondered if you might be, also.
The necessities: camera, lenses, cards, speedlight, computer, software, bag and tripod. What would I personally be looking for? I think of buying photo equipment as a sports draft, recruiting players for my photo “team”. It’s obvious that I can’t afford star players on this budget since we’re starting from complete scratch. What I’ll look for are really solid backup players, planning for the time when I’ll be able to add top-of-the-line equipment. When I do, these backup choices should still serve a role in the plan.
Since buying absolutely stellar performance is probably not possible I’ll instead concentrate on eliminating weaknesses. Yes, it might be nice to have a super-wide zoom range but if a lens is no good zooming beyond 200mm then I’d rather not take it along. The temptation to use it will be there, as will the frustration of a poor photo after having used it.
I need to be honest about my immediate needs while realizing the equipment must serve a purpose in the future. Even if it’s just a backup someday you don’t want an inferior backup just because it was inexpensive.
That said, here are my thoughts (I’ll be interested to hear what decisions you might make):
Camera and lenses should take up about half of the budget ($1000). Most of the manufacturers include really nice software for RAW processing (which is important to me) except for Nikon, their included RAW software is somewhat limited. So my initial thoughts put Nikon toward the back of the pack.
But sticking with this budget probably means buying a bundled kit of camera and lens(es). I then concerned myself with finding a decent body with a better than average kit lens. The lens(es) would have to cover a decent range, also. I surprised myself when all was said and done by choosing a Nikon D80 Body with 18-135mm Lens, Battery, and 2GB SD Card for $829.99. Add another 4GB SD card for $20 on sale.
Yes, the D80 is getting a little outdated and doesn’t have auto sensor cleaning (something I really wanted). But what it does have is a good sensor and lens. The camera feels good in my hands (not too small) and the viewfinder is larger than most at this price point. Some of the competition have really small, tunnel-like viewfinders that I don’t see through so well. Still being a bit old school, I do like to manual focus on occasion and the larger viewfinder helps. All of the specs in the world don’t matter if you don’t find the camera a joy to use, I say.
There are a number of cameras packaged with two lenses at this price point (a wide-normal zoom and normal-tele zoom) but, by and large, usually one lens or the other reportedly falls short on performance according to the review sites. The exception to this rule seems to be Olympus, which has two higher quality kit lenses. They still seem to be struggling with highlight clipping (compared to the non-4/3 sensor competition), according to most reports. My good experience in the past with a Nikkor 18-70 kit lens and the feel of the D80 swayed me in this direction.
I might be interested in a Sony SLR with something other than the kit 18-70. Nobody seems particularly excited about the Canon kit lenses (though I think the camera bodies and software are great) and I didn’t find a wider range kit lens choice with the Pentax. I really like that Pentax uses DNG for RAW files, though. Lots of personal preference choices here.
It makes me a little nervous heading out with just one lens, though, so we gotta have a backup, just in case. Let’s fill the need for speed by opting for an $89 Nikkor 50mm f1.8 lens.
Since the kit lens is a bit slow we’ll need a tripod for those editorial food shots. For $99.99 the Calumet 7300 Tripod with Three-way Quick-Release Head looks pretty darned good. It should take care of the lighter duties for years to come and a bigger tripod can be added down the road.
Speedlight? I like to stick with the camera manufacturers brand when possible. The Nikon SB-600 runs $199.99 and is the middle-of-the-line unit. When I’m on a budget I tend to turn to the “middle of the road” options. Lots of features and power to get by on in the beginning and it will still be useful as a slave after an SB-900 is added to the kit.
Camera bag duties go to the 5606 System 6 Camera Bag, Black, at $76.99. It’s quality and compact yet expandable. Even if I buy a larger bag someday this one can be used for smaller jobs.
Computer time…there are tons of options on the market and prices are lowering daily in this competitive computer market. Given our modest budget I’ll go for the best features available on a $600 PC somewhere (that’s what I’m typing this blog on).
Software: Photoshop Elements for basic browsing and photo editing. Plus it has a powerful RAW converter which makes up for Nikon failing to package a good converter with the camera. $89.99.
Did we meet the goal of $2000? I felt confident…but ended up slightly over at $2006. If $6 had to be knocked off then the bag cost could be trimmed down that amount without too much sweat.
Is this the perfect setup? Heck, no, but for around $2000 I think it could produce professional results for a large number of the editorial style assignments that I’ve done. It also leaves room for system expansion. Sometimes you have to make choices based on what you might add next so this setup feels pretty solid to me. I’m sure you might make different choices and be as equally content as I am with this setup. Competition may continue to bring prices down, providing even more “bang for the buck” as we head closer to the holidays.
This is a neat puzzle. Wouldn’t you also want a light stand plus umbrella to round out an editorial/portrait kit?
If so, where to find perhaps $80 in the budget for stand, umbrella, and umbrella swivel? One thought is, anyone reading the blog already has a computer, so make do with what’s in hand already. Perhaps that’s cheating, so …
Find stuff used? Particularly the computer itself. Something 3 years old would probably work just fine. I’ve got a usable computer sitting in my office that someone just gave me. Do people sell old versions of Photoshop Elements for a discount? And how about finding a used camera?
Make do with a decent point & shoot instead of an SLR? It might not inspire confidence in your clients, but you could get a decent P&S camera for perhaps $500 new. Money saved on the camera and spent elsewhere (e.g., lighting) might yield better quality results.
Oh if it where all that simple
Rental space, taxes, advertising etc …
P.S. Nikon Capture NX 1.3 (forget 2.0) does a great job on raw images.
Of cause anything beyond is Photoshop for touch ups.
Great article. Very useful and informative. I have been trying to build up a small photo business on a budget and you have some useful points here. I already have the computer part so I can focus my money more in the camera and lens portion.
Yes, if it were only that simple! I figured I’d start at absolute ground zero, no computer, no nothin’.
Kurt, you have some great points. I’d still prefer to go with the SLR (over P&S) if at all possible, just to control depth of field better. It would be interesting to see a whole kit built around a P&S portable system, though, like the new Canon G10. That could be pretty cool, actually, for editorial photography. Interesting…
Hi Jim, Jim here . . . (Way too many of us aren’t there
)
This is all very thought provoking. Especially as I’m somewhere along the path to converting from photography as a hobby to photography as a profession.
That got me to thinking, most folks who dream of opening a photography business probably already have some gear and won’t be starting from scratch. Call me selfish, but I’d love to hear your take on someone who has some gear already but wants to optimize by eliminating the useless and adding the essential where there are holes.
Also, what do you think about the feasibility of a few DIY options for light modifiers, stands and such. I know you like the stick in a can, for example, but would you show up to someone’s office with one? I just might, but I’d probably put some sort of cover (think Christmas tree skirt, but in black) on it or something. I really need to make some of those for my pet event photography as space in a 10×10 tent can get tight when you have any kind of three-legged stands in the way.
I find myself wavering back and forth on a lot of DIY versus store-bought even for things like backdrops. Sure most of them work well, but if one isn’t extremely “handy” they can end up looking less than professional.
Jim,
Great article. It was a great read, I think many will find this very helpful. It would be interesting to have a comparison shoot with a desent p&s and a SLR using the same settings and lighting just to see the results. I may try this sometime and post it on my blog. Thanks for all the great info you share.
Eric
Great post……..
Now, where do we go from here?!?! haha
Eric, update us if you do the comparison, I’d be interested to see it.
Using this as a place to start I’m sure there can be further discussions on where to add / eliminate. The DIY versus “store bought” is a great question. My thoughts:
1. I LOVE DIY stuff…making it and using it, it’s both fun and rewarding. I’m doing DIY projects all the time.
2. That said, DIY works good in a professional situation sometimes but sometimes it doesn’t. Sometimes it’s better purchasing an item. So it’s hard to give an absolute-one-size-fits-all answer on this.
That’s a constant challenge in photography (and one that keeps me interested): what’s the best way to do something? We’re elated to find something that works perfectly for a specific use. But many uses require custom solutions that are better made (your pet photography scenario). A client won’t get hung up on a few DIY things as long as the final product is professional, usually.
Do factor in your time when building things if you’re really busy, though. Sometimes it’s less expensive to buy ready-made.
Wow, Jim. You just about described by basic kit. D80, 18-135mm, 50mm f/1.8, SB600, tripod, bag. I do have the 70-300mmVR which has been a great lens too as well as a set of extension tubes and the MB-D80 battery grip. But, that basic kit is about dead on what I started learning to shoot with. I have Photoshop Elements 5, but actually use Nikon’s Capture NX/NX2 to process my RAWs. So that is one variance from your list.
The post is an interesting thought-experiment and goes to show how much more accessible good photography equipment has gotten.
That’s uncanny, Craig! Hey, how do you like the 18-135mm? Did we make a good choice?
That is almost exactly what I started with about a year and a half ago. The exception being the lens, I started with the 18-55 and 55-200 kit. My first couple of shoots were for friends weddings and a few paid portrait sessions. I already had a computer and a copy of Adobe’s Web Production CS3 which includes Photoshop and Dreamweaver etc. (I got it for about $500 as a student)
I then spent some time doing some creative editing in photoshop and searched the web for some site ideas and spent a couple of weeks building my own site and working in some Search Engine Optimization. I have since been able to add to my kit and upgrade my gear. By no means do I have an extravagant set up now but it is more than adequate to shoot weddings and some creative portraits. D300, 80-200 2.8, 17-55 2.8 a few fast primes and an sb-800 and 2 sb-600′s.
You can definitely start a photo business for under 2k if you are willing to spend time working on your own advertising.
If you are starting out with slower lenses that don’t offer as much control with depth of field or low light conditions I would offer 2 post processing suggestions.
1 – Spend some time learning how to process HDR images even from a single jpg. (Even easier if you shoot in raw) Yes you can create a fake HDR by duplicating a single jpg and adjusting exposure up and down. Once you have done that you can merge the 3 together and process it through photomatix to give it a little more pop.
2 – Learn how to create a depth of field mask using the Gaussian blur or lens blur filters in photoshop and mask it out with your paint brush and a gradient.
Awesome article. I love how you share your thought process throughout, it really gets me thinking about my own gear, which just happens to be very nearly what you specified: A Nikon D80 with the 18-135mm lens. I am considering the 50mm f/1.8 right now, and you pretty much cemented my decision on that.
The 18-135mm lens…I really like the lens. It’s a little slow, which is why I’m considering the 50mm f/1.8, but image quality is great. I do find myself closing up the aperture a few stops as my shots taken at 3.5 don’t always seem as clear, especially around the edges. I guess that’s to be expected. You’d be surprised at how well that lens works at full zoom. I was quite surprised.
One recommendation I would make concerns software. Nikon’s RAW software that comes with the camera has been improved over the years. It still doesn’t rival Adobe’s Camera RAW (which I currently use), and it’s a little slow, but it’s not bad. For a while, I was using Nikon’s RAW application and pulling them into GIMP, a cross-platform open source image paint/editing software that easily rivals the features of Photoshop. I still prefer Photoshop, but it would save me some cash that can better be spent on a lens, filters or a better speedlight. Better yet, it may be worth getting one of the cheaper color management devices.
The 18-135mm is a great lens for being a “kit”. I find it extremely sharp, with very good contrast, color rendition and a very good focal length range. Being a kit lens it does have some compromises. It vignettes wide open when you are shooting bright backgrounds like the sky. It has some distortion on the 18mm end, and it has some chromatic aberrations. However, Capture NX/NX2 corrects chromatic aberrations automatically so I don’t find it to be a problem. Vignetting and distortion can also be corrected in post processing. Indeed, Nikon’s latest cameras correct some of the these issues in camera particularly vignetting and CAs. The other issue is that it is a variable aperture lens so can impact your DOF considerations. Plus, it isn’t a low light lens. The 50mm f/1.8 certainly covers those last two issues very well and affordably.
Some people complain that the 18-135mm doesn’t have VR for being a long focal length zoom, but to be honest I haven’t noticed that to be an issue at the long end. Maybe I just hold the camera still or something.
Craig – I would agree with the VR issue. I haven’t had problems. I think the reason is that compared to other lenses in that price range, it is a little faster. Again, it’s not a fast lens, but it has a stop or two advantage over its competitors.
I did not realize that Capture NX automatically corrected for chromatic aberrations, though. Good tip. I use Adobe Camera Raw, and I have teh ability to tweak those at import time…but I have a lot to learn in that respect and I haven’t quite figured out the best settings (or the best method) for correcting. I’ll take a poke at Capture NX again to see if I can learn something more. Good tip…thanks.
Jim! This is my exact kit setup! Okay well not exactly.
The 18-135 is a great little lens. I’ve found it to be a great all-rounder that has served me really well. I haven’t noticed the vignetting and chromatic abberations that have been mentioned…but maybe I’m not noticing it? The only down side is it’s slow so the 50 1.8 really helps make up for it.
The D80′s lack of sensor cleaning is a problem…mine gets dirty really quickly. This camera also has a commander mode so you can remotely trigger an SB-600 which was another selling feature for me. A friend also shoots Nikon and has an extensive kit that I can dip into so this was the icing on the cake when it came time to make that Nikon vs Canon choice.
In terms of kit bags I opted for the Tamrac Adventure 7 which gave me ample room for stowing personal gear separately and is great for going on photo walks. I’m finding that I’m quickly outgrowing it though so the System 6 Bag you suggest is probably a smarter long-term investment if you’re not frequently walking around town with your gear.
I was able to save some $$ on the laptop and software angle since I already had these, so that extra money went to a polarizer for the 18-135 and my Lensbaby 2.0 (yeah a bit gimmicky perhaps but it’s turned out some really unique pictures).
Other purchases include: seamless white paper, clamps to suspend said seamless from my garage rafters (roll lies on the floor), a small box of craft cement for your stick in a cans (found a 2×4 and paint can in a construction area), clamp light, coloured acetate for “gels” (a few cents at craft stores)and white foam core for “reflectors”, portable AA battery car charger for charging flash batteries on the go and a cable remote (cuz my lens is slow).
I also lucked into several donations: Umbrella and stand, several black felt backdrops.
Cool to see others who have gone the same route!
I think $3000 would be a more realistic figure. I’m in the process of turning my hobby into a business and just did my initial investment which ended up in the $3000 range. This is what I’ve got:
-Strobe kit (with 2 300w monolights and 2 100w units, plus 2 softboxes, umbrella,
snoots, barndoors 4 color filter set and case as well as all the required stands including a boom): $800
-Rebel XTI w/18-55 lens: $750
-Canon 75-300 lens $160
-2 CF Cards (4 gb): $80
-Background support system: $100
-2 Counterweight Bags $27
-2 Collapsible reflectors $50
-1 reflector stand $90
-Radio slave system $90
Miscellaneous stuff: $400
(bag, fabric for backgrounds, extension cords, clamps etc.)
This comes up to $2547!
Being a graphic designer I already had 2 pc’s and Adobe Creative suite, as well as a small studio (300 sq. ft.)
Now I must spend some dough on business cards, brochures, website, etc, which should be well under 500 bucks. Oh I will also need some stick on a can’s
Granted I already had the pc’s and software which would have run me another 2k.
Most of this equipment I bought over a 1 year period, and I’m finally getting paid gigs, hopefully by the end of the year the investment will be paid off and I can quit my day job. Another thing to consider when starting a business is patience… lots and lots of patience.
Wish me luck!
I think, that almost everyone who would like to start photography business is an owner of some camera and PC. In this way You can spend some extra money for other important equipment (softboxes, umbrellas etc). Lets say that You want to start photography business, and do not have PC or camera…
There are comments about the lenses. Why not to go for cheaper manufacturers at the beginning? Some of You say 18-xx sth lenses, but is wide angle lens really that important in studio/on location photography? Is the image stabilizer that important? If I would have to start, I would surely give a chance to older semi-pro bodies, like canon 30D (50D is in shops now, so the price will go down again) and for example 28-75 2.8 tamron lens, the autofocus is quite slow, but very accurate. The distortions are on really low level. The 28-75 range seems quite nice for some wider shots and tighter portraits (headshots, at longer end). f2.8 gives You ability to play with depth of field. Maybe the 30D camera has not 20Mpixels sensor (as some of You know, the number of pixels is not so important when we talk about quality), but You can still make A3 high quality prints from the files.
Hello Jim, I am a big fan of your instructional videos, I am a working professional photographer, I found your videos to help me review techniques and relax and enjoy the show…On regards to this article, I am not entirely sure about how to feel about it feels like today everyone can become a photographer (commercial) and I still believe photography to be a talent that cant be just bought at a camera store.
Photography isn’t really something common people can judge or critique since it often is appreciated on the emotional side rather than on the technical side, and I often find starting photographers with expensive gear like full frame DSLRS like D3s and 5Ds charging for worthless photos shot in auto mode or just showing no talent or experience! Likely soaring the dedicated artistic and refined photographers business…Someone at DPrevie Forum calls them Weekend Warriors… Shooting weddings for $400…and basically destroying the market for serious committed photographers.
The Camera Industry is there to sell gear, and they are pushing pro gear to common people, who often have them more as for luxury items, and being an artist is something no money can buy, yes technology can often be stunning, yet it lacks personality without the personal touch.
The once respected profession of Photography is declining due to the fantasy being outspread all over that anyone could be a photographer, for instance anyone could buy a D90 and shoot professional photos and video too! Wow! Our profession is hard work, seems nice from the outside, but its a lot of work, knowledge and practice, for instance shooting a wedding is often 8 hours + of work and lots of experience, kneeling, and moving around, and a business to be looked at seriously and not to be taken by any starting amateur…it’s a once in a lifetime event and opportunity not to be messed up.
By the way, on regards to cameras, its not really the camera, it’s the eye behind it, most often people see a picture and say “you have a great camera” and I say “nop its not the camera, it’s the person behind it” Also in the rush to sell the new of today old of tomorrow, there are many false statements about the new cameras and the old, for instance I’m a working photographer on the fashion and product photography and I use my D80 and a S3, I deliver great photography and I’m not worried about the rat race of the new… it’s a costly race, and a real unnecessary one, a photographer should master his tools and limits will fall behind.
I’m not trying to discourage you from your instructional and altruistic spirit, I admire you for sharing your knowledge, I know you are being sponsored but Id like you to also show the serious side of photography as a profession, and how there is a key factor to become a photographer, and that is to really love the profession there for to be taken as a serious commitment and not an easy way to make a buck on the free time.
Best regards.
Chriss.
Jim, thanks for this. I am that guy trying to start with just a few thousands and the desire to make it work for me. Thanks again.
Hi Chriss, you’ve said it well and I agree 100% with everything you’ve said. I hope you will keep in the conversation and continue to bring your informed viewpoint to future comments. My main feelings about the profession of photography at the moment are:
It’s easier than ever to make a few dollars in photography but harder than ever to make a living in photography. To be a full-time photographer means you must be a sharp business person and be prepared to make sacrifices in order to do what you love. I deal daily with downward pressure on budgets, faster turnaround times and rising business costs due to planned technological obsolescence. It’s harder for me to make a living now and my costs are much higher than they were in the days of shooting film. Many people think otherwise but that’s as straight and honest as I can shoot it. I tried to outline the work necessary for starting a photo business in the first 14 posts on this blog and in the free business e-book download.
David Ziser at Digital Protalk reached out to readers in an article about this recently. He points out trends indicating that the established, full-time professional photographer is being threatened by the part-time “soccer mom and dad” businesses. I agree with the observations and think that one of our best chances for survival in a competitive industry is to show future professionals how to be, well, professional.
Thank you Jim for your kind reply, and yes I will enjoy very much to continue reading and also contributing here on prophotolife.com, and thank you for this wonderful place.
I remember reading one of your recent articles about the business of photography in which your fellow friend Stephanie Carson had a very straight forward view on how to offer more and better services, and the idea came in with a nice touch of service and quality, thus I do find a recurrent factor coming to the scene, all though I am almost never doing weddings and social events, I do see how many of the clients are still spending big bucks on everything but photography, and well I just cant get over the fact that more and more often we se the trend of camera stores and mostly camera manufacturers inclining towards placing their products on the minds of their clientele with the enticing promised land of professional photography, our work is often perceived as a fashionable work, its often thought we the professional photographers have a rock star life, but that’s just fantasy, our work is strict, hard and it often gets very physical, hard to find a fat photographer! We move a lot, need to be flexible and in good shape, holding a camera for one hour could even lead to injury!
It is still possible to make a living as a full time photographer, we have the chance on raising the bar delivering great work, but we need to change our strategy of the game, for sure like you mentioned in another one of your articles driving 50 miles to get to the studio is going to affect the budget, also we need to become not only frugal but savvy spenders, we need to show the rest of the world out there that well the new gear is greatly designed and comes loaded with features but not really quantum leaps in advance, (except for that Sony 900 which sounds like its going to be an interesting little monster lol ) aspiring photographers need to know that no matter how many features come in that new camera, talent is still needed and does not come in the box! And like Jim always says, improvement will come with repetition (practice makes perfect), but that practice should come first before trying to get paid for questionable work that not only affects fellow photographers who need to make a living but also affects the clients who wont be satisfied about their once in a lifetime event!
I remember at the beginning of this thread someone mention something about not showing up to clients with a stick on a can… of course it would make any client nervous clients barely ever know much about photography but they do know a stick in a can from a stand equipment! The common strategy is that for most on location work take the best looking gear possible… for other kind of work where clients are not present use anything in hand and if the stick in a can is needed have them neatly painted like Jim does so it takes away some of the DIY look maybe instead of white paint id do them neutral gray so they don’t stand out too much.
I hope this is the right place to continue this conversation. I’m one of the new guys on the block, but I’m definitely NOT one of the “soccer dads” with a camera. I put a lot of work and study in before I ever even considered hanging out a shingle.
That said, I still see the effects of people who see a nice camera and want their friends to do a professional’s job for them. My primary photography income is from pets. I’d like to branch out into people too, but I’m taking that slowly. Before I ever even thought of charging for a pet photography session, I shot homeless dogs at shelters and rescue groups for a year just to be sure I could handle other people’s dogs as well as my own. It worked out great.
So, what do I mean by folks expecting friends to do a job just because they have a nice camera? well, a couple weeks ago, I did a portrait session for some dogs and showed the results to my friend. Now, she wants me to do her wedding! Of course, I’d love to do weddings, but I’m still looking for a good way to “practice.” There isn’t exactly an SPCA for weddings, and my efforts to find a wedding shooter that wants and assistant around here haven’t been very fruitful.
This wedding is a year away, and I could probably “get ready” in that time frame if I had enough opportunity to practice. Barring that, I’ll pass on it and hope she hires someone who has the experience to do it right.
How am I starting to practice so far? I’m doing a picture-directory for my church as a volunteer. It’s a start.
Great conversation, much to present in a post next week.
Jim, I think you’re doing well and on a very natural progression. Joining a professional organization to share resources and standards is always a great idea. I also think it’s important for budding professionals to realize that they’ll probably spend 10-15% of their time actually creating photographs. The rest will be spent on other aspects of running the business, so dedicate yourself to becoming an excellent business person in addition to creating beautiful photographs. Being a good photographer will create opportunities but won’t sustain a business. That’s where the hard work Chriss is talking about comes in (hey, Chriss, you know this site better than I do!).
Here’s a funny little thing about the $2000 goal. Understandably, readers have commented that they already have a camera and computer so it shouldn’t count toward the total. My strict “business head” tells me that at some point they will need replaced so I should account for their value from the beginning. It’s just two ways of looking at something and either will work. Being able to share perspectives helps us all.
Hey Jim,
Nice article, it teach beginners that they dont have to go for the most expensive stuff to start.
Im a pro and sure have more equipment but is because Im maniac to have all that i can need for an assignment. Nonetheless I had equipment that i don’t use much because i bought it with the “wanted” and not the “needed” mindset.
And Chriss, some of my clients are reducing their budgets but is not because they are going to beginer shooters, it is because of many variables and a weak economy, I try to adapt to this and revise my strategy, its normal business in a free market economy, you have to constantly re-invent your business or be replaced.
by the way when i freak out, to relax i shoot personal work, because we love photography, dont we?
This is a great post, and should really help to find out whats a good choice for a start up.
Here’s my suggestion. I don’t think it is necessary to go for expensive manufacturers like Canon and Nikon. Of course they have exquisite imaging quality but looking at smaller labels you find very nice stuff as well for much lower prices.
I live in Europe. What you pay in USD I pay in EUR, so it’s quite accurate as well.
First let’s buy the important stuff, the camera. My first choice in a low budget situation would be the Olympus E-520 Kit with the 14-42 mm and the 40-150 mm lenses. That way I would have a sufficient wide angle lens as well as a very strong tele lens bundled with 10 Megapixels, Dust removal and shake reduction. Price 593 EUR.
Ok still need a flash. I’d go for the Olympus FL-36R which can be controlled by the camera flash. Price 199 EUR.
Cheap camera bags are about 20 EUR, I’d get one of these. One of the better cheap tripods is the Sony VCT-R100. Its about 25 EUR quite solid and even capable of carrying video gear. For a start its fine.
As a computer I’d go for a Dell Linux PC with 19″ TFT, 1GB RAM and 500GB HDD. Thats a start and costs only 470 EUR. Why Linux? First I don’t like windows and there is no budget for a mac. Second, even Linux has very good tools to work with digital material. Even RAW can be handled quite well. The tools are good and for free. Of course a windows, Lightroom combination would work as well, but costs extra. Later on you might want to switch to a mac mini or an iMac.
That makes 1282 EUR so far. With the spare money I have I’d get a second flash and perhaps a 10 EUR tripod for it. And of course some reflection material. more than 700 EUR are quite a lot you can spend on this.
Of course today it’s quite important to be digital for most upcoming enterprises. But there is a very nice way to get good equipment very cheap. Used analogue gear is really cheap, even high end SLRs can be purchased even cheaper than many consume DSLRs. I just got a Nikon F5 for 400 EUR and a 24-120mm lens for 150 EUR. Makes 550 EUR and is even cheaper than the Olympus Kit. Of course you need to process film. My lab cost 90 EUR … no joke. the whole equipment, including everything you need for color processing, the enlarger and even chemicals came for 90 EUR form ebay. Of course you can also send them to a big lab where they do all the scanning as well.
In the drug store I can get a Fuji Sensia wrapped into another package for 1 EUR. There are 36 exposures on it, which should be plenty for a quick portrait session. Of course you can say thats bull**** since everything is digital today and there is a good reason for this. I just want to give you an idea about what your money can do.
cu
Roman
regarding DIY: if you pitch it the right way, DIY isn’t “home made because I couldn’t afford the good stuff”, but “hand-crafted, because all the off-the-shelf items didn’t provide the features i wanted”. Suddenly you’re the photographer who’s making the equivalent of fine vintage wine.
Of course, a little spray paint can help sell that a little better.
Starting a Photography Business on $2000…
What if you only had $2000 and wanted to start out doing light editorial or portrait photography on the side? Could a half decent kit be put together for that $2000? Jim Talkington thinks so!…
The next evolution of this type of list that I would like to see is what you would do with, say $1000, assuming you already have a camera, lenses, flash and a laptop w/ software. I guess that would basically be a list of essential lighting accessories (reflectors, soft boxes, strobes, etc.)?
I’m already thinking about how to spend that next $1000, thanks for all the ideas. A follow will be coming…
Hi all,
This is one of the best articles, if not the best, I have read about starting a Photography business, thank s Jim.
First able I would like to tell you what I have and what I want to accomplish with the Equipment.
Canon 40D
28-135 IS USM kit lens
50mm 1.8
70-200mm, IS USM 2.8
Alien Bee 400
Light meter
2 white with black back Umbrellas
1 Soft umbrella
Background stand
2 background (Black and White, Poooor quality LOL)
Few stick on a can and cheap lights you recommended on some of your videos from Home Depot.
Some white board use as reflectors
1 reversible reflector
Don’t remember what else I have.
What I would like to perform are, Portrait, some wildlife, landscape and in the future after Weddings (after few years of shooting and learning from other wedding photographers).
Other then shooting a lot to gain experience and books that I have, for example understanding exposure and some others, what do you recommend me to do and what equipment am I missing other then the Flash which I’m planning to get next.
Thanks
This is a really nice article, very well written Jim! It’s pretty interesting how decent gear you could get for such low prices. I actually just wrote a blog entry about my own photography gear, with wireless flashes and a Nikon D40x, which all-in-all cost me a little less than $700. Here’s the entry if you’d like to see what I’ve written.
Keep up the good work!
i’m disappointed with this list. I thought you were starting a BUSINESS. you spent 100% of your budget on gear and nothing on marketing.
Are you starting a business or a hobby?
Good point, Shaun, but you can’t do the work if you don’t have the equipment to deliver the job. In the next $1000 I’d add office and legal necessities and also start exploring free or budget forms of marketing.
[...] came across this post the other day in my google reader. I was pumped for some guidance in this area, because I have [...]
Excellent idea. Here is what I would get if professional location portraits were my goal (for instance corporate photography):
- Canon 400d – $500
- 85mm 1.8 – $300
- 50mm 1.4 – $300
- 8gb CF: $50
- 1 ebay transmitter and 2 receivers: $100
- 2 Vivitar 285HV flashes: $200
- 2 lightstands and umbrellas: $200
- photoshop elements: $100
Still $250 to spare – would probably upgrade my camera to a second had 40d. Or get Elinchrom skyports instead of the ebay transmitters.
Hi Jim,
First – excellent web site. I find alot of very usefull information here. I hope you keep it going.
Let me start by saying my wife and I are the amature photographers some have been commenting on. Though we both have been taking pictures for years as a hobby, neither of us have any formal training and for the most part use the “auto” setting. However, my wife being a graphic designer and very well schooled in photoshop, and myself being an electrician and very apt at following any discussion about lighting, are maybe more suited to migrating into a more proffessional photographer position. Both of us it would seem have a good eye for photography and regularly recieve comments on our photos.
We have done photo shoots in the past mostly for friends out of desperation. You see we come from a small town and of the 4 “pro” photographers only one takes truly excellent pictures. The other 3 could easily be outdone by almost any amature with a passion. Of course, unless you are planning 1-2 years in advance, good luck getting the good guy.
As my wife already runs a succesfull graphic design business, and has much experience dealing with clients and charging for work, the business end should be easier. We made the decission to begin charging for our work and set out to equip ourselves in a more professional manner. Not wanting to blow the budget we carefully tried to select only what was needed to start. Our choices were as follows
Camera: Nikon D60 with 18-55mm VR and 70-300mm VR – cost: $1199.99
I am not so impressed to this point with the 18-55, but the 70-300 performs exceptional and is almost all we use. I am already looking for a 18-135 lens. Bag and 2gb SD card included in kit.
Lighting: Kit with 3 160w/s strobes, radio trigger/reciever, background stand, and 3 backdrops – white, black, and chroma green cost: $749.99
Nice package for portraits as we set up our studio in our house and don’t have alot of room so no need for large amounts of light. Kit came with 2 24″x30″ softboxes, an umbrella, 1 barndoor, and 4 gel color filters. All bags also included for storage and portability. We will be purchasing more backgrounds soon, and have yet to experiment fully with the chroma but look forward to it. Being an electrician, I also had some 2 head halogen work lights that we have incorporated into several shots.
Computer/Software: Already have a very high end computer and full version of Adobie CS3 so no need to purchase anything else at this time. Had to download the upgrade to camera raw to process the Nikon raw images in photoshop, but only took a few minutes and works flawlessly.
There you have it. We are starting with friends and family portraits and already have 2 bookings for weddings next summer. I anticipate with just what we have done and are booked for to cover the cost of our new equipment, however I am currently looking at duplicating everything so we have a spare of everything just incase. Especially for weddings. Will probably look at a higher end camera – probably the new D700 and sticking with Nikon for the lens interchangability.
I find in our area there is lots of work for a professional photographer, however word of mouth is rampant and will either make you or break you. Quality and personal service mean everything. Also, don’t underprice yourself.
Thanks,