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Professional Photography Buying Guide

Taking pictures professionally requires a lot of equipment when getting started. Whether you're an amateur  or a commercial photographer,  lighting,  focus,  contrast  and materials are all important parts of professional photography  101. Below, a few key things to consider.

• Space: If you are going to be taking your professional pictures in a studio,  make sure that you have enough room. However, even if you are taking photos outdoors, you still want to figure out your space and make sure you know where your equipment is going.
• Budget: Plan ahead of time how much money you have to spend on equipment and make sure that you have a sizable budget--photography equipment  can be pricey.
• Camera : This seems obvious, but a lot of thought needs to go into buying a model that will hold up and has the features that you need. Some professional photographers prefer a digital camera,  while others like to use reloadable film cameras.  Digital cameras allow for more manipulation post-production, while reloadable film cameras stay true to the original photograph taken, so consider your preference.

Ease of Use

Quick release plates  allows you to attach and remove the camera easily from the tripod,  and they are compatible with specific tripod heads. Check out a few models below.

Quick Release Plate for VT-2500 Tripod	Impact Quick Release Plate	Quick Release Plate for VT-2000 Tripod

Background

If you shoot portraits,  video, or do work for television, you might be in need of a background. Whether it be colored or white, backgrounds come in varying hues and sizes.

Impact Collapsible Background -White  This is a small background that can be used for headshots,  and it folds easily for convenient transport. It is spot washable and there are lots of colors to chose from.	Super Collapsible Background - Green  This background is good for taking larger portraits and can be arranged horizontally or vertically.	Chroma Sheet Background-Blue  This is another background that works well for headshots and can be stored in a see-through bag for quick and easy identification.	Muslin Sheet Background-Black  This background sheet is made out of strong muslin and due to its size, it can be used for any type of photography.

Lights!

Definitely a very important part of photography. Depending on the size of your shoot, consider how many bulbs you will need and their varying placement.

Lumelite 250 Watt AC On-Camera Light with Bulb  This is a halogen fixture that can be used for small-scale photo sessions and adjusted easily.	Lumelite 600 Watt AC Tungsten Light  This model accepts various types of bulbs and can be mounted on a stand top for 600 Watts of light.	VA903 Fluorescent Cool Light Two Fixture Kit  This fixture kit accepts fluorescent lamps and has power switches to allow for dimming and easy control. This kit also comes with a long power cord and reflectors that help to soften harsh bulbs.	VSD300 Monolight Deluxe Portrait Kit  This is a complete lighting kit that comes with a stand,  an umbrella  to soften light, a radio receiver  to trigger strobe lights  wirelessly, and a kit  case to hold all photography components.

Details

Besides backgrounds and lighting, there are a few other items you may want to purchase before getting started. 

Orange Saddle Sandbag  Sandbags  are useful for securing the bases of light stands and set walls. The bright coloring enables easy visibility, even at night, and this water-resistant pouch can hold up to 35 pounds.	Grip Head- 2.5" Chrome  This is designed to hold various photography equipment including scrims  (light diffusers ) and photography cutters.	Turtle Base Master Century C Stand  This stand is easy to transport and set up, and comes complete with a weather-resistant finish and spring-loaded legs.	Collapsible Impact Silver Reflector Disc  These reflector discs come in gold and white colors to produce lighting for indoor and outdoor photography. They are also collapsible and easy to take on the go.	Dedicated Lens Hood  Lens hoods help to prevent stray light from entering the lens and provide protection for the camera at the same time. They are also lightweight and easy to transport.

Technique

Now that you have all of your equipment, here are some terms used in the professional photography world that will help get you started.

• Aperture : Adjustment of the iris (movable opening on the camera lens) which controls the amount of light passing through the lens.
• Amateurism : Taking pictures as a hobby and not for profit.
• Burning In : Increases exposure in certain print areas to darken an image.
• Dodging : Reducing exposure in certain print areas of an image to make parts lighter.
• Filters : Placed in front or behind the lens to change the way the light hits your subject.
• Metering : A measurement of exposure so that highlights or other effects are shown to the photographer's desire.
• Shutter Speed : Adjustment of the speed to control the amount of time that an image is exposed to light.

Related Guides

Cameras and Photography	Digital Cameras	Electronics	SLR Cameras