I’m often asked what equipment is necessary for starting a photography business in the home. Here are a few basic things you’ll need:

1. DSLR Camera. I personally use the Canon 20D, and love it! The newer model is the Canon 30D. There are less expensive models that you can start with as well. Make sure to do your homework. Your camera should have no less than 6 to 8 megapixels to ensure good quality on your large prints. Shop around for the best price and if you order online, make sure you are using a reputable company.

 

2. Studio Lighting. Keep in mind that many photographers only work with natural light, either outdoors or window light. However, if you want to capture studio-style shots, then you are going to need studio lighting. The lights I use are from Alien Bees www . alienbees . com and are very high quality lights for the price. I find them easy to use since they are fully adjustable and work on a slave. You can start out with one or two lights and add as you go if you find you need more. Check out alien bee’s Digibee package for a good place to start. Along with your lights, you will need either umbrellas or softboxes. I personally use one softbox for my main light and one umbrella for my fill light. Alien Bees has something called a “brollybox” which is a cross between an umbrella and a softbox.

 

3. Backdrops. I like to keep my backgrounds simple, so I only use either black or white. My black background is a muslin, and for my white background I use seamless background paper. You can find backdrops online on ebay or numerous online shops. Just do a search for “muslin backdrop” or “seamless background paper.” You will need a background stand to hold your backdrops. Again, if you search for “background stand” you will find many stores online who sell them.

 

4. Photoshop. The newest version of Photoshop is PSCS2. If you are serious about getting your business going, then I would recommend you go ahead and purchase the full version of Photoshop (CS2). Another option is to get Photoshop Elements, which is much less expensive, but doesn’t do everything that CS2 will do.

 

Keep in mind that these are just the basics. As your business progresses and grows, you might want to add additional equipment.

 

Cindy Bracken is the founder of www.shuttermom.com, an online community for photographers. Stop by to join in the discussion forums, create a free blog, and enter the photo contest. You will also find information to help you grow your photography business.