what tools/things do you need to start proffesional photography as a hobby?

Question

i already have the camer..but im clueless, what else do i need ..im serious about starting this as a hobby.

sorry when i said proffesional..i meant just as a hobby but as a serious hobby.

i like to photograph very odd things...like praying mantisis on a scale..and close ups of pretty much everything

Answer 1

Yes your clueless. Professional photographers, are not hobbyists.

Having a camera makes you a hobbyist, not a professional.

Go to school, read books, whatever, to learn more.


Edit:::::::::::::
OK. A serious hobby.

Start with a tripod.

What you need depends on your subject. IF your doing outdoor macro, landscape, architecture, or nature, you need good lenses.

IF your doing portraiture, indoor stills, you need lenses, lights, backgrounds, flashes/stobes, and all the assorted stands, reflectors/diffusers, etc...

Answer 2

All you need is the camera and it doesn't matter what sort of camera.
Digital is preferred, at least 5mp.
An SLR is not necessary at this stage.
The most important thing that you need is familiarity with that camera.
Next is an imagination. Couple that imagination with some knowledge of image presentation, aka composition.
THE most important thing is having an 'eye' for a subject and how to shoot it.

Forget the tripod.
Forget the SLR.
Just shoot with what you have. Lots and lots. See your results and really SEE what you have done. Compare what you have done with the work of others. SEE the difference and be inspired to try different things. Strive to improve. Keep improving.

One day, when you realise that you are either very good at it or the opposite, decide on the next progression.
It may be that you need to upgrade your equipment but, at this stage, there is NO point at all in spending on costly SLR cameras and a collection of different lenses.
Some great images have resulted from a good photographer with the most basic of cameras.

For the latter part of my professional career, I never used a tripod, I never used an SLR. My Sony DSC707 (5mp) was the best available at the time without spending a fortune. I still use that one in my retirement, as a hobby, and see no need to upgrade. That said, I fancy a Sony Alpha 100 and two or three lenses but that is far from being essential. For you, it certainly isn't.
You just need the experience with what you have..

Answer 3

Personally I'd sell the sony gear and buy some used Nikon or maybe Canon stuff but thats just me. Other than that the best thing you will probably do is buy yourself 2 things, the first is a prime lens or 2. prime lenses are great, the image quality is normally far better and generally they are able to operate at much more wide open apertures like f1.8 which allow more light to get into the camera. They are also very cheap compared to zooms. The next thing which is probably the most important investment you will make is Adobe Lightroom 3. It's basically like an easy to use photoshop which heaps of professional photographers and amateur photographers alike use. It allows you to process lots of images quickly and easily and gives you heaps of control over how your image ends up looking. The most helpful piece of advice I can give you would be to start shooting on RAW format if you arent already. RAW is basically a digital negative file and will allow you to make many more changes to the file once you put it onto your computer. It's extremely important you shoot on RAW if you want to have more control over the way your images look! Also, do your research, learn heaps about photography from all different types of sources. Youtube has heaps of tutorials and there are tonnes of other free resources on the net. and as mentioned above the most important thing is your own creativity so just get out there and shoot as much as you can and research the styles of other photographers you admire and get to know how they do what they do. Good luck

Answer 4

You don't say what kind of camera. The serious hobbyist will have an SLR or DSLR, are you talking film or digital?
You'll need a couple of different lenses to go with the camera and it will depend on what type of photography you want to do(landscape/portrait/fashion/sports/nature/botany)
which lenses to use.
Also an off camera flash and a tripod, uv/skylight filters for lens protection and a polarizing filter.

If digital you will need a computer and software (gimp is a free software that will suffice for most things) a printer or good photo store who can meet your printing needs.

If film you'll want to get to know your local photo store for prints or set up a dark room.

A safe place to store/transport all your gear

You don't have to have all this at once. As you develop your sense of direction with this you'll know what you need next.
While you're saving up take a class or two and read all you can. Ask more questions here too. The answers can be blunt but that can be a good thing.

Answer 5

It is a fun hobby. For now I am just learning too, but I hope that one day it will be more than just a hobby. As for what you need, that really depends on what type of photography you want to get into and how serious you are. My mother-in-law says it is her hobby and she only has a camera. It is just something fun for her to do. What I recommend is going to a photography store and seeing what interests you. It could be some filters, or lenses, or studio lighting. I also recommend getting some books for some information and subscribing to some photography magazines, such as popular photography and photo techniques. I am taking a correspondence course through NYI of Photography. No, it has not turned me into a great photographer (that takes years of practice) but it has opened my eyes to the mistakes I was making and has let me take better photographs. Plus, it also helped me answer the question you are asking, "what do I need?" Look into those things. I hope it helps. Good luck and most of all enjoy what you are doing!

Answer 6

It would help if we knew what type of photography you are into. Product? Portrait? Landscape? ETC?

OK, you're into macro. I assume you have a DSLR and a good macro lens. With macro you really want that DSLR. A tripod is a must. Perhaps a ring flash, a light tent and two strobes for indoor closeups.

I'll also disagree for once with Photoguy. I am a professional portrait photographer, but other forms of photography are my hobby.

Answer 7

Well, if you just want to do it as a hobby, than you certainly dont need to start off with all of the equipment a professional photog. would use. You should take a photography class, to get some understanding of what your doing, it helps. To start, camera, tripod,i doubt your using a film camera, so we wont even go into that.... ideas of things to shoot, and how you want to shoot them, what kind of light you want to shoot them in, do you want to take pictures of people, animals, landscapes, etc...if you just go pointing and clicking, sure youll get some good shots here and there, but it doesnt take much artistry to do that.

Answer 8

"Professional" means that you're doing it for a living, not as a hobby.

If you want to do photography as a hobby, any point-and-shoot camera will do, but if you want to get serious about your hobby and make really nice photos, you'll find it easier to do so if you're using an SLR camera and a nice selection of lenses with varying focal lengths.

Answer 9

I'm a little confused, and possibly you are as well... Do you want a hobby, or a profession? Either way, just get busy reading the manual that came with your camera and learn how to use it. Learn a couple of things out of the manual each day, and practice what you have learned. Get Photoshop Elements (to start) and practice doing things like cropping, adjusting contrast and density, adjusting color, and retouching. Start asking your friends and relatives to let you do their portraits. If you make mistakes, learn from them and make corrections the next time you use the camera.

The main thing is to learn to use the camera without having to think about what you are doing. Using the camera should not be what you are thinking about as a professional photographer. You should be thinking about lighting the subject, composition, expression, background, depth-of-field, and getting great pictures.

Good luck!!

Answer 10

No questions asked, the best site for Photoshop tutorials is: http://www.learnphotoediting.link

All tutorials are in video format, which makes them easier for you to follow along with the instructor. The videos are interactive and very easy to follow, this will help you learn piano three times faster. Good Luck!