Getting into professional photography equipment needed

[aleina_vassell]

<p>I want to get into photography professionally and need advice. What I would like to do it take pictures and sell them to websites for them to either use as stock photos or to have them on show on their sites for other buyers to look at. <br /><br />The kind of pictures i want to take are close up macro photos of foliage and also landscapes. I have been looking into cameras and have found one that I think I like. Its the canon 50d. I know its now been superseded by a newer model but I think it would be ok for what I want to do. <br /><br />Ok so what I want to know is would it be good value to buy that camera with an 18-85 ultrasonic canon lens for £549?<br /><br />I know that I macro lens would be the best but having looked online there are many options any advice would be good. Also would you see a substantial difference if I went for a 3rd part manufacturers lens like for example sigma <br /><br /></p>

[Karim Ghantous]

<p>I wish I had more direct advice about that. However, stock photography is on its way to being valueless. I don't mean that stock will disappear - I mean that you won't be able to charge for it anymore. Many photographers are happy to have their work used for no fee whatsoever simply for the pleasure of it (and the audience):</p>

<p>http://www.sxc.hu</p>

[drjoder]

<p>Aleina, I, too, want to someday start selling my images--in my case, my own fine art B&W prints. There isn't much of a market out there and I think one simply does it for the passion of it, not to make a living. You don't have any images posted, so it is hard to tell where you are at as a photographer, so you might get a number of folks telling you how hard it is to make any money at this...I say, if it is truly your passion, follow it, you never know where it might lead. If you happen to have that necessary combination of photographic talent and business acumen that is required, more power to you--go for it! On this site, I would highly recommend something that I have done to help me learn about the topics I am interested in: use the SEARCH box in the upper right corner to check for old threads. Usually there are quite a few that discuss the very thing you are after. Another piece of advice you will hear: it is not the equipment, it is the vision of the photographer--this is very true. There is so much to learn...I am certainly enjoying the journey. Good luck.</p>

[Mattman944]

<p>The most successful photographers I know worked hard to get where they are. And a professional must also have business and marketing skills.</p>

<p>It is very hard to make a living at stock photography. Most people just make a little on the side. </p>

<p>The equipment you start with isn't that important. Buy a mid-line camera and basic lens, like a 50D and 18-85. As you learn you will be better informed on what you need next.</p>

[chris_waller]

<p>I concur with what has been said above and would suggest that you find a niche which requires specific pictures, e.g. industrial photography. I knew a guy several years ago who had an eighteen-year career in industrial photography using just a Mamiya C330. Companies always need pictures of new sites, new plant and machinery and photographs of the CEO cutting the ribbon on the new refinery, or whatever.</p>

[daverhaas]

<p>Stock photos sites will have their camera requirements - along with other requirements posted. Most (that I've seen anyway) have plenty of stock photos of trees, birds, flowers, landscapes, etc... so the market really isn't there for those shots. And as others have already pointed out - very few earn a living doing stock- most do it as a sideline - if they get a cool image - they will submit.</p>

<p>As for the price - I don't do Canon - so can't comment on the quality or price - but yes - it has been superseded by the 60d.</p>

<p>Dave</p>

 

[jaydesi]

<p>There are several fine macro lenses available. What you get depends on what you'll shoot. For example, the EF-S 60mm macro is quite nice, but with the 60mm focal length, you have to be very close to your subjects. That's not going to work so well for insects, but if you're shooting, say, coins, it would be just fine. There are 2 100mm macros, there's an older version, and a newer one that has the L designation and comes with IS. Odds are good that you'll be working with a tripod and macro rail, so the IS won't necessarily come in handy, but it could. Both are fine lenses. There's also a 180mm macro, which gives quite a bit of distance. This may cause problems from the opposite end, if you're shooting in tight quarters and can't get the lens far enough away, but it would allow you to be at the greatest distance from insects. All of these lenses will focus at 1:1, which is true macro, and will focus to infinity, as well, so they can be used as "normal" lenses. There is also the MPE-65, which is a 65mm macro lens that can only be used for macro shots, and it has a range of 1:1 to 5:1, allowing some extreme close ups. The information on this lens says that at 5x, you can fill the frame of a full-frame camera with a grain of rice. It opens up a whole new level of macro. However, focusing can be tricky, because at 5x, the DOF is 0.2mm...extremely shallow.</p>

<p>Many people who do a lot of macro photography use a technique called focus stacking, where they take several pictures of the same subject, but bring different parts of the subject into focus for each shot. Then they use software that will combine all of the sharp parts of each shot into a single image. This gives the appearance of great DOF with all of the detail of macro.</p>

[tony_santella]

<p>Any which way that i write this its going to sound harsh</p>

<p>Its not really ment to be hurtfull but it needs to be said</p>

<p> Im not a pro Im not even a good amature And I can say with some confidence that if you need to ask the question you are nowhere near ready sell anything<br>

This is not a critique of your photo skills which may be excellent<br>

It is a critique of your knowledge of and Photographic equipment , and those seem lacking for someone aspiring to sell a product or service.</p>

<p> </p>

[Karim Ghantous]

<blockquote>

<p>It is a critique of your knowledge of and Photographic equipment , and those seem lacking for someone aspiring to sell a product or service.</p>

</blockquote>

<p>I think that Aleina made it clear in her original post: "I want to get into photography professionally and need advice." She(?) is beginning to formulate a plan. This could take a long time. Her question make it obvious that she is not ready to "sell anything" yet. I suggest that you did not read the original post properly.</p>

[tony_santella]

<p>I didnt read it that way<br>

and even if you are correct . I dont think that would be the proper question for some one in the position you suggest</p>

<p>Maybe<br>

Im looking at getting into pro photography , I pretty sure I would like to specialize in close up work , Can anyone point me in the right direction?</p>

<p>looking for eqipement recomendations just seems like starting in the middle to me</p>

<p>Plus how in the world can you have any idea that you want to take specialized photos and sell them<br>

without at least rudimentary knowledge of the equipment</p>

<p>I May just be in an off mood tonight but the whole question just struck me wrong</p>

[jon_robert]

<p>Chances are you are likely to go broke. Either do your subject as a hobby and count it lucky if you sell one or sell what is selling. It is better to identify what is selling and choose your gear accordingly</p>

<p>It is like fishing for fish on lake Michigan<br /> Look at all the glorious wonderful photos of fish caught (wonderful photos to be seen) http://www.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://www.wcba.info/Pics%2520BONSHELL%2520Capts%2520Pg%25202007/LAKE%2520MICHIGAN%2520SALMON%2520%2520IMG_1138.JPG&imgrefurl=http://www.wcba.info/captains/Capt%2520Ron%2520Mihevc%2520%2520Bonshell.htm&usg=__Csvjk3xLrRTUNje1bnY-tlu1SOQ=&h=754&w=1200&sz=125&hl=en&start=0&zoom=1&tbnid=NdO1yfA-shPDNM:&tbnh=142&tbnw=209&ei=t1irTY3aLOi20QGP9Kz5CA&prev=/images%3Fq%3Dlake%2Bmichigan%2Bsalmon%2Bcharter%26um%3D1%26hl%3Den%26client%3Dfirefox-a%26sa%3DN%26rls%3Dorg.mozilla:en-US:official%26biw%3D1366%26bih%3D575%26tbm%3Disch&um=1&itbs=1&iact=rc&dur=830&oei=t1irTY3aLOi20QGP9Kz5CA&page=1&ndsp=21&ved=1t:429,r:3,s:0&tx=129&ty=72</p>

<p>All the tackle and gear is easily aquired all you have to do is buy it just like camera gear. http://www.lakemichiganangler.com/store/store.htm</p>

<p>The truth of the matter is that very fish are actually caught. 1.4 to 36.2 fish caught per 100 hours of fishing. Pretty poor rate of return. http://www.in.gov/dnr/fishwild/files/fw-Charter_Operators_Report_2009.pdf</p>

<p>You could fish for the 1.4/100 hr rate fish species (Lake trout) or for the 36.2 fish/100 hr fish species (Coho)</p>

<p>You could offer what is not selling or you could offer what is selling</p>

<p>I read somewhere that a stock photographer posting good stuff can expect $1.00 (one) dollar per photo per year. Pretty poor rate of return.</p>

<p>Therefore increase your odds and identify what is selling and choose your gear accordingly to do that.</p>

<p>http://www.infostockphoto.com/business-of-photography/4-articles/71-stock-photography-what-sells.html</p>

<p>http://www.google.com/search?q=what+wells+in+photography&ie=utf-8&oe=utf-8&aq=t&rls=org.mozilla:en-US:official&client=firefox-a#sclient=psy&hl=en&client=firefox-a&hs=Snu&rls=org.mozilla:en-US%3Aofficial&source=hp&q=what+sells+in+photography&aq=&aqi=&aql=&oq=&pbx=1&bav=on.2,or.r_gc.r_pw.&fp=c3bb86640ae08969</p>