Studio Photographer Shopping List – What You Need to Get Started

A reader commented on my post comparing the Canon t1i vs t2i vs t3i asking what gear he should start acquiring if he eventually hopes to open up a portrait photography studio. It’s a good question, and one worth thinking about. Even if you don’t have any plans on going pro in the near future, the gear you acquire in your first year or two as a hobby or enthusiast photographer can certainly ease the transition into going pro.

With that in mind, here’s a quick run down on the things you’ll need to be a studio and/or portrait photographer. Mind you, I live and die by Canon. So this list is all Canon or Canon compatible products. Sorry, Nikon lovers… I’m sure there are plenty of good Nikon choices, but I’m just not knowledgeable about them. *shrug*

Camera Body – Canon t2i or Canon 7d

Obviously, you’re going to need a camera body. These are replaceable every few years, so you shouldn’t be afraid to start off with a lower end model, if that allows you to invest in better lenses. Those lenses, unlike the camera body, will lost you a good long time if cared for well.

If you’ve read my post comparing the Canon t1i, t2i, and t3i, then you know I prefer the Canon EOS Rebel T2i among the entry level Canon dSLRs. I wrote another comparison looking at the different tiers – the Canon t3i vs 60D vs 7D - and here it’s a little less clear cut. The Canon EOS 7D is a better camera, no doubt. But… most of the upgrades are more useful for action and sports photographers. Someone working in a studio isn’t going to get much benefit despite paying twice the price.

I would definitely think about upgrading to a Canon 7D – or the equivalent at the time – after you have a few clients under your belt. But the Canon t2i is more than sufficient. I got started with my Canon t1i, and people never knew and/or complained that it was “only” an entry level dSLR.

Lenses – Standard Zoom and Telephoto Zoom

If you saved some money by getting a cheaper camera body, it’s time to plunk some of that cash down for a nicer lens. The kit lens can actually be remarkably useful in a studio situation – where you’re likely to use smaller apertures and work with lights. But, you definitely want some higher quality glass that’s more versatile.

To keep it simple, you’ll want a standard zoom and a telephoto zoom. A standard zoom is a similar focal length to the kit lens. A Sigma 24-70mm f/2.8 would be perfect. If you had only one lens, this should probably be it. The wide end is fine for group shots, and the telephoto end will let you get tighter for three-quarter or upper body shots. Ideally, however, you want a telephoto zoom lens to help you get real tight for things like headshots. A Sigma 70-200mm f/2.8 is a good choice, and the broad range gives you some versatility. You could save some money with a prime lens, like a Canon EF 85mm f/1.8 or a Canon EF 100mm f/2.8. You’d of course be sacrificing some flexibility, since you can’t zoom the prime lens in and out.

Lights – Strobes or Speedlites

Next on your shopping list is some kind of lighting equipment. Ignore all the “natural light” enthusiasts. If you’re really a professional portrait photographer, then you need to know how to use light – whether you’re in the studio or out in the field. This does present you with an interesting choice, though. Are you going to invest in strobes or speedlights?

Strobes are traditional studio lights. Steer clear of “continuous lighting” kits. They sound cool… they’re not. If you’re going to invest in lights that plug into the wall, then get real strobes. You may want to get started with an off-brand kit, like this 900W Strobe Studio Flash Light Kit or this Square Perfect SP3500 Complete Portrait Studio Kit – both around $3-350 on Amazon. A set of Profoto or Alien B strobes is going to be a bit more expensive, but it should probably be in the early “upgrade” budget. The bottom line is that you’ll probably want 3 lights and a handful of light modifiers (softboxes, umbrellas, grids, barn doors, gels) to give you enough control over the light.

Speedlights are the flashes that mount on top of your camera. If you want to do any kind of event work, then you need to have a least one speedlight to use for that – either a Canon 430EX II or a Canon 580EX II. If you’re going to go Strobist style and use your speedlites to light your portraits, then you’ll want to pick up one to two additional flashes to work with. You’re going to use manual settings for these anyway, so you definitely don’t need the uber-expensive Canon 580 EX II. If you’re on a shoe string budget, the Vivitar 285HV is fine… I started out with two of those. If you can spend a little more, then two LumoPro LP160s will give you a lot more flexibility in terms of power output.

So which should you get – strobes or speedlights? Well, strobes have more power. They also use an outlet by default instead of batteries. If you’re working in the studio all the time, then those are two big pluses.

Work on the road a lot? Outdoors, far from power outlets? If you want to start doing portrait photography, but you don’t have the capital to rent a real studio, then speedlites allow you to easily bring studio lights on the road. Get a bunch of rechargeable AA batteries, and you can take your kit anywhere you want. I love the strobist approach, and I have yet to invest in strobes to replace my speedlights.

Other Random Stuff

To go along with your lights, you’ll also need some way to trigger the lights. If you’re strictly in the studio, you might go with a wired solution. Seems silly, though, when you can go wireless. The cheap-o route would be to buy some off-brand radio triggers, like this set of Cowboy Studio radio triggers. They work fine, and if one breaks…? They’re cheap. Don’t worry about it. Eventually, you’ll want to upgrade to some big boy toys, like the industry standard PocketWizard. But, umm… these aren’t cheap.

You’ll also want something to use for a backdrop. For plain white or black, seamless background paper is good. These aren’t gonna travel very well, though, especially if you have a longer roll. Muslin backdrops are much easier to throw in a tote bag and take on location. Muslin also comes in a ton of different colors, so pick a few to give you a variety of colors to work with. Think about the size, too. 6×9 is fine for one person, but you may have a hard time getting a full body shot of that person (especially if you want to put a little distance between the subject and the background). The larger 9′x12′ muslin backdrops will accommodate groups, and they’ll also make it easier to do full body shots of people on the backdrop.

Oh, and you’re going to need something to hold that big backdrop. This one is fine, and it breaks down nicely if you travel. If you have a permanent studio, you might want to invest in a more permanent stand, or a fancy system that hangs the backdrop from the ceiling. You might not think about it, but some posing props and seats would go a long way too… especially if you’re doing “standard” formal portrait photography.

Recap – A Short List

To recap, there are a few things that you’ll need to get started working as a professional portrait photographer. Oddly enough, “studio” is not one of these. Although, if you choose to work on location then you’ll have to make the appropriate choices to make sure that your gear is sufficiently portable.

You’ll need:

• A camera body (Canon EOS Rebel T2i to start, Canon EOS 7D to upgrade)
• A standard zoom lens (18-55 or Sigma 24-70mm f/2.8, hopefully not the kit)
• If possible, a telephoto lens (Sigma 70-200mm f/2.8, or 85mm or 100mm prime)
• Lights (speedlights for portability, strobes for strictly studio work)
• Light modifiers (umbrellas, softboxes, etc)
• Way to trigger the lights (Preferably radio triggers)
• Backgrounds and background stand

Now, if you’re starting out and investing in a dSLR as a hobby first, there’s no reason why you can’t slowly assemble some of the gear you’ll need later. Get the cheap body and the kit lens first. Over time, pick up a speedlight and/or a better lens. Invest in another lens when you get a chance. If you plan on doing on location work anyway, then make an investment in some extra speedlites and start playing with lighting. This’ll let you spread the investment over time, and it won’t be such a shock when you decide, abruptly, to “go pro.”

Of course, the other option is to create a budget, price out a gear kit, and then take out a loan to pay for it. For $5,000 to $10,000 you can get an awesome starting kit of gear. Take out a personal loan from the bank and spread the payments over the next four years, and you’ll be paying $100 to $200 a month. A perfectly reasonable course of action would be to play around and learn photography as a hobby first, using the cheaper gear. You can even take on a few clients and earn some money while you do it. But once you have a regular stream of clients and you’re ready to consider photography a business, take out the loan and upgrade to what you really want.