Editorial Photographer: Equipment You Need

Editorial Photographer: Equipment You Need

An editorial photographer's equipment will depend largely on his subject and the setting of his shoot, and may vary based on his preference. There are a few pieces of equipment that run standard for beginners, intermediate photographers, and masters.

Step One: Find a Camera

The first thing a beginner may notice is that there are a lot of cameras out there, and it may be difficult to find the right one. Beginners should start small with entry-level SLR cameras, and work their way up to mid-level and higher-end cameras. Once they have committed themselves to photography, mastered their craft and built up a large enough clientele, photographers should purchase the highest quality equipment.

Step Two: Distinguishing Lenses and Filters

Multiple lenses are a must, especially if an entry-level photographer plans on shooting from different distances. The standard entry-level camera can come with an 18-55 mm lens or a 14-42 mm lens. Beginners should start with an 18-200 mm lens, and then move on from there.
Another great tool to have is a camera filter. Camera filters create special effects or make images clearer by compensating for colors in an environment, polarizing light, or manipulating the light in any given environment. Beginning photographers should also consider buying a mini-softbox to diffuse flash and reduce glare.

Step Three: Getting Camera Support Equipment

Tripods are great for portraits, nature shots or any other type of still-action photograph. However, shoots can take place in a number of different settings, and a photographer may not always be able to set up a full tripod in the area. It is a good idea to buy standard tripods as well as mini-tripods. 
If a photographer plans to be mobile during a shoot, then using monopods, quickpods and chestpods will produce stable shots. Bean bags are another great accessory to have because they can create stability when mounting a camera on an uneven surface.

Step Five: Choosing a Computer and Peripherals

    The best computer for photographers is a Mac Pro, or a MacBook Pro. Macs were originally designed for the creative industry, and they continue to reign in terms of stability, intuitive use, storage, hardware quality and other features. The Mac Pro is especially good for Photographers because it can handle a lot of wear and tear, and it can store more data than a typical PC. A 17-inch MacBook Pro will provide beginning photographers with the same power and more mobility, but it will not have as much storage as the Pro.
Novice photographers should consider investing in one or two 30-inch LCD monitors with a high screen resolution. Higher resolution and more screen space give photographers the chance to organize, edit  and retouch photos more efficiently.
Flash cards and data backup systems are also an essential for any photographer. External hard drives with three terabytes or more are ideal for those planning on having a large image archive. One-terabyte hard drives should last for those planning on having a small collection of photographs. Photographers should also have several 32 GB flash cards on hand during a shoot.
Inkjet printers typically print good quality photos, but dye sublimination printers can do a better job at creating depth in a photograph. Beginners should think of the different size portraits they plan on taking, and then go from there.

Step Six: Picking Your Editing Software

Adobe Photoshop, Noiseware and Lightroom are essential for any photographer. Photographers use these three forms of software to retouch images, reduce noise, add effects, and get images ready for print.
Topaz Adjust is a fantastic choice for High Digital Resolution quality images, while Nik Color Efex Pro,  Silver Efex Pro, Sharpener Pro and Viveza can create brilliant images for photographers who plan on taking pictures of scenery, buildings and wildlife. Portraiture is essential for photographers to master if they plan on shooting people exclusively, and Lucis Pro can add amazing effects to any picture.