How to Start a Photography Studio on a Budget

I’ve been asked a lot recently about what equipment one needs to start a photography business. I’ve written once about suggested computer equipment, and also a basic list of camera equipment too.  This is all you need to get going initially.

Unless you want to start out immediately with studio equipment. As I said before you don’t need loads of equipment to simply get started. Shoot natural light to begin with, and really learn your camera’s limits. Adding a tripod to the mix again, gives you a whole new world that you can experiment with.  Changing your perspective when shooting, can also open up huge possibilties in the realm of portraits.

However, if you really have your heart set on having your own studio, whether from home, or a rented studio space then these are the basics that you will need to look at.

An Elinchrom Studio to Go Kit.

This at least gives you the versatility of being able to be a mobile studio. Definitely something to consider if you are just starting out.

It also helps if you are doing things like night time weddings, and want a little lighting help, for your upclose and personal bride and groom shots.

The price point is doable, although it pains me to say, that you are far better off, buying equipment overseas and bringing it in.

Particularly if you are spending less than R 25 000 ($2500 US) which is the cut off point for avoiding the need to be a licensed import/export person.

You will still pay import duty on amounts between R3000 and R25 000, but it’s less than going the whole hogg of obtaining import/export permits.

If you are lucky enough to be shopping overseas, then you need to look at a Cowboy Studio Kit (pictured above). These are readily available from places like Amazon and contain everything you need to get started, including a backdrop and rails, lighting and stands etc.

They’re also largely portable, so they fit into the same category as the Elinchrom studio to go kits. The price point is MUCH, MUCH better, leaving you with a bit of spare cash to pick up one or two more lenses as well. I always maintain, that your photography grows much more with each new lens you buy, rather than huge pieces of equipment, like being a natural light photographer, and then suddenly moving to studio work.

Of course one of the best things you can do, is become proficient in Adobe Photoshop, because then you’re able to produce more kinds of photography than you thought possible before, through post production processing.

Do what you do well, well. Trying to be a jack of all trades is counter productive to creating a name and good reputation in the industry.

A good photographer, will never claim to be brilliant at ALL kinds of photography, that’s the fastest way to be classed as someone who is ‘reaching’.

Happy shopping, now go forth and be creative!

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