Must-Have Photography Gear for Beginners

If you are a beginner photographer, you may wonder which gear is right for you. Are a single camera and lens enough, or do you need something more? In absence of proper guidance, you may end up getting unnecessary equipment that adds no value and just ends up being a burden. To help with a checklist of essentials for beginner photographers, today we have professional photographer Jessica Kobeissi. In this video, she takes you through the bare minimum of what you should have if you’re just getting started with photography:

Once you have your camera, the next major decision you have to make is which lenses you’ll need. Do you buy a prime lens or a zoom lens? Kobeissi suggests you get one of each. Both of these lenses have their own advantages in terms of image quality, low-light performance and reach. Having at least one of each will help you out in different situations.

Then there are a few other basic items that can help improve your shots. For instance, a tripod helps you take sharper images. It also comes in handy for creative shots, including long exposures, and is a must for taking videos. A reflector is another economical, portable and effective item that can help you make your images stand out. They even come with diffusers, which can help you out a lot when shooting outdoors in harsh sunlight.

Storage is something that you definitely cannot forget about. It is always a good idea to have a few extra memory cards with you. This way, you can have a backup in case your current memory card fills up, or if you forget one at home. Also, if you take lots of photos or videos, you can fill your computer’s storage in the blink of an eye. To fix that, invest a bit in getting some high-capacity external storage or cloud storage. They’re good as a backup drive as well, to make sure you never lose an image.

Next, Kobeissin covers an important set of tools that can help you take care of your gear. These include some high-quality camera backpacks, lens cleaners, memory card cases and storage containers for your external storage. This is something that a lot of beginners tend to overlook. Remember, taking good care of your gear is equally important.

Is there anything you feel Kobeissin missed on her list? Feel free to let us know in the comments.

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