Technically, you can take some pretty impressive photos using only your smartphone camera. For most novice photographers, this is a great place to start. You don’t need to invest in any expensive specialist equipment, but you can still learn some great photography skills and principles.
However, while a smartphone camera can be put to great use, it’s not the same as a dedicated camera. If you want to further explore photography or even make a living as a photographer, you will need to look into different kinds of equipment to enhance your photographs.
Table of Contents
The Base Camera
The first piece of equipment is the most obvious one. You need a camera. If this is your first camera, then you’re better off investing in a budget or mid-range option. Taking photographs with a camera isn’t the same as using your smartphone, so it’s best to get used to it.
If you’re taking photos as a hobbyist, a cheaper camera is a good place to start. From there, you can invest in a higher-quality camera with a few more features to explore your skills.
However, if you work as a photographer or videographer, you will need at least a mid-range camera to compete with other professionals in your field.
Speaking of videography, not all cameras are created equal. Some cameras are much better at capturing video than others, while others shine when taking certain photos. The important thing is to do your research and factor in your budget and your needs. This is the only way to ensure you get the best camera for the job.
Camera Lenses
When you purchase a camera, the chances are that it will come with at least one lens. Without a lens, you can’t take photos or capture footage, it’s as simple as that.
The lens is one of the most important and potentially pricey components of your camera. It adds a huge amount of functionality and switching lenses can completely change the shot.
As with anything else, research lens options and work out what kind of lens you need. Most lenses are compatible with multiple cameras, but always make sure it will fit your camera before you buy.
You should also look after your lenses to ensure that they last as long as possible. If you regularly clean your lenses and keep them safe, a lens should last a lifetime.
Camera Tripod
Holding your camera steady and taking a stable, focused shot is a skill in and of itself. Most photographers are able to manage this quite well, but there are times when a tripod is invaluable.
For example, if you’re taking multiple shots and want them to be consistent (such as a wedding photographer taking pictures of the bridal party), a tripod will ensure that every shot is in the same position.
Another situation is if you’re trying to take pictures over a long period of time. With a tripod and an automated camera setup, you can leave your camera to take multiple pictures for a timelapse or even to get the perfect shot. This is perfect if you’re trying to photograph a sunset or the stars on a clear night sky.
Tripods are inexpensive, adaptable, and incredibly versatile. They can help you to set up a professional shot with minimal effort.
Drones
Okay, yes. Technically, a drone isn’t a camera accessory or attachment. A drone typically has its own camera, but it couldn’t go without mentioning it in a post about leveling up your photography.
Simply put, a drone can help you to get shots that would be impossible with an ordinary camera.
Whether you want to take pictures or capture video, a drone can reach incredible heights and get some amazing footage of landscapes or crowds. It’s the best way to capture the scale of an area and create some dynamic shots.
Drones are beloved by hobby enthusiasts and professionals alike. You can find them in a wide variety of industries, ranging from photography and videography to construction and surveying work.
You do typically need to know what you’re doing with a drone, especially if you’re using a larger model. Some countries require registration to prove that you know how to safely use your drone.
Before you buy, you should do your research. Yes, it’s a bit of a theme for this post, but photography equipment is pricey and it’s always worthwhile to make sure that you know exactly what you’re investing your money in.
You can find a lot of options offered by DrDrone, including some small lightweight drones that are great for hobbyists and professionals alike. A smaller drone is great for on-the-move activities, so you can take your drone into the wilderness and capture some good landscape shots.
Editing Software
Up until now, we’ve looked at tools that can help you to take good photos. But what about when you get home? Well, that’s where editing software comes into the picture.
Photograph editing and video editing are two completely different beasts, so you should explore different tools depending on where your focus lies. Here’s a very quick and dirty overview of what they involve.
Photography editing involves screening all the photos that you’ve taken and picking out the best shots. From there, you can go into each shot and tweak them. Many people prefer a natural editing approach, where you essentially make small changes to enhance the photo, without changing it too obviously. But you might also like the idea of heavy, artistic editing. This gives you more room to be creative while making it very obvious that you’ve played around with the image.
Video editing involves some tweaks and TLC as well, but it largely comes down to screening and fitting footage together to make a coherent video. From there, you can add effects, make sure that the sound levels make sense, and otherwise polish the video from random footage into a professional video.
Conclusion
Yes, you guessed it, you need to do your research before settling on an editing tool. You should also practice and play around with it so you can become familiar with its features.
But once you get the hang of it, you can take some amazing shots.
