I thought about this for awhile. I think I briefly mentioned it previously... equipment.
You will definately start out with that new digital SLR with the lens straight out of the box. You may already have that, and will have accumalated an extra lens or two, with flash and a few extras. But there is always that never ending quest of "I need this" or "I definately need that" all in an attempt to make you a better photographer.
The one thing to remember before you start spending all of your hard earned money is that the equipment isn't going to make you a better photographer. If you aren't taking a great picture before you get the equipment, the equipment isn't going to change that. So before you start buying, work on your composition, lighting and anything else that is going to make you a better photographer. There is an expression that goes along with Photoshop, but can be applied towards any aspect of photography: "Photoshop can help make a good picture look great, but can't take a bad picture and make it look good." . You get the point.
So, back to equipment. This came to mind as I was reading an article today. This photographer has been in the business for over 20 years, and is quite successful. At the end of the article, as with all of this particular segment in this magazine, they list the equipment the photographers use. Here's the list of his equipment:
2 Canon EOS-1DS Mark III
1 5D Mark II
1 5D infrared conversion
lenses
15mm f2,8 fisheye
14mm f2.8 II
16-35mm f2.8 II
17mm f4.oL TS-E
24mm f1.4L
24-70 f2.8L
35mm f1.4L
45mm f2.8 TS-E
50mm f1.2L
70-200 f2.8 II
85mm f1.2L II
90mm f2.8 TS-E
100mm f2.8 macro
135mm f2.0L
200mm f2.oL II
Lighting
(I'm not even going to list it.... There's a lot)
Ok, so there would be a lot of people who might read the article, see the examples and think they would need to have the lenses that this particular photographer uses in order to get the same shots. If you have never priced photography equipment at this point in your career, I can tell you without over stating, that with the camera's and lenses that are listed here, you could buy one really really really nice car, or several really really nice cars. You get the point. His cameras would purchase a brand new car. I'm not saying this is a bad thing, or that he is excessive in what he has. This photographer has been in the business for over 20 years, and through out that time he knows exactly what lens he needs for what. He is shooting studio and environmental sessions. This doesn't mean that you need to run out and own everyone of these lenses or that many camera bodies though.
So, what do you need? It depends on what you are going to be photographing, and what you anticipate photographing in the future. Ask yourself just a couple of the following questions:
1) What am I currently photographing
2) What are my long term goals as a photographer
3) What am I willing to spend WITHOUT going into debt, and am I willing to save in order to get what I really need.
4) Do I have the discipline to have the staying power in this business to make this purchase worth it.
5) Is my spouse, significant other (if this applies) going to be supportive? This is vital. If you are going to be spending $1000.00 on a lens, you need their full understanding and support in your endeavor.
So those are just a few questions you might want to ask yourself.
As far as do you need more than one camera body: Well, what are you photographing? Is your specialty going to be weddings? If so, you can bet the bank you need a second camera body. As sure as you don't have that second camera body, you'll be at that wedding, and some kid is going to come running by and knock your tripod down, run into you and the side of you that your camera is hanging on will go smashing into a wall as you fall. Or there will be some significant malfunction. Shoot enough weddings and it's going to happen. If you have that second camera body, Murphey's Law will pretty much make sure you never have a problem with your first camera. Oh, you do need to take that second camera with you. It doesn't do you any good at home. No bride anywhere is going to be ok when you say "I'm so sorry I didn't capture all of your wedding, my camera stopped working". Or "It's not my fault, your little cousin broke my camera so I couldn't...." They really don't care. As a matter of fact, they are going to want their money back, and more than likely you've spent it. Are you ready to go to court? It happens all over the U.S. I'm not trying to scare you, I'm just telling you the simple truth. You don't get a second chance with weddings.
Do you need a second camera for just senior portraits? Well, you can always reschedule a senior portrait if your camera goes down, but if you are getting busier as word gets out, it could get harder to reschedule. The other thing is if you have to send it back to Canon or Nikon or who ever, they are going to get it, look at it, contact you to let you know the issue, then you get back to them, and it could still take another 2-3 weeks after that. So at the outside you could be looking at a month without your camera.
Are you shooting landscape? Well maybe that second camera body isn't as important. You might miss some nice shots if you are out, but it's not as life and death. You'll be disappointed, but you'll not be as devastated.
So think about what you are shooting now, what you'll be doing in the future, etc... You can go to some of the well respected camera companies on-line and buy used bodies only for a reasonable prices. They don't have to be the top of the line bodies if your are using them solely as a back up. But again, save up for the best that you can buy. No need to buy the bottom dollar item when in the long run you are going to be saying "I wish I would have....."
Lenses. Research research research.... Save save save save.... And most importantly, don't go into debt!!!!! (that's experience talking). When you look at that list I wrote above, you are going to see f2.8 and f4 and so on. If you aren't aware of what those numbers are, you aren't ready to buy a lens. I'm not going to go into it here. As a matter of fact, just a personal opinion, if you aren't aware of what those numbers mean, you have no business even going into the business of photography. You are nothing more than a person with a camera. Sorry, that's my high horse. If you don't understand the basics of photography, which those are, leave the business.
So, research the lenses and what they are going to do for you. Don't go off of someone elses word unless they may be in the same industry, shoot the exact same subject, and you know that it's going to be a lens that is going to last you for the rest of your career.
BUT, here's an example of where your own research will come into play. I'm going to use the Canon70-200 as an example. The 70-200 comes in a couple of formates. One is the f2.8 and the other is the f4. There is also one that has Image Stabilization the other doesn't. There is a huge price difference between the 2.8 and the 4. The IS can also play a difference in price. Now, you'll hear people tell you, and it's pretty much true that this lens is the best zoom portrait lens on the market. The 2.8 is. Now, you'll also hear people say there isn't enough difference between the 2.8 and the 4 to warrant the cost difference. WRONG!!!! There is a huge difference! So, my point here is just because you don't want to pay the extra for a much better lens that you have never tried, don't take the word of someone that probably didn't want to pay the cost either. If you don't understand the difference between an f2.8 and an f4. and what they are going to give you with your depth of field, and then you continue on your career and you start to understand, you've just bought a $1000+ lens, and you could have spend a couple hundred dollard more for the better lens to begin with. Again, the point of this is talk to people, get opinions, but you need to be informed to make your own opinion. And then save, save and save some more. Don't just buy a lens to say you bought a new lens. Your customers don't care, and don't know the difference. If you tell them you have a new $400 lens, that will sound great, but if I come a long and tell them my lens is a $1700 lens, that is going to make you sound like you aren't as good as me. So, your customers don't care, so don't use that as something to make you sound good. They don't care, don't know about it, but in the long run, you are going to know the difference. When you start looking at other photographers work, which you should be doing anyway, and can't figure out why you can't get "that look", it's more than likely because you chose to go with that 4.0 instead of the 2.8.
So that's my rant for the day. Don't get caught up in the I need more equipment thing. If you don't need it, you'll just be carrying around a lot of equipment that you may never need. Find the lens or lenses that are going to fit your needs. A lot of people get by perfectly well with just two lenses. Sometimes one, but you need to know exactly what you are going to be doing with it.