Starting Photographer. Need advice PLEASE!

[kristakayklein]

Hello! I am new to all of this... so please bear with me. I am a city girl stuck in a small town and have a very artistic eye. I am ready to put it to good use and start what will hopefully be, a photography business. BUT... I do not know what camera and lens to start out with... I want something that will give me GREAT shots (obviously). What's your advice? Thanks!

Krista

[Saralonde]

Hi Krista, welcome to dPS!

I think you may be putting the cart before the horse. Don't even worry about starting a photography business for quite awhile.

As for a camera that will give you great shots, just about any camera will work if the photographer knows what he/she is doing. The camera itself will not give you a great shot. But I'm sure you already know that. But that wording will bring down a lot of miffed posts on you.

Let's start with budget. What do you have to spend?

[kristakayklein]

I want spend between $700 to $900 to start. Good advice... I am not reaaallllly starting until I know I am good enough to charge. I am planning on taking some classes too. BUT... I really need to know what KIND of camera to get and what lens will best suit me. I will be taking mainly portrait type shots...

[Saralonde]

Assuming you want a dslr, you have quite a few choices. The basic lens that comes with most of these cameras are good inexpensive ways to start, although you may want a better - and often more expensive - lens in the future.

Canon:
Canon EOS Rebel T2i Digital SLR Kit w/ EF-S/18-55 IS $899 US
Canon EOS Rebel XSi / 450D $630 US
Or consider used cameras from a reliable source:
EOS 50D SLR Digital Camera (Camera Body)

Nikon:
D3100 Digital SLR Camera with 18-55mm VR Lens $650 US
D5000 Digital SLR Camera Kit with 18-55mm VR Lens $750 US
Nikon D90 12.3MP Digital SLR Camera $789 US

And there are a lot of other brands as well: Olympus, Pentax, etc.

Also check out this blog post.