Starting out on a shoestring

[photojones]

After years of professional web development, I've decided to make a bold move and transition into professional photography (of course it's not that simple). The transition will be slow and careful. However, I do have a few questions.

Also for the sake of brevity, I'd like to do portrait photography for local bands in various cities and towns and maybe even do small weddings and local events.

What's a good camera+lens for someone who is on a budget ($600 at the most) and given the kind of photography I'd like to accomplish? Or better yet, what is the recommended budget for a good DSLR that isn't too expensive and is a good starting point for a beginning professional?

Also, what are some good photography niches other than the ones I mentioned?

Thanks in advance.

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[DogHeadGod]

Hi, and welcome to the forum!

For your budget i think you will be looking at an entry level dSLR, something like a Nikon D40 with a kit lens (i.e. the one that comes with the camera).

As for a niche, Rohn Engh suggests the following for stock photographers, which I think can be applied.... Write down everything you are interested in, where you live, what you do for a living, what friends, family and aquaintences do for a living, all the hobbies you and they have, everything you like to photograph, magazines you read, all the places within half a day's drive. Then take your list and get rid of lanscapes, monuments, insects, wild flowers, birds, monuments, landmarks and historic sites. You can probably make a niche out of one of the things left on your list.

[photojones]

Originally Posted by DogHeadGod

Hi, and welcome to the forum!

For your budget i think you will be looking at an entry level dSLR, something like a Nikon D40 with a kit lens (i.e. the one that comes with the camera).

As for a niche, Rohn Engh suggests the following for stock photographers, which I think can be applied.... Write down everything you are interested in, where you live, what you do for a living, what friends, family and aquaintences do for a living, all the hobbies you and they have, everything you like to photograph, magazines you read, all the places within half a day's drive. Then take your list and get rid of lanscapes, monuments, insects, wild flowers, birds, monuments, landmarks and historic sites. You can probably make a niche out of one of the things left on your list.

What a great way to go about it! I will try this and see where it gets me.

[navcom]

Originally Posted by DogHeadGod

Then take your list and get rid of lanscapes, monuments, insects, wild flowers, birds, monuments, landmarks and historic sites. You can probably make a niche out of one of the things left on your list.

Hmmm. I've made a pretty good landscape niche in my area and on the internet. I do understand the reasoning behind it. Don't take me wrong but I have to disagree just a bit.

A niche is something you make yourself based on an untapped market or a market shift you perceive hasn't been capitalized on. To limit your options only limits your
success. It will also handicap you into thinking only like another wants you to think.

Quite honestly, in many areas the wedding and band photography route is way overpopulated just as much as landscape or "tourist" photography is in other areas. It just depends on where you are and your marketing strategy.

Do your own market research and determine for yourself what the niches are. Don't limit yourself to one opinion. Find out for yourself.

The same goes for camera brands. If you talk to many "experts", they will tell you to buy a Canon or Nikon. Trouble is, there are many different high-quality camera brands that pro's use. Quite honestly, there isn't much difference between DSLR cameras these days except for feature content. They are all good quality.

I use mostly Pentax cameras. My K20D can go up against anything in the same class that Nikon or Canon produce for a bit less money. And I can use every lens Pentax has ever produced and my camera is waterproof and built like a tank. They have consistantly outlasted my "Canikon" bodies to the point that I'm solely Pentax now and have sold my other glass.

My buddy is a Canonite. He has always criticized me by saying that if I want to be a pro, I need a Canon or a Nikon. I sell prints....he doesn't. The fact is, I create the photographs, not my camera. So I've learned to lean on my own experience, not the photography magazines or advertisements or the self-proclaimed experts.

Become the expert. Learn your marketplace. If you want to do band photography, find out what your competition will be and plan accordingly. Find a niche within that genre that makes you stand out. As for equipment, compare them all. Make a list of needs and then find a camera that fits your needs without all the extras. This will give you the best bang for the buck. Don't limit yourself to just one or two because "that is what everyone says you need". You determine what you need. Research.

Sorry for the rant!

[Austin_HXC]

Well for portrait photography (and I admit I am a little biased on Canon ) you could get a Canon Rebel XTi/XSi used for ~$400-500 and 50mm f/1.8. I've used that setup myself, until I dropped the lens and it broke in half , but I'm currently using a Rebel XTi and a 85mm 1.8 which is more expensive, but I still miss the 50mm and currently looking for one on local craigslist (great place btw). Funny how I miss a <$100 lens while using a $400 lens.