Hi guys. My wife is looking to start into photography now to learn and eventually do it as a side gig. I would love to see her get into it but I know nothing about it. Could someone kind of give me a general start here kinda summary as far as resources to learn and equipment to buy? As far as cost, I don't mind paying reasonable prices for good quality equipment that she won't quickly outgrow. Thanks in advance. And no, no pics.

Rules are rules.....

What sort of photography does she want to do as a side gig?


Stock images? Travel? Portraits? Wedding? Freelance reporting? It is hard to suggest tools until we know what the job is.





What is her current level of experience? Does she currently have any equipment or brand she likes/uses?





Generally, I am a huge fan of the Fuji x-series. Honestly, personal preference will guide her choices as much as brand labels. The indian is more important than the arrow.






 

See, that's stuff I never thought of. She wants to do weddings, baby pics family pics etc. She does not really have much experience at all and has no real experience with any of the equipment. Just starting out.

This ain't GD. GTFO.


On to the matter at hand:

Does she have any friends that are into cameras? She can experiment with theirs. Hands on testing is the only real way to answer the Nikon/Canon debate. A local camera shop or even best buy can help with this, also.

They both make excellent cameras with excellent lenses. The menus and button placement and general ergonomics are vastly different between the two. My hands and brain work better on Nikon stuff.

Let's go ahead and get this out of the way. Buying a DSLR is not going to instantly make her an awesome photographer. She's going to want lots of practice and lots of learning before trying to tackle a wedding or anything for hire.

That said, even a basic DSLR is capable of far better images than a common point and shoot - IF - the person using it has put the time in to learn how.

I've been using DSLR cameras for nearly 10 years and I still learn new shit every day. If that ever stops, I'm going to find a new hobby. I like to be challenged by stuff, have reasons to improve, stuff to learn. Once the challenge goes away it's no longer fun.

For someone just starting out, I think this is quite a stellar deal.

http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/search?N=11119766&InitialSearch=yes&sts=pi

Look for a local photography club to join. It's a good way to check out equipment, take pictures, and find out if it is really for her before dropping a huge amount of coin on it.

Wedding photography isn't something you can really jump into with zero knowledge. Unless, you are really lucky and have an established mentor to follow. (Good) Wedding photography is fast paced, requires a firm understanding of the basics, and requires knowledge that spans many genres such as portraiture, landscapes, product photography, and still lifes.

Thanks for all of your replies so far guys, I appreciate it.

This set of books would be a big head-start for her. Each page covers a different shot or tip, in a simple, easy-to-understand format that doesn't get bogged down in minutia.  "I want to replicate this shot."  "OK, do this, this, and this."



Read through the reviews and click on the "Look Inside" tab at the link: Scott Kelby's Digital Photography Boxed Set, Parts 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5.





 

Before you start wedding photography you better study up on contract law.

Hear, hear! That is my feeling too. I have been taking photos for >40 years. Just taking a photo with a digital camera is pretty easy, but taking a picture that knocks your socks off is a bit tougher.

Personally, if I knew zero about photography, I would start out with a low-end camera such as a Nikon or Canon DSLR, or any other low-end camera, or even a  P&S camera. I know a buddy who takes great architectural photos of buildings with just a P&S camera. I study his photos to get ideas. Because the bodies are not that important, it will be the lenses and accessories that you accumulate over time and learn how to use.

There is a local used Nikon D3200 1855 VR kit in great shape for sale with a 16gb card and case etc for $385 OBO.

Thoughts?

Too high. Here's the same body and lens, with a bonus 55-200 VR and a backpack for $395. Good value and a decent starter kit.

d3200 bundle on amazon

Okay. My wife just got an email back from the instructor of the class she's about to take. The instructor is suggesting the Rebel T5 or T5i. Does that sound right?

Yes. The Rebel line is a good full-featured, entry level dSLR.  mastering the camera will take significant effort and study on your wife's part. What she learns about taking pictures (light, staging, framing, etc.) will always be more important than the equipment.



plus, don't get bogged down in the Nikon v Canon religious wars.

It sounds right for someone recommending a Canon.
I tend to recommend Nikons for the ergonomics of the camera bodies, but Nikon vs Canon is your basic Ford vs Chevy argument. Both are good and both will result in happy users. The important thing to remember here is that you are buying into a lens system. Once you pick a side, swapping to the other gets expensive; but there is virtually no reason to switch.

Before purchasing a DSLR, take your wife to a camera shop and play with the various models. Check their size, weight, shape, button placement, etc. Buy the one that feels best in HER hands.

This is what I have simply because my photographer friend was showing me the ropes and that's what she learned on.  It's been about 2.5 years and I'm close (I think, anyway ) to outgrowing it and would love to move up to the 5D Mark III soon.  

It will definitely be enough for her to learn on and get proficient and decide if she wants to pursue it further.

Well we went and looked at both. She seemed to like the T5i a little more but not by a definitive margin. Now when she picks a body, what are the first few lenses y'all would recommend?

Canon Lens Recommendations

Use the kit lens first. Get good with it. Then spend money.

Agree.   Kit came with 18-135mm and he got me the 50mm 1.4 as well.  That covered *normal view* shots and landscape type things while I learned my way around the camera.  There's a 50mm 1.8 that's very affordable and might be worth adding to the kit lens.

I think the notion of photography as a side gig is an interesting place to start if she doesn't have much a) photo or b) business experience.

I am going to offer some words of caution on both sides, but first, give a little bit of my background. I started taking photo classes in elementary/middle school. Continued in high school, and was the photo editor for the yearbook. I didn't do much with it in college, but my first job out of college needed a photographer for a new web site. When I quit that job full time to go back to school, I picked up a bunch of free-lance work. I also did some free-lance/event photography along the way. I learned a few lessons the hard way:

1. Doing something you really like for other people sometimes ruins the hobby for you. I had been doing photography for my own purposes for a long time before anybody ever paid me for it. This was a tough adjustment. Suddenly, the clients expectations trump your artistic vision.
2. It is very difficult to get paid sometimes. I spent more of my time fighting to get paid on $100-$200 gigs than they were worth. And it nearly cost me several friends who had set me up with gigs with their friends.
3. The first step of running a business is being good at what the business does. She needs to invest a bunch of time learning photography from the ground up. Many people have flooded into photography with the advent of digital cameras. It certainly has made some things easier - and some computer savvy goes a long way in post-processing and fixing images.
4. Gear matters. You can get good pictures out of inexpensive gear if you know what you are doing. But if you show up with gear that anybody can buy at Costco for $500, people expect the photographer to be a big value add.
5. Personality matters when shooting people (especially weddings and kids). The best wedding photographers I have seen blend into the wedding. The worst want to make it all about them to get the pictures they want/need in a very controlled way. I was a guest at a wedding once and nearly punched the photographer the tenth time he saw me lining up a shot and stepped in front of me (at the reception, not the ceremony). Successful wedding shoots require lots of planning and identifying what the couple wants, needs, and expects - not just in the pictures, but in YOU.
6. It is WORK. Taking photos of a single event isn't that hard. But the work doesn't end after the event, THEN you have to deliver. You also have to continually market if you want to grow, and that marketing takes time and money. The best gig I ever had I was paid a pretty handsome hourly rate to shoot a bunch of film they provided, and then hand over the film on my way out. I didn't have to deal with processing, QC, NOTHING. I hope those pictures came out...

I don't want to talk her out of a goal, but I think getting into professional photography is an "eyes wide open" opportunity. If you know what you are doing, and commit, you can make a bunch of walking around money. But I have known more than a few people who got into it and then quit when it turned into something resembling work.

-shooter

Personally, if "I" was going to doing pro wedding photog, I would go with Nikon, they have the best interface between camera and and flash.

Again, thank you to all of you for taking the time to advise her on this. We really appreciate it. As I said, she doesn't at all mind taking it slow and learning the correct way by doing classes, online research etc. What we really want to find her is someone she can assist and learn from. Icing always been a huge believer in apprenticeship and having a mentorno matter what it is. She is in no rush and ultimately it is about just doing something she enjoys, whether that means making money at it or not.

If you're comparing body to camera comms over the native wireless line-of-sight protocols, then yes, I'd argue Nikon is better than Canon.

But I'd still rely on PocketWizards for remote triggering. If you're just hotshoeing the flash, then it's all moot.

The Rebel line up is not bad and it will be a good learning platform. Regardless of which camera you get for her composition and techniques will be roughly the same.


Depending on what her end game goals are she might out grow those but it should be awhile


I know B&H has some decent deals on camera packages as well as Amazon.  


I would go B&H if you are wanting to get something used.  I have bought a majority of my used gear from B&H and thought it was well worth it.


I am a Nikon guy

Okay thanks guys. I think we will be deciding here soon.