Camera gear – Whew.

This topic is always daunting because of the price. I know I didn’t have thousands of dollars to drop on new equipment when I first started out, and I still don’t! So how do you spend the money that you do have wisely?

1) Don’t be afraid to buy used:
Over three years, I have accumulated everything I need to shoot a wedding to the best of my ability. I did so by buying a lot of things used, or on eBay. Yes, eBay. It made me nervous too. I checked out the user reviews, asked a lot of questions, and took the plunge. In doing that, I saved myself thousands of dollars.

2) Invest in yourself
Normally, I am not someone who is okay with spending money I don’t have. When it came to photography gear, I understood that I had to look at that as an investment in my business and myself. I financed things through PayPal Credit when they offered ‘6 months, no interest’ deal. If I had a dream of becoming a restaurant owner, I would have to invest hundreds of thousands of dollars to “start up”. Comparatively, photography has an incredibly low start up cost, so I was okay with doing what I felt was going to give me the best images possible.

3) You don’t have to buy top-of-the-line right away.
Case and point: My 85mm 1.8. I love this little guy. I’m not kidding. When I’m shooting portraits, I’d reach for that lens before my Canon 50mm 1.2, or any other of my ‘L Series’ lenses. The colors, the bokeh; everything about it is to die for. It was a whole $400. To upgrade to the L Series Canon 85mm 1.2 would have cost me $2,200. That is crazy. The lens is gorgeous and at a fraction of the cost. Do a lot of research and buy what makes the most sense for your needs and your budget!

Have something to add? I’d love to hear it! Comment below!

(Excuse the cell phone picture)