So you’ve decided to start a photography business, but you’re not *totally* sure where to start. Don’t worry - I GOT YOU. I wish that someone had given me a push in the right direction when I first started out, so I made a short + sweet list of the 5 things every new photographer needs. P.S. this post does contain some affiliate links, which means that I may receive a small fee from any purchases made through these links.

the 5 things every new photographer needs:

A website
Professional Email Address
Lightroom Classic
A contract!
A business license

Let’s address the obvious thing first, even though it’s kind of a given - you’ll need A CAMERA! There are SO many options when it comes to choosing a camera. There are different brands, different types, different mediums even! But here’s what you need to know:

While having properly operating equipment is ESSENTIAL and having a backup for that is non-negotiable, it also doesn’t HAVE to be the most expensive, newest piece of equipment out there. A used camera can still take incredible photos! Buying used is a great way to get started.
Before purchasing a camera, you can rent! Try finding a local shop, like Samy’s, which will let you rent just about any camera body and lens combo available on the market. This can be especially helpful with deciding on lenses - in some cases, it just makes more sense to rent a lens for a few test shoots before making the final purchase!
I’ve owned cameras from Olympus, Polaroid, Pentax, Mamiya, Canon, Nikon, and Sony. Currently I shoot about 98% of my work on my Sony A7riV but for years after going pro, I shot on a Nikon d810.
Your lens matters too. If you’re shooting on a really great camera body but have a super shitty lens, it’ll show! Invest in one or two high quality lenses rather than a slew of lower quality lenses. You truly don’t need 10 different lenses if you know how to use a few correctly! My go-to lenses are the 35mm 1.4 and 85mm 1.8 but I also love a good 50mm 1.4!

So onto the not-so “given” things you’ll need (the 5 things every new photographer really needs!)

A website:
1. No matter where you are on your photography journey, a website matters! If you’re not ready to dish out major $$$ to a brand + website designer, start with a platform like squarespace. It does take getting used to, but they have pre-made templates that will make your site feel cohesive. Out of all the DIY website options, Squarespace is my favorite - I’ve been on it for several years now! If you don’t like any templates there, check out a site like Big Cat Creative or Creative Market for Squarespace templates. They make templates that you can customize and install - different enough so that you can stick out, but easy enough to install that you can DIY it!
A professional email address:
1. Would you trust your doctor if they sent you an email that was from an address that sounded like they made it on a dial-up computer in 1996? Probably not! If you’re asking someone to spend hundreds or thousands of dollars on your service, you should invest in certain elements that make your biz legit. (that doesn’t mean you have to talk like a robot, it’s just an element of doing good business!) grab a G Suite Email address for $60/year, or at the very least, make something like “morganpirklephotography@gmail.com” (please don’t use that one… that’s my name, so it’d be creepy.)
Adobe Lightroom CLASSIC:
1. Lightroom Classic is a photographer’s BEST FRIEND. Sure, photoshop has super fancy cool things, but for efficiency and consistency, I can’t recommend Lightroom enough. With Lightroom, you’ll install presets - these are like super cranked up versions of “filters” on Instagram. For more technical editing, I’ll adjust a photo first in Lightroom, then pull it into photoshop to something more extensive, like change a background or remove something from an image. Please note: Lightroom Classic is NOT the same thing as Lightroom! Lightroom Classic is what you want.
A contract!
- Don’t mess around by not getting a good set of contracts! This is KEY! If you’re just starting out and doing portfolio-building work, you’ll still need a Model Release contract. This type of contract gives you explicit permission to use the photos you take in your portfolio, on social media, on your website, etc. It also explains how the model is allowed to use them, the rules they must follow if they share the photos, etc.
- Once you’re booking paid work, you’ll need a more robust contract that goes through things like your fees, your retainer (the amount of money someone pays you to officially “book” their session), your cancellation/refund policy, etc. Don’t be scared of contracts! So many people are, but in truth they are there to protect you AND your clients. It’s a way of making sure you’re both on the same page - literally!
A business license. Get LEGIT.
- You’ll need to look into your state/city/county guidelines for this as it varies! For some places, if you’re operating under your own name “Your Name Photography” you may not need a license, but you’ll still need to file as a business. There are different types of businesses - Sole Prop, LLC, and S Corp. Each has its own pros and cons - you can read more about them here! It’s important to follow the guidelines so you know how to claim taxes each year.

I hope this helps! I wish I’d had a short little list like this to get started! Stay tuned for Part II: My Favorite Productivity Hacks as a Professional Photographer!

Want to hear more like this? Check out these blog posts! Have a question I didn’t answer here? Send me an email at hello@keptrecord.com