What Gear Does a Professional Photographer Really Need?

When you are a hobbyist, you can drop whatever money you can reasonably afford on gear if it makes you happy. However, when you are a professional, gear is a business expense, and as such, you have to pay more careful attention to its impact on your bottom line and if you truly need it. This great video tutorial features an experienced photographer discussing just what gear a professional really needs.

Coming to you from Scott Choucino of Tin House Studio, this awesome video discusses the gear a photographer actually needs. I have always appreciated Choucino's approach, as he generally ignores gear trends and perseveres only with what he needs, a sort of "if it ain't broke, don't fix it" philosophy. Sure, new gear can do a lot of things older cameras and lenses can't, but it is important to remember the difference between capability and convenience. A lot of the time, that new gear is just making your life more convenient rather than doing something that isn't possible otherwise, though there is something to be said for convenience. Or, even worse, it is simply offering you features that are nothing more than shiny distractions. Check out the video above for the full rundown from Choucino.

Alex Cooke's picture

Alex Cooke is a Cleveland-based portrait, events, and landscape photographer. He holds an M.S. in Applied Mathematics and a doctorate in Music Composition. He is also an avid equestrian.

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