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#5815
IHF
Participant

Honestly, right now at your skill level, all you need is your camera.  Learn your camera first, and know it like the back of your hand.  Learn the exposure triangle. Learn good composition rules and when it works to break them.  Read your camera’s manual.  Learn how to meter, control your settings, how to WB in camera, how to select your focus, how to lock your focus so you can recompose if necessary, when and how to compensate your exposure, how to read histograms, all of your manual modes and what they can do for you, learn how shutter speed, aperture, and ISO, effect your images, Learn DOF and how focal distance, and aperture effect DOF.  Lot’s of resources online for this, but your manual is the very best place to start, keep it close. You can learn photography without going into debt, you already have too much you’ve taken all on to learn at once.  But you cant be in business and take it all on at once without losing the game, and over spending and burning out.  Always learn and master what you already have, before buying anything more to conquer.  If you follow that rule, you’ll be just fine.

Learn what makes a good photo good and a bad photo bad.  Learn to criticize your work.  Shoot shoot shoot and shoot some more.

Then take on lighting and light modification.  It’s actually easier to learn studio lighting first and then take on natural/available lighting, but lot’s chose to go the other way around due to finances. and are successful at doing so.  Until then, the magic hour will be your best friend.  Use it, learn it, shoot it, and use it some more.  It’s a gift for all of us to utilize.  Even all of us without modifiers and flash kits 😉

Take down the price lists, and marketing, and get “business” out of the equation for now, and discover your REAL potential.  Let yourself enjoy being a student of the very best craft ever to exist.  You don’t need clients to learn this stuff.  You already have what you need.