Guide to Photographic Gear/Table of Contents/Introduction

Introduction

Many of us have practiced photography before. Whether it was a phone, a point-and-shoot camera, or a professional DSLR, many of us have taken photos before. And while the act of taking photos certainly is part of photography, we may be fooling ourselves if we think we have mastered photography.

Photography is not just taking photos. It is the art of composing photos. Composing photos means selecting the right location, angle of view, and gear. In this book, we will take a close look at the gear choosing aspect of photography.

Don't get me wrong - you can take great photos with just 1 or 2 pieces of gear, but the fact remains that if you want to expand, you just have to get more gear. However, don't let this fact distract you from the fun of photography (see Gear Acquisition Syndrome).

In this book we will cover cameras and lenses, as well as any miscellaneous gear you may need (tripods, drones, etc.). We will cover everything from DSLRs to SLRs, mirrorless to point-and-shoot. We try to include as many brands as possible, but we are not biased in any way toward any brand (see A Note on Brands). In this book, we try to understand each piece of gear as well as someone who have used it for years. And we will pass on that knowledge to you in this book to help you choose the perfect piece of gear for every occasion. So dive in to this book! We have lots to cover.