Where to start! Well, first and foremost is the camera. There are a number of kinds: 35mm cameras, digital cameras, webcams, large-format cameras, and disposables are only a handful of them. Additionally, there are a number of lenses that can go with these: standard lenses, wide angle lenses, telephoto lenses, ultra wide angle lenses and ultra telephoto lenses are the main ones.

Try to mix and match your lenses with your camera (keep in mind that lenses might not fit the camera bodies of different manufacturers). Each lens will give you a different perspective on your subject(s) and also give you some interesting aesthetic effects as a result.

But cameras and lenses are not the only things you might need in your “tool bag”. There are a plethora of accessories available to you for your digital and film cameras: tripods and monopods; lens hoods, filters, flash units, umbrellas, snoots, lens converters, cable releases – not to mention specialist films, card readers, disks and lab accessories, including software for digital imaging. In short, there are so many things you can use in photography that you are certain to go into massive debt if you want it all.

For now, all you need is a camera and a lens. As you work towards a specific discipline or interest, you will find out what equipment is necessary for the kind of work you are doing.