So if you are just starting off your photography business you are probably looking at all of the expensive equipment out there and thinking how do I even afford to be a photographer? Next if you have to look at where you are now and where you want to be in the future. You can start with a crop sensor camera which will be cheap but it will be a way to make you money as you start you business. The only down side to it is that eventually you as a photographer will grown out of it. My photographs were good with a crop sensor but when I made an investment into a full frame camera my photographs improved ten-fold. So while you can start off with a cheap crop sensor camera (like the canon rebel line) you may also want to look into a bottom level full frame like the Canon 6d.
As far as lens go you need to determine what type of lens you prefer first before you start to invest in them. You need to see if you are a photographer that prefers prime lens (single focal length lens with lower apertures) or if you are more comfortable with zoom lens and being able to zoom in an out while photographing. Once you know this then you can best move onto investing in lens. When I started out my go to lens was the 50mm 1.8 for almost everything. I then stated to invest in other prime lens after that as that is what I prefer.
As far as lightning goes a good flash is a must! To be able to photograph anything (not newborns) you need to have a flash as part of your equipment. When investing in a flash, invest in one that can serve you long term. I use the canon 600 flash which communicates with others of the same flash. Buying one flash is great to have at first and then you can add on to your lighting equipment in the future.
Having these things will start you on your path in photography.
Next week we will drive into the best starting videography equipment.