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Not a professional either but I would say your list is pretty good. I like to keep it basic without to many frills. Maybe add a tripod depending on if you also want to be in the picture and a wireless timer. And ya def an external flash too. It has been a lifesaver.for.pictures inside!

This is the one I have and it's super easy to use...

http://www.amazon.com/Neewer-TT520-Speedlite-Digital-Cameras/dp/B004KV4DNK/ref=sr_1_3?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1378145042&sr=1-3&keywords=tt560+speedlite

ETA - it also doesn't eat batteries too quickly. A friend of mine bought a SUPER cheap flash and she has to replace the batteries ALL the time.

@Mrs. Pen: My friend is a professional photographer and she uses the same one, lol. But, she primarily shoots outdoors so hers isn't used that much.

But yeah, that sucker is always attached to my camera! I love it, wouldn't be able to take pictures in my house or in the Family Resource Center (where we take toddler classes) without it!

@Mrs. Pen: I would say a tripod and wireless remote. It's so nice to be able to get things lined up and be able to step away from the camera for a second. It's also really nice for taking pictures of your own family too, that way you can all be in the picture, yet you don't have to go off a timer..

Remote (for our Nikon) - http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B006JGXOSY/ref=redir_mdp_mobile?psc=1&redirect=true&ref_=oh_details_o06_s00_i00

Tripod - http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B001D60LG8/ref=redir_mdp_mobile?psc=1&redirect=true&ref_=oh_details_o05_s00_i01

I like holding the camera and moving around freely, but these are definitely fun items to have that can give you a bit more control and options

@Mrs. Pen: yup I bounce it or tilt it slightly at a angle up. Its way to powerful to shoot head on. I have a canon camera and use a canon speedlite camera.flash, but I would invest.in a good flash and on cheap! Lol.

@Mrs. Pen: I'm something of a photographer myself. Your list sounds good, but the kit lenses are usually crap. I have a full frame camera and mostly use the 35 and 50 even though I have a few other lenses. You don't *need* a flash unless you are getting into some complex night shots. I have an external one but rarely use it. I occasionally use the on-camera flash in a pinch if I really need flash. I think a tripod can also be really useful.

@Mrs. Pen: What I suggest for what? I don't use a 35mm as a portrait lens because it is too wide for me mostly and if you try to do newborns with it and get up close you can get distortion. It would be good for something like maternity photos if you wanted more of a landscape photo rather than a closer photo.

For newborn photos I mostly stick with my 50mm 1.4. For outdoor portraits 50mm or 85mm mostly, unless I want some landscape-y ones. I could post some examples if you want, but I don't want to spam your board unless you're actually interested haha.

I would say Lightroom is an easier program to navigate than Photoshop for editing.

I use both, but I would probably recommend Lightroom more.

I LOVE my 50mm for portrait photography. Thats what I always used when C was modeling and I did pictures of her.

@Mrs. Pen: You get presets with Lightroom too. You can download and install them, etc just the same. I just find Lightroom more stream-lined and easier to use overall. I would consider myself pretty adept with PS too and Lightroom was like a beam of light from the sky when I got it. lol. I love it.

I have Lightroom 4 for Mac and PS CS6.

But yeah, the Canon users are outnumbered around here, I think, so thats probably why. I have a Rebel. The 50mm was what was recommended to me by a couple of my photog friends, both of whom use a Canon, I believe.

@Mrs. Pen: The reason more serious photographers consider the kit lens to be crap is because they are not very fast, meaning, the aperture opening is not very wide. Most kit lenses are only like aperture f3.5 or f5.6 or something, which are ok for just general all purpose shooting. But if you want to either shoot in low light conditions, shoot movement, or create the "blur" effect around your subject, you will need a wider aperture opening. For example, I have 3 zoom lenses and they are all f2.8, whereas my fixed lenses, 35, 50 and 85 are f2, f1.4 and f1.8.

@Mae: Really explained the magnifying factor well. It doesn't matter if you are shooting with a Nikon or a Cannon. Lenses on a non-full frame camera will give you a closer up effect than shooting with a full frame camera, which is probably why you like the results you get when shooting portraits with a 35mm. A full frame camera sensor more closely resembles what you get with an SLR film camera, from which, from what I understand, lenses are still rated for. Full frame digital SLRs are generally *much* more expensive than the non full frame cameras. The nice thing is that they are generally sold without a crappy kit lens that you don't need anyways

I have the 50mm lens, but am seeking a zoom lens that I can use for photographing my LO from a distance. SOmetimes it feels easier to be further away (where she isn't so aware of the camera) because she thinks the best way to take a picture is with her nose touching my lens.