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Whether an established or a novice photographer, knowing what components to carry with you can make or break your work quality. As such, there are essential accessories you always need to have. In some cases, these accessories can be the difference between having blurry images and clear ones. However, some are necessary to improve your work efficiency and keep your photography tools clean and safe.
Some websites are photography-oriented, and you can click for info on the accessories to show prices, dimensions, and care guides or instructions. Browsing photography websites can also help you identify and prioritize camera components depending on your projects with such information. Even though some of these accessories can be quite expensive, the results are worth the investment.
To get you started, here is a list of essential accessories you always need to have:
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Camera Bag
While starting, you may look at a camera bag as an extra accessory you don’t need. However, as you accumulate other accessories, it becomes a necessity. For example, you’ll have different lenses, batteries, and storage devices over time. Thus, getting a bag as early as possible can eliminate inconveniences and damages while shooting.
The type and design of the bag would depend on your taste and preference. However, it should generally allow quick access and mobility. While some may prefer a sling bag, others may go for a shoulder bag or a photo backpack. Taking any of the options can also depend on your specialty. If you travel long distances, a backpack may be convenient. But if you do interior design shoots, then a sling or shoulder bag can work well for you.
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Collapsible Tripod
A tripod stand is one of every photographer’s best friends. It helps to have it at hand if you have to shoot a moving image and move the camera back and forth. It holds the camera steady to get sharper images and capture long exposures.
Apart from improving stability, it also relieves you of the weight of carrying the camera around for long periods.
Collapsible tripods are made from various materials, such as wood, steel, aluminum, and carbon fiber. You can choose the material that will best fit your preferred photography style.
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Reflector Kit
Sometimes, a good shot can depend on the surrounding lighting quality. Reflector kits help redirect, adjust, and manipulate lighting to get the desired color effect, thus, resulting in good quality photos.
Reflector kits usually come in three colors- gold, silver, and white. While all these kinds help redirect light and avoid shadows, each kit can improve a specific color scheme. A gold reflector kit helps enhance the warmth, and the silver increases contrast. On the other hand, a white reflector kit helps retain the surrounding color temperature.
Therefore, you can choose to use one or all three as per location, time, and the color effect you want.
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Remote Shutter Or Release
If you work on a motion-sensitive project, taking every precaution to reduce camera shake is essential. In addition to the tripod, having a remote shutter also ensures you capture your images with minimal risk of camera shaking and avoid blur in the photo.
You can invest in a mechanical cable release or a wireless shutter. Although mechanical cable release shutters are relatively inexpensive, easy to use, and do not require batteries, a wireless one will allow more mobility so you can shoot from a longer distance. Wireless shutter also means no contact with the cameras, eliminating any shaking.
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Spare Camera Batteries
At any given time, you should have a fully charged spare battery at hand. Even if the shoot is for only a few hours and within a short distance, you can experience late schedule and location changes. If this happens, it pays to be prepared.
It’s important to note that it’s better to have rechargeable batteries instead of single-use ones. Apart from reducing your luggage items and cost-efficiency, getting a charging outlet is much easier than finding a place to buy the correct battery type each time.
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Storage Devices
Even though current technology gives you an option to back up your photos to the cloud, having an external storage device with you is vital.
There can be moments when you may be in a location with no internet connection. These are situations when these devices come in handy. Furthermore, with cloud backup, some providers may limit the storage capacity.
You can transfer your photos from the camera without worrying about the limit with an external hard drive. Depending on your photo sizes, you can get a portable hard disk or solid-state drive from as low as 500 Gigabytes (500GBs) to two Terabytes (2TBs). As some digital cameras have universal serial bus (USB) ports, it makes it effortless to transfer photos directly from your camera.
Conclusion
As a photographer, it pays to be prepared for unusual encounters. These encounters can be lighting, schedules, or locations. Having the above items on your checklist can help work around these circumstances. Of course, you can add other accessories depending on your photography skills.