Photography Equipment - What Is Out There

I found a great site listing the essential equipment to have if you're a starting photographer. http://www.apogeephoto.com/nov2012/photographers-toolkit.shtml. I've never been interested in using anything that will enhance my images other than the camera itself because I've always been able to produce images to a high quality without them and without having the money to supply these items of equipment I've never had the chance. I would like to know more about what is out there and how it works in case I do one day have enough money and would then be interested in purchasing some new stuff!

1.  A DSLR Camera & Lenses
My Camera:
I've got a Canon 550d. I find Canons easier to work with than Nikons so this is why I opted for the camera I've got! It cost me about £500 which was a lot of money for me at that time, it took a while for me to get over that expenditure. I love my camera, its easy to use, clear and understandable, brilliant image quality, smooth HD video, quick responses and overall great companion.

2.  Camera Strap

I have a strong adjustable strap that fits around me in order to have a stable and secure hold. 

3.  A Means of Carrying All Your Camera Gear 

I have a waterproof camera bag that is compact, lightweight and easy to manoeuvre! 

4.  Tripod & Ball Head 

I have a lightweight extendible tripod that I love using because of it's stability and adjustable heights and positions. 

5. GorillaPod

This is a great little addition to your full-sized tripod.  It’s a mini tripod that is light weight, sturdy and literally, very flexible.  It’s perfect when you need a steady base for the camera but don’t want to carry a full tripod with you.

I have a gorillapod. 

6.  Hoodman Loupe
It provides glare-free viewing of the images on your camera’s LCD screen, so you can easily check that image for good composition, exposure and clarity before you leave a location.

7.  Lens Filters
There is a wide variety of lens filters on the market, but there are three types of filters that should be considered - UV, Neutral Density (varying degrees of ND filters is good too) and Polarizing filters.

8.  Diffuser & Reflector Kit
With diffusers and reflectors you can control the direction or the amount of light on a subject by diffusing, bouncing, angling, reflecting, and softening the light.  You can tone down or eliminate shadows and even change the colour tone.

9.  Exposure Meter
Reflective in-camera light meters can give misleading readings when there is a wide contrast variance in a scene, such as a dark foreground and bright sky, or when the light is bouncing off reflective surfaces.

10.  External Flash Units (LED/Metz)
Your in-camera flash will not have the capabilities of an external flash, so if you add this item to your tool kit, you will be able to direct, bounce, diffuse, soften, angle, and regulate the amount of flash light on your subject.  You can even add colour gels to produce various warm colour tones. 

11.  Remote Shutter Release
The tripod is holding your camera steady, but just the touch of the shutter release can cause a vibration blur in an image.  To get those really sharp images, a remote shutter release is essential.


12.  Extra Camera Battery and Memory Card
I don't have an extra battery but  always make sure the one I have is fully charged before going out on a shoot. I do have extra memory cards because some shoots can take up hundreds and hundreds of image space.


13.  Camera and Lens Cleaning Supplies
Giottos cleaning kits are a good place to start and are some of the best.


14.  Lens Hood
Many photographers place a lens hoods on their lenses.  One, it acts as a protective shield around the lens in case you drop your camera, and second, it blocks the angled light that is coming into the lens, which in turn can cause lens flare - those hexagon or octagon shaped spots on your photos.