Essential Accessories for Every Photographer (Without Breaking the Bank) 💰
Ever wondered what gear you need beyond your camera? 🎒 The answer isn't a new lens or a bigger flash; it's a few simple, affordable accessories that can make a huge difference. 🎁 They protect your gear, make shooting easier, and help you get better photos. Today, we're diving deep into the ten must-have items that professional photographers can't live without, showing you how to get the most out of your camera without spending a fortune. 💸 Simple but effective and important bits of kit these are. 🔧
An essential accessory isn’t a luxury; it’s a problem solver. 🛠️ These are simple tools that improve your workflow and protect your gear. 🛡️ The golden rule of buying gear is to use what you have, but these accessories are the exception. ✨ They are small investments that offer massive returns in the quality of your work and your peace of mind. 😊 Your primary goal should be to build a core kit of these items, as they are the foundation for any serious photographer. 🏗️ There is a caveat to this, which I will come on to. 😉Only buy new gear if it will help you do something you can’t do now, or helps you look after things or provide a backup in case something goes wrong.
Hello and welcome to episode 216 of the Photography Explained podcast, "Essential Accessories for Every Photographer (Without Breaking the Bank)." 🌟
A very good morning, good afternoon, or good evening to you, wherever you are in the world. 🌍 I'm your host, Rick, and in each episode I try explain one photographic thing to you in plain English in less than 27 minutes (ish), ⏱️ without the irrelevant details. Yes, really. 😉
I'm a professionally qualified photographer based in England 🇬🇧 with a lifetime of photographic experience, which I share with you in my splendid podcast. 🎙️
You can listen to the episode here
Or keep on reading - entirely up to you!
Today, we're looking at the small stuff—the things that make a big difference for very little money. This 📖 is about practical ways to get the best results from your camera. 📸 If you're still getting to grips with your camera's main settings, go back and listen to Episode 211: Master Your Camera Modes: A Simple Guide to Auto, Aperture, Shutter & Manual Settings ⚙️.
How utterly splendid. 🤩 Let’s get into this. 👇
Here are 10 top tips for getting essential gear that works for you! 🌟
🎯 These tips will simplify how you think about accessories and help you achieve fantastic results without breaking the bank. 🤫
1: A Good Camera Bag 🎒📸
You've got your camera; you've got your lens. Now you need to protect them. A good camera bag isn't about style; it's about function. It needs to keep your gear safe from bumps and knocks, and it should be comfortable to carry, and it should be easy to get stuff out of and put back in. You can get a decent one for well under a hundred pounds. My top tip here is to get one that looks as un-camera-bag-like as possible. You don't want to draw attention to your expensive gear. And these days you can get super clever pouches and the like that you can put in a normal non-camera bags, which is what I do sometimes.
2: Lens Cleaning Solution, Disposable Cloths and Blower Brush ✨🧼
These are an absolute must-have. You'll use these more than any other accessory. The blower brush blows away dust and other bad stuff. And put a couple of drops of the leans cleaning solution on the disposable cloth and you can clean those ever so important front and rear lens elements. And your viewfinder. LCD screen. Glasses. Watch. Anything. I only use disposable cloths these days and am happy to pay a bit more to keep my precious lens elements clean safely. And I have been known to use the same cloth to clean other things after cleaning my front and rear lens elements. After, not before. This is probably the cheapest, most useful and even most important set of things you can buy.
3: An Extra Battery (or 3)🔋⚡
Okay, so you're out shooting and having a great time, and then... your camera dies. Nightmare! This is so easily avoided. Always, and I mean always, have a spare battery. Fully charged. You can get third-party ones for a fraction of the cost of the manufacturer's version. Although make sure if you do this that they are from a reputable supplier. Don’t risk cheap batteries from unknown brands. And if you are not sure buy the batteries made by your camera manufacturer. Sure, they are not cheap but look after them and they will last you years. I have four camera batteries, the newest one being at least a decade old!
4: A Spare Memory Card (or two!) 💾📝
Just like with batteries, you never know when a memory card might fail, or fill up. It's a horrible feeling to be at a once-in-a-lifetime event and realise you have no space left. Memory cards are so cheap now there is no excuse. Keep them to hand in good quality cases or containers, somewhere safe. And one in your camera of course! Or do what I do and keep 8 in a hard, waterproof shockproof case. Yes really.
5: A Small Tripod 🧘♂️
"Rick, a tripod isn't cheap!" I hear you say. Well, not necessarily. You can get a small, lightweight tripod that is perfect for a smaller camera or even a mobile phone. These are brilliant for getting sharp shots in low light or for long exposures. The little Manfrotto PIXI is a great example—it's small, sturdy, and won't break the bank.
But, if you can afford it, invest in a full-size tripod. Use a tripod and you should take better photos. This is what I do. Check out these episodes where I talk about tripods.
Episode 95 - What Are The Advantages Of Using A Tripod? Here Are 5 From Me
Episode 96 - Do You Want To Know How To Take Photos On A Tripod?
Episode 97 - Tripods Explained. What Actually Is A Tripod Anyway?
6: A Polarising Filter 🕶️🌈
A polarising filter is like sunglasses for your camera. You screw it onto the front of your lens. It reduces glare and reflections, especially on glass and water, and makes the colours in your landscape shots really pop, especially the blue in the sky. It's a small accessory that makes a big difference. Check out episode 208 Polarising Filters - What Are They? What Do They Do? Do I Need One?.
7: A Neutral Density Filter 🌆📉
Okay, this one might be a little more of an investment, but you can find affordable options. A neutral density, or ND filter, is a piece of dark glass that reduces the amount of light hitting your camera sensor. This allows you to use a slower shutter speed in bright conditions to create cool effects like silky smooth water or blurred clouds. Check out episode 207 Neutral Density Filters - What Are They? Do I Need One?
8: A Remote Shutter Release 🎯📸
This is a simple accessory that has a big impact, especially with a tripod. A remote shutter release allows you to take a photo without touching the camera, which eliminates camera shake. This gives you tack-sharp photos, essential for things like night photography or long exposures. You can get a simple wired one for very little money. You can use an app on your phone, but some people prefer using remote releases as these is less faffing. Obviously use this in conjunction with a tripod.
9: Grey Card 💎💖
A grey card is a card that is grey. Not necessarily. My grey card is some grey material in a circular holder that folds up to about a quarter of its full size. What do I use this for? White balance. Nice and simple. Pop the grey card in a photo, then when you are processing the photo click on the grey card with the white balance eye dropper tool thingy and voila, custom white balance done. This works a treat most of the time, only struggling in complex or mixed lighting. And you can get cards that are grey, just make sure they are the right shade of grey. Just saying……
10: A Simple Reflector 💡✨
This is a game-changer for portrait and product photography. A reflector is a simple, collapsible disc that bounces light back onto your subject. It's perfect for filling in shadows and giving your photos a more professional, polished look. You can get a cheap one with different sides—like silver, gold, and white—for all sorts of lighting conditions.
So, there you have it, ten essential accessories you can get without spending a fortune. These are the tools that will help you solve problems and give you more creative options.
Here is something for you to do. 🚀
Pick the one thing that you think will help you the most. Sort out some cash, then go and speak to some lovely people in a camera shop and buy that one thing. Then use it and let me know how you get on.
What if I use a phone to take my photos? 📱
Some of these are available for your phone. You can get small tripods, clip-on polarising and ND filters, and even remote shutter releases. The principles are the same, whether you're using a phone or a big camera. Apparently! The best camera for learning is always the one you have with you after all! 💖
What do I do? 👷♂️
Well, these 10 things go with me whenever I am out taking photos. This is pretty much my gear. Not including my camera body and lenses. I don’t have much else these days, this is all that I want and all that I need.
10 simple, affordable things that help me to get me the photos I need.
Final Takeaways and Summary for Better Gear 🏆
Let's recap the essentials for getting the right accessories.
Essential accessories improve your photos and solve problems, without needing to buy expensive new cameras or lenses. 📈
The most useful things, like a lens cloth and blower brush, are also the cheapest. 💰
Extra batteries and memory cards are non-negotiable insurance to ensure you never miss a shot. 🛡️
A small tripod or a remote shutter release are the keys to taking great, sharp photos in low light without getting blurry results. 📸
The grey card is the single most effective tool to help elevate your picture taking capabilities. 🎨
One more thing 👇
A good accessory should always solve a specific problem you have. Don't buy something just because it looks cool. 🙅♂️
And another thing 👇
The best accessory you have is your mind. Think about the shot before you take it. 🧠Blimey that was deep Rick!!
Some thoughts from the last episode 🤔
Episode 215, ISO Explained: The Simple Guide to Better Photos in Any Light, was all about mastering ISO to get the best quality photos. Have you managed to get out and practise taking photos with different ISOs and comparing the difference?
And don’t forget keep your ISO as low as possible for the best quality!
Next Episode 🚀
Next week: a big one! Episode 217. The Art of Light: From Harsh to Heavenly. Yes really.
Right – I have redone this bit as it was getting far too long. 😅
Get in Touch & Subscribe!
If you have enjoyed this episode, be sure to subscribe so you don’t miss any future ones. 🔔 For anything else, check out my website, RickMcEvoyPhotography.com, 🌐 where you can find out how to ask a question, ❓ get a weekly email from me, 📧 get in touch, 👋 or find out more about my splendid podcast. 🎙️
And you can text me directly from the podcast feed. 💬 I have a YouTube channel too - type Rick McEvoy into YouTube and you'll find me. ▶️ Finally, check out my courses page, 🎓 where you will find my splendid "How to Become a Real Estate Photographer" course. 🏠
This episode was brought to you by a cheese and pickle sandwich 🥪 and a Coke Zero, 🥤 which I consumed before settling into my homemade, acoustically cushioned recording emporium. 🎙️🏡
I've been Rick McEvoy. Thanks again for listening to my small but perfectly formed podcast and for giving me 27 ish minutes of your valuable time. 🙏 I reckon this episode will be about 23 minutes long after editing out the mistakes and bad stuff. ✂️
Thanks for listening 👋
Take care and stay safe. 🛡️
Cheers from me, Rick!