The best essential photography accessories for beginners are those that you can use to improve your photos. They don’t have to be expensive, but they should help make the most of what you’ve got and give you a better chance at getting good results from your camera. Here’s our list of 15 essential photography accessories for a beginner photographer.
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1. Tripods
A tripod is needed by every photographer. A tripod is essential if you want sharp photos when you want to do night shots, low light photography, long exposures, and macro photography. You can choose between mini tripods or more sturdy tripods for studio work.
2. Remote Shutter Release
One of the main reasons to use a remote shutter release is to prevent camera shake. It’s also an essential accessory if you plan on doing long exposure photography or night photography.
3. Macro Lens
If you’re looking to get into macro photography then this lens will come in handy. The macro lenses allow you to focus very close up. This makes it easier to take pictures of small objects like flowers, insects, etc.
4. Wide Angle Lens
This type of lens allows you to capture wide angles of view with ease. You’ll find yourself using these types of lenses often for landscape photography.
5. Telephoto Lens
Telephoto lenses let you zoom further away than normal focal lengths. These are great for capturing distant landscapes, buildings, people, etc.
6. Lens Cleaning Kit
A cleaning tool for your camera and lenses is essential. Camera lenses should be cleaned on a regular basis. This includes cleaning off dust particles as well as any smudges or fingerprints that may have formed over time. The easiest way to do this is to buy a lens cleaning kit. These kits usually come with everything you need to keep your lenses clean including soft cloths, special cleaners, brushes, etc. Some even include carrying cases to protect your equipment when traveling.
7. Lens Filters
Some lens filters are more useful than others. Here are the essential creative filters you should have:
- Polarizing filter – A polarizing filter is primarily used for removing reflections on reflective surfaces, and is used for landscapes in order to get the blue skies deeper.
- UV filter – UV filters are mostly used these days to protect your lens from dust and scratches. Digital sensors are not sensitive to UV rays, so unless you are shooting film they are not necessary.
- ND filters – A Neutral Density filter is useful for long exposure photography. They will allow you to shoot long exposure times because they reduce the intensity of light.
8. Lens Hood
This attaches to the front of your camera lens and is used to prevent glare. It also offers some protection for your lens from being banged around. It’s an inexpensive accessory that is normally included when you purchase a lens.
9. Camera Bags
You need a bag to carry all your photography equipment. Make sure yours has plenty of room inside because you’ll probably end up carrying quite a bit of stuff! It is one of the most important photography accessories you can own. There are many different style options available from messenger-type bags to backpacks, with places for your camera, lenses, laptops, and other accessories.
10. Extra Memory Cards
Photography files take up a lot of space on your memory card. Bigger sensors on cameras mean bigger image files which means you need extra space to store your images. Make sure you have enough memory cards with you. The last thing you want is to run out of space when you’re in the middle of shooting.
11. Memory Card Reader
Many computers have built-in card readers, however, it is always a good idea to invest in an external card reader. They are fairly inexpensive and can be plugged into a USB port, so you can transfer your files to your computer.
12. Battery Grip
Battery grips allow you to have extra batteries attached to your camera, which is useful if you have long photography shoots. They also help stabilize your hands if you are hand-holding the camera for longer lengths of time by giving you something extra to grip on to.
13. Extra Batteries
Spare batteries are a necessity and will come in handy while traveling or on long photoshoots. Just make sure to keep them charged and ready to go.
14. External Flash
Sometimes an ambient light source may not be enough and you will need to add an external quality flash source. A Speedlite is a handy accessory to have and will save a shot if you need to add artificial light.
15. External Hard Drive
The space on your SD cards or your hard drive on your computer will fill up fast if you shoot a lot. You need to have additional storage space for all your images and an external hard drive is a great place to store them.
Conclusion
There are so many photography accessories available out there. The best thing to do is start with the essential photography accessories and add more from there.
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