Photography is a creative, satisfying pastime. You can enhance your DSLR camera experience with a few added camera accessories that are neither difficult to use - nor expensive to buy..jpg)
A little support. You’re on holiday, sizing up that perfect sunset. It’s a photo opportunity par excellence. Even with your full-size tripod back at home, you’re not out of luck. The 'Gorillapod' Mini-Tripod is flexible enough to attach to just about anything while it supports your camera nicely. There’s room in every photographer's suitcase for one.
Get the blues. It’s a gorgeous day, with soft puffy clouds against an azure sky. But your photo may not show deliver in all its magnificence without a little help. A polarizing lens filter will enhance contrast, bringing out all the drama of nature. It will also eliminate reflections in windows and bodies of water.
You can’t beat the system. Speaking of filters, Cokin offers a unique system of filters and holders that will adapt to all your lenses. They’ll “warm up” a scene, add vivid colour selectively to a sky and much more.
Don’t forget your memory. Today’s cameras deliver better resolution than ever, but it takes more memory to store it. Luckily, the cost of high performance SD and Compact Flash cards is dropping. Be sure to include a couple of cards in your kit and you’ll always be prepared.
Drive safe. With your computer’s hard drive filling up with all those new photos, consider an external hard drive to store them. Today’s portable hard drives are affordable, and also make a good home for video and mp3 music files.
Recommended reading. Using the USB cable that came with your camera to input photos exhausts camera battery, and is S-L-O-W. If your PC or Mac doesn’t offer an integrated card slot, get an inexpensive USB card reader. It’ll load your photos fast, freeing up your card for more shooting.
Get a grip. A DSLR camera battery grip lets you add a second battery, effectively doubling capacity. Affordable models from Hahnel also make it easier to hold your camera for vertical shooting such as portraits.
Save your back. You’ve just completed a two-hour hike to the mountaintop, and realize you forgot that wide-angle lens that would capture the entire breath-taking panorama. Consider a camera bag to hold all your camera bodies, lenses, flash and other components, and spread the weight evenly and comfortably. There’s a great selection of backpack and sling pack models to choose from.
Take charge. Flashguns can burn through batteries, and rechargeable batteries are easier on the environment. Always have a spare second set of batteries charged and ready for spontaneous shooting.
Put on a show. Displaying your images is easy with an inexpensive digital photo frame. Share your memories in easy-to-program slide shows, set to music. Great photography is all about creativity and technique – but the right camera accessories certainly add to the fun. Get out there and capture the moment!
