5 Must Have Camera Accessories: A Beginner’s Guide

Let’s be honest, photography gear is expensive and the options of what you could buy are endless. As a beginner, knowing what to buy first can be overwhelming, and, although, I have heard a lot of arguments that good gear does not necessarily make the photographer, there is some gear that will definitely make it easier for you to execute your vision. So I have compiled a list of 5 must have camera accessories for a beginner photographer (product links included).

1.) Fixed Aperture or Prime Lens

If you got your DSLR from Costco, which most of us who are just starting out tend to have started with a Costco kit, it probably came with two variable aperture lenses. A variable aperture lens means that as you zoom, your aperture increases automatically. You do not have the ability to set the aperture and have it stay on that particular number as you zoom the lens. After playing around with these lenses you probably discovered that getting a good depth of field was almost impossible. I remember trying for weeks on end to master the “technique” of getting a beautiful blurry background before I realized that I did in fact understand the concept but my kit lens was working against me. My kit lens was a mid-range zoom lens and as I zoomed the aperture would increase thus not allowing for a narrow depth of field. The only thing I could do to compensate was to get physically closer to my subject. So one of the first things I had on my photography wish list was a fixed aperture lens and / or a prime lens. A fixed aperture lens is one that keeps the aperture number as you zoom and a prime lens is a lens that you can set a low aperture number but does not zoom. I shoot with Nikon so naturally I am going to recommend Nikkor lenses as those are the ones I personally use, however, Canon has equivalent lenses as do a few third party brands such as Tamron and Sigma. My favorite all-purpose lens that I would recommend to buy first as a kit lens replacement is the Nikkor 24-70mm 1.4. This lens is my go-to lens for almost any situation.

2.) Adobe Lightroom

This is the best program on the market hands-down for editing pictures. All my images go through Lightroom edits at the very minimum. This is where I do all my basic edits, including adjusting exposure, white balance, and clarity. The program is relatively easy to use but also has some advanced features as well. If you shoot in raw, Lightroom will assist you in converting and exporting all your edited images into jpegs. You can buy the Lightroom through Amazon as a one-time purchase or as a monthly subscription through Adobe. I have done both and the advantage to the subscription model is that you automatically get all the updates and will always have the latest version.

3.) Camera Strap / Grip

I use both a camera strap and a camera grip. However, there are many photographers who choose to use one or another. I may be in the minority since I not only have both but also use both on my camera at the same time. In a nut shell I use these to ensure that I do not drop my expensive camera. The camera strap I use allows the camera to slide down the strap and sit on your side comfortably if you need two hands for a minute. Then you can just slide it back up and you are ready to shoot. The strap fits diagonally over your body off of one shoulder. The one I recommend is the Bos Strap and the reason we picked this one is that it attaches o one of the side hooks on the camera and not the tripod attachment. We decided to use the side attachment for the strap as the hook is built into the metal frame of the camera, so it is designed to hold the weight of the camera. Another reason to use the side hook is so my tripod attachment is free and I do not have to remove my strap if I want to attach the camera to the tripod for a couple key shots. Also, since my strap and my hand strap use different attachments on my camera, I can use both at the same time and I consistently do use both even in the same session. The hand strap is super handy when I am holding the camera and especially if I am turning the camera for a portrait shot. I initially bought my handgrip before I shot my first newborn session because I knew I was going to be standing directly over the baby and had this fear of dropping my camera. I am so happy that I did get that grip too because midway through the session I ended up taking the camera strap off as it kept falling into my frame the way I was leaning over. The hand grip gives me that confidence and security that even if I falter a little, my camera is not going anywhere.

4.) Memory Cards with a Fast Write-Speed

I learned the importance of this one during a photo session unfortunately. Write speed is how fast the camera can record the picture onto the memory card. If your memory card is too slow, the camera cannot record pictures as fast as you can take them. This can become a problem when you are attempting to capture an action shot and are pressing the shutter quickly and repeatedly. For me, I was photographing kids throwing leaves up into the air and had to stop and wait for the memory card to catch up with me before I could resume shooting. I recommend a write-speed of 95MB per second or higher.

5.) Light Modifier

One of the key items that differentiate a good photographer from an amateur one is the understanding of light. Even for those of you who are still shooting in auto and have not yet moved into setting your camera manually, how you light your photograph impacts your outcome substantially. For example, looking at the last picture you took, is your image too bright, too light, or too dark? Do you have distracting shadows in your image? Is the light dull or flat? What color is the light? Is your picture too warm (orange) or too cool (blue)? Does your subject have catch lights in their eyes? Is the light harsh or soft? I can go on and on. The study of light is very complex and extensive. Once you understand a few basics in lighting, such as how to position your subject relative to the light and what time of day is best for taking pictures, you will want to look into getting some kind of light modifier. A great starter light modifier is a reflector. I love love love backlight photos and so 9 times out of 10 I will position my subject with the sun behind them. This creates a beautiful halo of light around my subject and I do not have to worry about inconsistent light falling across faces. However, with their backs to the sun, my subjects are usually a little darker than I would like. To compensate for this, I can take a reflector and hold it at a 45 degree angle to capture some of the light in the background and bounce it back onto my subject’s faces. Typically, a reflector will come with a variety of different interchangeable surfaces; white, transparent, black, gold, and silver. You can choose what surface to use based on what you are looking to achieve. For example, the gold surface will reflect a warmer light, the white surface reflects a crisp clean light, and the silver side reflects the strongest light and can be most beneficial in lower lighting environments.

Although a reflector is the easier option to use, the disadvantage is that you need someone to assist you with holding it unless you have a light stand to hold it. If you are a one person photographer and do not have the option to get someone to assist, a speedlight is a good alternative. However, a speedlight is a fairly small light source and so the flash will often be too hard for portrait photography just by itself. To compensate for this, you will want to bounce the flash, if you can, or use a modifier to disperse and soften the light. I use a special light modifier for my speedlight that looks like a dome. The light bounces off all sides of the dome creating a softer more dispersed light. I have found that it works really well both indoors and outdoors. I would recommend the Gary Fong Lightsphere.

That wraps up my guide for the 5 must have camera accessories for someone just starting out. If you have any additional items that you feel are an absolute must, please share in the comments below.

 

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