Photo Accessories
Top 6 Photo Accessories
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There’s a lot of photo accessories on the market today… some are very useful, but most of them are a waste of your money. Here are six of the most important photo accessories for landscape photography
Tripod: A tripod is important for one main reason, keeping your images sharp. You’ll want to select a small aperture to maximize depth-of-field, so you should be using a shutter speed of less than 1/60 second. It’s really impossible to get a sharp image holding your camera in your hand at these slow speeds.
When choosing a tripod pick one made of carbon fiber, it’s light to carry but sturdy on the ground. Choose a tripod that lets the legs spread away from each other, this will help to optimize the strength of your support.
Filters: A small selection of filters is well worth packing when heading off for a trip. They don’t take up too much space and will definitely spice up your images. A polarizing filter should be on top of the list, while a few Neutral Density filters will certainly help with tough exposures. A 0.3, 0.6 and 0.9 will help with exposure without affecting the colors.
Bring a few warm-up filters to help when the light is cool. The 81-series are the very best choice, which will give your images an extra bit of life. There are many filters on the market today; these are the most important filters when you’re taking landscape photos.
Correct Film: Fuji Velvia is an obvious choice for me when it comes to shooting landscapes. This is a slide film that is high in saturation and is perfect for capturing the color of all seasons. It comes in two speeds of ISO 50 and ISO 100.
It’s always handy to have a few rolls of good old black and white film in the bag. You never know when you see a scene and know that it’s perfect for B/W. Whichever film you choose, bring plenty of it; don’t be caught in the middle of nowhere without film.
If you’re shooting with a Digital SLR bring plenty of memory. Running out of memory is the same as running out of film.
Cable Release: If your camera has a connection for a cable release go ahead and buy one. It’s a perfect accessory to minimize the risk of camera shake – especially if you are taking long exposures. It doesn’t take up too much room and is extremely light.
Light Meter: All modern day cameras have light meters built into them, but if you are serious about landscape photography it’s advisable to have a hand-held light meter. These are small and of light-weight, and when used correctly are extremely accurate.
These are the most important bits and pieces for your camera bag; other important photo accessories include spare batteries, a grey card and a few spare lenses.
Tripod – No More Blurry Photos
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Most photos are taken when the camera is held in your hand not mounted on a tripod. The hand is an unstable platform and tends to move quite a bit. Moreover new digital cameras are smaller and lighter than ever before and are much harder to keep stable. Another cause for camera movement is aggressively pushing the shutter button which in return moves the camera. It is always better to squeeze the shutter button very slowly to prevent the camera from moving. Choosing the right camera for weight, grip and shutter button sensitivity is a recommended way to minimize camera movements.
There are many types of tripods and they vary in size, weight, price and other features. The most important criteria when choosing a tripod is to pick one that will be easy to use. For example if you’re traveling consider one that is easy to carry and lightweight otherwise you’ll end up leaving the tripod in the hotel room while missing great photo opportunities. If you’re a professional who takes photos in a studio consider a heavier professional type.
Another important feature to consider is its height. Many tripods can be locked in at any height up to a maximum. Ideally you would want a tripod that extends to your height allowing photos to be taken from the same angle as your eyes as if they were taken by hand. Many portable tripods extend to a waist height or less. In these situations you’ll need to place it on a raised platform or the photos can be taken from a low angle.
In cases where a tripod is not available but a stable platform is needed you can improvise by using many other available platforms around you. For example you can place the camera on a table when taking a photo or if you’re outdoors you can use a newsstand, a tree to lean on, a fence or anything else that is stable enough.
