Digital Photo Gear – 7 Important Pieces To Own

As any good photographer can tell you, there’s a lot more to photography than a camera. The right equipment can make a huge difference in the picture quality regardless of the photographer’s experience. With that in mind, we’ve compiled a great list of things that you’ll want to have just in case – you never know when something may come in handy and help save a shot.

Digital Camera

This one is so basic it almost doesn’t need to be mentioned- it’s your digital camera. It is advisable to pick up, at the very least, a digital SLR that allows you to manually control the aperture, exposure length, and focus. Point and shoot digitals are handy at a party but lack flexibility, and flexibility is key in the dynamic world of photography. And if you want to take quality pictures that you can feel good about displaying in picture frames then you’ll need an SLR.

Tripod

When stability counts, there is no substitute for a classic tripod. Tripods come in a wide range of prices, are usually very easy to carry and give you the opportunity to take pictures that you couldn’t have otherwise taken with a hand held camera. If you’re going to take low light photos or use long exposures and want sharp pictures, you’ll definitely need the help of a tripod.

Memory Cards

While today’s memory cards can hold absurd amounts of data, there’s always the off chance that you might fill one up or experience some sort of hardware failure. So remember to bring at least two large memory cards with you all the time so you’ll never miss a shot. Nothing is worse than having a lot of pictures to take and being without another memory card.

Your Power Source -Batteries

Similiar to memory cards, it’s important to always have extra battieries just in case you run out. A digital camera can’t do much without a battery. With a lot of new cameras, battery usage is pretty effecient, but if you’re going to have a long day of shooting make sure to have one or two extra batteries.

Camera Bag

A camera bag doesn’t have to be fancy but you just want a bag that will have room for all your gear. If you don’t already have a bag, simply look at all of the equipment you use regularly and make sure you choose a bag that will hold everything. It is also important to have a safe place to keep your camera when not in use, and a nice bag can serve this purpose well.

Extra Lenses

When it comes to picking out some extra lenses you don’t have to have them all but you will need to have a basic zoom and a macro lens. In fact, many camera manufacturers market lenses that are a combination of both.

Basic Photo Editing Software

If you’re going to use your digital camera regularly you’re going to eventually need to edit them on your computer. Just as in the days of darkroom photography, taking the picture is only the beginning of the process because eventually you’ll want to put them in classic or antique picture frames. Invest in a professional suite such as Adobe Photoshop or start with something smaller (most cameras come with a basic suite) until you feel that you need to upgrade. You’ll find the editing software will come in handy for making minor changes like removing read eye and getting rid of busy backgrounds to help get your images looking even better.

Digital photography is just like any other activity-if you come prepared with the right set of tools, there is no limit to the things you can accomplish. Of course, you should always be honest with yourself about your needs and about what you want to do with your camera – all this gear is certainly useful, but you may not want to lug it around on a vacation with the family. Start with a good stock of equipment and train yourself to bring what you’ll need and you can’t lose.