I have some fantastic
Camera Accessories for Beginners in my stash! My thoughtful husband raided the local camera store last month and gave me some really cool camera goodies for Christmas. I thought it would be fun to show you what I lug around in my camera bag. Those of you with birthdays or special events coming up might like to see this post in case you have camera accessories on your wish list! This is NOT a sponsored post in any way...I just wanted to share with you.
The alternate title to this post could, of course, be "Pimp My Camera." {wink} Anyone else remember seeing commercials for that
Pimp My Ride show on MTV back in the day? They'd take someone's trashy car and turn it into a "luxury" vehicle with a fridge, stereo system, king size bed, hot tub, etc. I don't have a hot tub in my camera bag, but I do have some cool stuff:
Truthful statement #1: I don't carry all of this stuff with me all of the time. I keep my old Sony and my iPhone in my purse for those "oooo I gotta snap a pic of that" moments. But if we're heading somewhere that I know I'll want some nicer pictures, I try to take my Nikon.
Truthful statement #2: I am scared of or don't know how to use a few of these items. But one of my
2012 personal goals is to read my
Nikon D3000 for Dummies book and learn about the settings on my camera so that I can use my equipment! My Nikon isn't top of the line. It's what we could
afford...we're not into the whole "let's throw it on the credit card just because we can" idea.
So here are a few fun accessory ideas that are great to get started with:
1. Extra lens. My extra lens is a 55-200 mm for zooming.
2. Light Scoop. These babies are super cool. They bounce your flash off the ceiling to create softer, more flattering pictures. T gave me these for my birthday (
last year) and I still haven't quite figured them out because they require that the user be able to adjust some of those dials and numbers on their camera. The combination of letters and numbers on my camera screen reminds me of algebra, which I barely scraped by in. I've seen lots of reviews/Giveaways for Light Scoop online, but Veronica wrote the first "non-sponsored"
review I've seen! These are great for Home/DIY/Craft bloggers...no more crying when the natural light isn't perfect for your photo shoot.
3. UV Filter. Clean your lens and snap that baby on top to protect it!
4. Extra camera cards. Mine hold anywhere from 1000 to 2000 pictures. I asked for an extra one for Christmas, and was surprised with two. They're nice to have in case of loss or malfunction.
5. Lens cleaner wipes and/or microfiber cloth. The lens cleaner came in a little packet, and I use the microfiber to clean off the camera's screen.
6. Extra battery
7. Battery Charger
8. Remote Control- No more hitting the camera timer and rushing to get in the shot before the shutter flashes. I can hold the remote in the palm of my hand and snap away as I please.
Other stuff?
Pretty Camera Strap- I kept the Nikon strap that my camera came with because T is not a particular fan of my girlie
August Blossoms strap that I won last summer.
Camera Bag- As for my camera bag, I usually keep my Nikon in the blue and black utilitarian bag you saw earlier. It's small, fits a few extras, and is good for those times that we'll be in a busy place or somewhere I need something "tough" to protect my camera. When I'm headed somewhere a bit fancier, I use my
Jo Totes bag. I bought it last summer...pleased with the design, but it's not as sturdy or spacious as I had hoped.
Tripod- If you shoot in auto, a tripod is a good thing to have to stabilize your camera. Also nice for those group shots! Our tripod is actually a cheap freebie that we got with our video camera a few years back. It does the trick.
Lens Cleaner- I got this guy in my Christmas stocking. Fits perfectly in my camera bag and makes cleaning my lens a breeze!
I feel like I should end this post with a note that I am not, nor do I consider myself to be any kind of photographer. I haven't taken any classes, and my knowledge of photography lingo is very very limited. But I've loved taking pictures since my first elementary school camera. I think the photos on my blog have improved some since I upgraded from my Sony point and shoot to my Nikon DSLR last January. I don't shoot in manual often, and I have a lot to learn, but it sure is fun learning.
Do you have a favorite camera accessory or something on your wishlist?