Digital Camera Essentials
There is a misnomer that digital photography is its own form of photography, quite untrue. The digital part of photography is just the method of recording so what applies to photography applies to digital as well. So let's take a look at the three accessories I think that every photographer needs.
These aren't listed in any particular order and I don't think in any order of importance either although if you were to push me for an answer I would place a tripod as my number one accessory. It will also depend on what type of photography you are pursuing as to which one will be number one to you. They are, however, accessories that I would list as essential to a photographer's gear bag.
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Olympus X-42 12 Megapixel 5x Optical Zoom Digital Camera (Black) Sale Price: $72.99  |
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Kodak EasyShare C182 Digital Camera (Blue) Sale Price: $72.80 You save: $47.15 (39%) |
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Canon PowerShot SD780IS 12.1 MP Digital Camera with 3x Optical Image Stabilized Zoom and 2.5-inch LCD (Deep Red) Sale Price: $181.90 You save: $59.09 (25%) |
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Nikon Coolpix L22 12.0 MP Digital Camera with 3.6x Optical Zoom and 3.0-Inch LCD (Red-primary) Sale Price: $93.99 |
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Polaroid t1031 10.0 MP Digital Still Camera with 3.0 LCD Display (Orange) Sale Price: $74.99 You save: $45.00 (38%) |
1. A tripod
If you don't already have a tripod then get yourself one. Buy the most expensive one you can afford. A good solid tripod is essential to the kit of a photographer. There are many occasions when light conditions aren't good and the extra stability helps you create crisp, sharp images. Just a little camera shake will cause blurring to some degree in the final photo. A tripod is especially useful when shooting close-ups of flowers and small creatures and helps you to have complete control of your images.
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 Pro Heavy Duty Camera Video Tripod Ball Head Bag 59" UK  £43.95
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 Pro Camera Tripod 67" Geared, Level, for Camcorder £17.95
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 Pro Camera Tripod 53" Geared, Level for HP, GE Cameras £9.95
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 Mini Flexible Gorillapod Digital Camera Gripping Tripod £4.80
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 Sticker for Digital SLR Camera Bag, Case Tripod NEW NR! £1.27
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 New 1345mm Video Camcorder Tripod Camera Stand Portable £.89
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2. Remote shutter release
This is coupled with the tripod and is essential when avoiding camera shake. Even when your camera is mounted on the tripod, the simplest action like pushing the shutter button can still cause camera shake and prevent you from taking the sharpest images. It works very simply either connected by a cable to the camera or using an infrared connection to activate the shutter.
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Sticker for Digital SLR Camera Bag, Case Tripod NEW NR! £1.27
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 NIKON D3000 10.2MP DIGITAL SLR CAMERA+18-55MLENS+5BONUS £346.95
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 65mm Tripod Mount Ring A for Canon Digital Camera SLR £11.70
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 Battery for OLYMPUS E510 E510 E520 DIGITAL SLR Camera £9.99
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 Canon EOS 500D Digital SLR Camera +3 Lenses +8GB Bundle £549.00
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 Nikon D5000 12MP 720p HD Digital SLR Camera Body -Boxed £379.00
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3. A good circular polarising filter
A polarising filter cuts down glare and reflections off shiny surfaces. Those of you who have ever owned or used a pair of polaroid sunglasses will know the effect that it has on shiny and reflective surfaces. This includes foliage as well. When using polaroid sunglasses while looking at water you are able to see below the surface if the water is clear. The sky becomes bluer and the green vegetation greener. If you are landscape photographer you will really benefit from a polariser. I consider this essential. One tip though is that you should always use one that has the equivalent or higher quality of your lens. There is no point in putting bad glass in front of good glass.
Remember that these are my three top choices of accessories in no particular order. You need to choose which ones will serve your particular needs the best. I use all three equally but maybe if my photography changed slightly I would add another one or two to my list. Happy shooting!
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Zeikos ZE-FLK58 58mm Multi-Coated 3 Piece Filter Kit (UV-CPL-FLD) Sale Price: $7.99 You save: $27.96 (78%) |
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Hoya 58mm UV (Ultra Violet) Multi Coated Glass Filter Sale Price: $22.35 You save: $14.90 (40%) |
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Zeikos ZE-CU458 58mm Multi-Coated 4 piece Close-up Filter Set Sale Price: $11.49 You save: $23.46 (67%) |
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Tiffen 52mm UV Protection Filter Sale Price: $9.95 You save: $6.04 (38%) |
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Tiffen 58mm UV Protection Filter Sale Price: $12.39 You save: $7.60 (38%) |
If you've seen many beautiful portrait photos and you might be wondering how to take stunning pictures of your subjects' faces - it can be done by using both SLR cameras and compact digital cameras. However, as for amateur photographers (those who have limited knowledge about photography) - if you're under this category; you might be having difficulties of producing good portrait pictures with your point-and-shoot camera.
Certainly, there are few tips that you can take dazzling portrait photos by using your point-and-shoot camera:
Tip No.1: Taking multiple photo shoots in different angles
Basically, your subject's face is normally focused and placed at the center of the picture during a portrait photo shoot. In that case, not all subjects look nice by staring straightly at the camera lens during the photo shoot. Therefore, you can request the subject to stare slightly to the left or right at the lens during the photo shooting process. At the other way around, let the subject naturally look at you - this time, the photographer changes the position of her camera, i.e. by adjusting the height of the tripod, or taking few shots at different angles.
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 Zenit EM Camera and accessories £100.00
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 Gadget Porter Storage Pouch Case for Camera Accessories £3.58
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 SAMSUNG DIGITAL CAMERA ACCESSORY KIT (NEW) £.99
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 Jessop camera bag for camera with lenses & accessories £.99
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 WaterProof Underwater Accessory Case for Digital Camera £12.90
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 Canon AE-1 Program Camera with lots of accessories £50.00
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Tip No.2: Having different backdrops or themes for your subject
Choosing the right backdrop or theme is important to make your subject's face (a.k.a. the foreground) more noticeable and well-perceived by others. Avoid using striking colored backgrounds that could overshadow your subject. You can use other materials such as solid colored wrinkled cloths, boards or walls as your backdrops which can create different tones on your subject's face.
If you want to have real underwater themes - you can use the Canon waterproof digital camera to take clear and excellent underwater portrait photos which is impossibly taken by using conventional types of digital cameras.
Tip No. 3: Try suitable shooting mode for the right photo-taking condition
Make use of the advanced presets or shooting modes so that you can take high-quality portrait pictures in different conditions. For Canon PowerShot digital camera users, they would usually use the "Sunset/Evening Shooting Mode" to capture portrait pictures outdoors in the evening with the brightness, colors and contrast are well-adjusted.
Tip No. 4: Dress your subject
Based on the well-known quote - "Clothes make the man"; in this case, your subject's appearance can be enhanced with pleasant-looking attires. If you want to make your subject looks elegant - for instance, wearing a matching business suit can make your portrait picture look formal. In contrast, you can have your subjects to wear sports apparels (including baseball cap, sports jacket, jerseys) that would create a perfect athletic impression as well as develop a refreshing view of your subjects' faces.