Most Valuable Photography Accessories

Whether you are just starting out with photography or simply looking to improve your setup, you will quickly realize that the right gear can definitely make your life easier. However, identifying the right gear can be a bit exhausting. Now, when I use the word "gear" I am referring specifically to camera accessories. Why the focus on accessories? Well, I do not believe purchasing new cameras and lenses should be a regular occurrence. Instead, I believe you should focus on taking care of your equipment. However, as with lenses, there are so many different accessories available on the market that you can easily find yourself purchasing equipment that you really do not need. Well, have no fear, I am here! Below is a list of the top 5 accessories I believe will be most valuable to you as a photographer and factors to consider when purchasing these items.

Photographers and all their (un)necessary gear

I have not posted at all this week as I have been enjoying a much needed vacation at the U.S. Open. I have been fortunate enough to see many great tennis matches, however I have also seen a lot of photographers and all of their gear. As I watched the guy next to me take out a very fancy and (admittedly) pretty cool dust blower for his camera lens in the middle of one great tennis match, I started to wonder why it is photographers always have so much gear.

If we really take a step back and think about it, my guess is most of us would realize that we likely do not need all of the gear we have. One of my friends recently purchased his first DSLR camera and within the first few weeks of acquiring his new toy, the two of us have already had multiple conversations about the various lenses he needs. During our first conversation I calmly and politely tried to steer him from investing his money in new lenses until he knew his camera and had mastered his current lens. At the end I jokingly said "are you suffering from G.A.S?" "Huh?" he replied. "G.A.S. = gear acquisition syndrome" I quickly responded. We both laughed and he assured me he was not in fact suffering from G.A.S. but I still could not help but wonder a little.