Thanks to the power of social media and the internet I’ve been able to find a lot of cool things that I will be looking at purchasing to make my photography excursions a little more convenient. Anything that can reduce or eliminate my tasks at hand to allow me to focus more on the actual project I am attempting to do is a good thing in my opinion.One of these cool items is something called a “Smart Key” and although it targets your key chain I believe I will purchase one and hang it off of my camera bag so when I stop for a rest in the mountains while on a photo shoot and my “ole timers” kicks in, I will be able to find it again. Of course there will have to be cell phone service. The only downside that I can see is that it only works with iphones. But the app is free at least.
Another must have for me is the new “Kick” a portable rechargeable 400 Lumen LED light source about the size of a cell phone. This amazing little light source can be set to any color and the white light can be adjusted from warm to cool continuously. Go to the website and check this out as there are more features that this light source can do.
I also like the new “Freeloader Isis” solar battery charger that will allow me to charge my camera batteries when I go on my outdoor adventures that will take me away from any electrical source for a few days. The only drawback that I can see here is the price as I could only find it available in the UK. Still I will be looking at one of these in the not too distant future especially if I can find one a little closer to home.
A great tripod to own is no doubt the “Gorillapod“. This versatile tripod can be attached or mounted on almost any surface you can find making it a valuable asset in your photography arsenal. There is no end to the unique shots that you can take when placing your camera on one of the many different lines available of this tripod.
I found something unique that I could have used once or twice in my travels when the elements weren’t conducive to my pulling out my camera to get the shot. It’s called the “Cloak Bag” and although it was made for photographers who like to travel to foreign countries where pulling out your camera to take a picture could get you caught up in a crime, there are a myriad of other uses I can think of where this bag will come in handy.
Here is a cool little feature that any photographer will enjoy. This flash reflector will allow you to take better indoor photos with your built in flash unit by bouncing the light off of the ceiling to stop the harshness of the light that most built in flashes create. It is called the “Lightscoop” and comes in three different models for most cameras.
One thing I have had to replace over the years more often than anything else in my accessory kit is lens caps. I have tried everything I can think of to try and remember to place them somewhere so I don’t forget them. I now use the standard stick on accessory that attaches to your camera, but the glue almost always looses grip over time and I still loose lens caps when walking through the forest. I just bought the “Hufa Lens Cap Clip” which hooks onto my camera strap and allows me to keep as many spares as my strap will hold the cap clips. A definite must have for every photography.
Being an avid lover of filter photography I was intrigued by this new innovation that is a filter wheel with 18 different filters that rotates so you can experiment with what ever filter you choose to. Another must have for me to try for sure. Which leads to my last cool accessory which is actually a website with hundreds of different items for iphones and some stuff for cameras.
I couldn’t leave this post without talking about a very cool website I found that has more photo accessories for ipads, iphones and ipods than you could image. Some are so unique and outstanding that I’m sure they sell regularly. The site is called “PhotoJoJo” and you should really check it out if you take a lot of photos with your iphone.
Talk to you later.