THESE ACCESSORIES ARE VITAL FOR YOUR CAMERA:

NOW YOU HAVE GONE THROUGH THE BASICS OF OPERATING YOUR CAMERA, HOPEFULLY YOU ARE UNDERSTANDING HOW THE CAMERA WORKS NOW (SEE PREVIOUS BLOGS ON UNDERSTANDING YOUR CAMERA), NOW WE START GETTING INTO SOME OF THE FUN THINGS ABOUT OWNING A DSLR CAMERA.

SOMETIMES PEOPLE MAKE THE BIG MISTAKE OF THINKING THAT ALL THEY NEED WHEN THEY BUY A CAMERA IS THE CAMERA AND THE LENS AND THEY CAN START TAKING PHOTOS AND THEY WILL BECOME A STAR !!  BUT IT’S NOT THAT EASY.  IT’S LIKE BUYING A CANVAS FOR PAINTING.  YOU WILL NEED TO DECIDE ON BRUSHES, OIL OR WATER PAINTS, CLEANING SUPPLIES, TRIPODS AND EASELS, ETC.  IF THERE IS ONE THING I HOPE YOU WILL LEARN IN ALL THESE COURSES IS THAT YOU ARE NOW AN ARTIST !!

SO, KNOWING YOU ARE ABOUT TO CREATE ART, LET’S PROCEED WITH GETTING YOU THE EQUIPMENT OR ACCESSORIES YOU NEED TO TAKE CARE OF YOUR CANVAS (FIGURATIVELY SPEAKING).

1- THE LENS CLEANING KIT

THE FIRST THING THAT COMES TO MIND IS SOMETHING TO KEEP THE CAMERA AND LENS(ES) CLEAN.  YES, A SIMPLE LENS CLEANING KIT IS THE NUMBER ONE IMPORTANT THING YOU NEED FIRST.

LENS CLEANING KITS COME IN A VARIETY OF KITS, BUT THE BASIC KIT SHOULD INCLUDE AT LEAST AN ANTI-STATIC BRUSH, A BLOWER OF SOME KIND TO BLOW OF THE DUST, AND A LENS CLEANING CLOTH TO WIPE OFF YOUR FINGERPRINTS.  SOME KITS WILL INCLUDE A LENS CLEANER FLUID.  THAT IS FINE TOO, BUT REMEMBER WITH FLUID, NEVER TO POUR THE FLUID DIRECTLY ONTO YOUR EQUIPMENT OR LENSES, BUT PUT THE FLUID ONTO THE LENS TISSUES OR CLOTH, AND DAMPEN THEM RATHER THAN POUR THE FLUID DIRECTLY ONTO YOUR EQUIPMENT, AND TAKE THE CHANCE OF THE FLUID LEAKING INTO THE LENS OR YOUR INNER WORKINGS OF EQUIPMENT.

I WILL TELL YOU UP FRONT, THAT I ALWAYS CHECK THE FRONT OF MY LENS BEFORE I START SHOOTING TO MAKE SURE THE LENS IS PERFECTLY CLEAN.  THE SLIGHTEST SMUDGE OF FINGERPRINT OR DUST CAN ALTER THE SHARPNESS OF YOUR LENS.  IT IS A MUST TO KEEP YOUR LENS CLEAN.  ANOTHER THING YOU MUST REMEMBER:   DO NOT USE YOUR SHIRT OR ANYTHING ELSE TO CLEAN YOUR LENS OTHER THAN LENS CLEANING TISSUE OR LENS CLEANING CLOTH TO CLEAN YOUR LENSES.  YOU DO NOT KNOW HOW DIRTY YOUR SHIRT TAIL IS, AND IT NOT THE SAME SOFTNESS OR MADE OF THE SAME MATERIAL AS THE LENS CLEANING CLOTH.  A SHIRT TAIL WILL SCRATCH YOUR LENS. 

2-  A PROTECTIVE FILTER FOR YOUR LENS

I DON’T KNOW OF A PHOTOGRAPHER WHO DOESN’T PUT A PROTECTIVE FILTER ON THE FRONT OF THEIR LENS TO PROTECT IT FROM A CATASTROPHE.  IT IS SUCH CHEAP INSURANCE TOO!  THERE ARE TWO DIFFERENT TYPES OF FILTERS YOU CAN BUY THAT WILL PROTECT YOUR LENS AND EITHER ONE WILL WORK, AND BOTH HAVE THE SAME FUNCTION, AND THAT IS TO PROTECT YOUR LENS.  ALTHOUGH, THEY DO HAVE SOME MINOR ADVANTAGES TO MAKE YOUR PHOTOS BETTER, IT IS NEGLIGIBLE IN MOST CASES.  THEY ARE CALLED A UV FILTER OR A SKYLIGHT 1A FILTER.

THESE FILTERS ARE TO REMAIN ON THE FRONT OF YOUR LENS AT ALL TIMES AND NEVER TO BE TAKEN OFF.  IF YOU WANT TO ADD DIFFERENT FILTERS TO YOUR LENSES FOR OTHER SPECIAL EFFECTS (TO BE DISCUSSED LATER), THEN YOU ADD THEM ON TOP OF THESE FILTERS.

HERE IS THE IMPORTANCE OF THE FILTERS:

I HAVE MENTIONED BEFORE THAT I USED TO WORK IN A PHOTO RETAIL STORE.  OFTEN PEOPLE WOULD BRING IN THEIR CAMERA WITH A BROKEN FRONT LENS.  WE WOULD TAKE A LOOK AT IT AND EITHER WE WOULD REPLACE THEIR FILTER THAT WAS BROKEN, OR, REPLACE THEIR LENS.  YOU DON’T REPAIR LENSES, GENERALLY, YOU REPLACE THEM.  DO YOU KNOW THE COST OF JUST YOUR LENS VS. THE FILTER?  DEPENDS ON YOUR LENS FOR SURE, BUT I WOULD HAVE A FILTER ON EVERY LENS, NOT JUST THE REGULAR ONE.  I HAVE SEEN ONE FILTER SAVE THE COST OF A $2000 LENS.  THE FILTER COST ONLY $20.

3-  THE TRIPOD:

DO I REALLY NEED TO BUY A TRIPOD RIGHT AWAY?  I GUESS IT DEPENDS ON THE TYPE OF PHOTOGRAPHY YOU WANT TO DO.  BUT IF YOU READ THE PREVIOUS TYPES OF MODES OF PHOTOGRAPHY THAT YOU CAN DO, ESPECIALLY THE “SLOW SHUTTER SPEEDS” INFORMATION, OR EVEN THE INFORMATION ABOUT APERTURES, AND HOW IT FORCES YOUR CAMERA TO USE SLOW SHUTTER SPEEDS, THEN YOU NEED A TRIPOD.  (FOR FURTHER CLARIFICATION, READ PART 7 AND PART 8 ONCE AGAIN TO UNDERSTAND THE NEED FOR TRIPODS)

TRIPODS COME IN VARIOUS SIZES AND SHAPES AND PRICES, AS YOU CAN IMAGINE.  ARE THE MORE EXPENSIVE ONES REALLY WORTH IT?  MY ANSWER IS:  IS YOUR CAMERA WORTH IT?  LET ME EXPLAIN:  I HAD A FRIEND WHO PURCHASED ONLINE ONE OF THOSE CAMERA OUTFITS THAT COME WITH THE CAMERA, SMALL ZOOM LENS, LENS CLEANING KIT (yea!), FILTER, AND BAG, AND A TRIPOD ALL FOR AN INCREDIBLE PRICE.  I LOOKED AT EVERYTHING THAT IT CAME WITH AND THOUGHT SOME OF IT WAS GOOD, AND SOME OF IT WAS JUNK.  THE TRIPOD, I WOULD NOT PUT A $350 DOLLAR CAMERA ON THAT TRIPOD, THAT WAS FOR SURE.  IT HAD LEGS THAT WOULD NOT LOCK WELL, THE CAMERA SCREW WAS PLASTIC, THE FIRST BREEZE THAT CAME UP WHILE SHOOTING OUTSIDE WOULD TIP MY CAMERA OVER.  I COULD NOT BELIEVE THEY WOULD PACKAGE SUCH GARBAGE IN A KIT.  I RECENTLY PURCHASED A TRIPOD THAT WAS $150.   I AM GOING TO DO A PRODUCT REVIEW ON THIS TRIPOD IN THE NEAR FUTURE, BECAUSE I THINK IT IS AN AMAZING TRIPOD FOR THE MONEY.  BUT, I DON’T WORRY ABOUT MY CAMERA IN THE WIND ANYMORE, AND IT STANDS TALL ENOUGH FOR ME NOW, AND IT HAS OTHER FUNCTIONS THAT REALLY MAKE IT UNIQUE.  BUT, BUY SOMETHING THAT MAKES THE CAMERA SECURE.

4-  THE CAMERA BAG:

I AM SHOWING 3 TYPES OF CAMERA BAGS HERE TO GIVE YOU AN IDEA OF WHAT IS AVAILABLE.  THE FIRST ONE ON THE LEFT IS A VERY BASIC BAG, THAT HOLDS JUST THE CAMERA AND THE LENS, AND USUALLY HAS A BELT LOOP ON IT THAT WILL PROTECT THE CAMERA AND LENS VERY WELL.  IT IS USUALLY PADDED WELL, SO YOU CAN GO HIKING AND WALKING WITH THE ABILITY TO DO SOME SERIOUS PHOTOGRAPHY AND STILL PROTECT YOUR CAMERA AND ATTACHED LENS.  BUT THAT IS ALL.  IT MAY HAVE A POCKET FOR A FILTER OR MEMORY CARD, BUT NOT MUCH ELSE.

THE SECOND BAG AT THE TOP RIGHT, AS YOU CAN SEE, IS A BIT LARGER, WILL HOLD THE CAMERA WITH A LENS ON IT, PLUS, 1 MORE LENS.  THIS ONE SEEMS TO BE THE MORE POPULAR BAG BECAUSE MOST PEOPLE HAVE 2 LENSES, AND THIS IS THE TOP BAG FOR THAT.  IT WILL HOLD A FEW SMALL ACCESSORIES AS WELL.

THE 3RD BAG IS THE BOTTOM RIGHT BAG, AND THAT IS THE BACKPACK TYPE BAG THAT WILL HOLD THE CAMERA, AND SEVERAL LENSES, EXTERNAL FLASH, AND OTHER ACCESSORIES.  IT HOLDS THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS WORTH OF EQUIPMENT, AND THIS IS SOMETHING THAT YOU WILL USUALLY SEE THE PROFESSIONAL PHOTOGRAPHER HAVE THAT DOES PHOTOGRAPHY FOR A LIVING.  AND THEY HAVE A LOT OF CAMERA EQUIPMENT AND THIS WILL HOLD A LOT OF CAMERA EQUIPMENT.

5-   THE EXTRA MEMORY CARD:

EVERY PHOTOGRAPHER SHOULD HAVE AT LEAST 1 EXTRA MEMORY CARD WITH THEM SOMEWHERE.  AND YOU SHOULD NEED TO BE AWARE OF JUST HOW MUCH MEMORY YOU HAVE USED ON YOUR EXISTING CARD THAT IS IN YOUR CAMERA NOW.  IF YOU HAVE A 32GB MEMORY CARD IN YOUR CAMERA, AND YOUR RESOLUTION OF YOUR CAMERA IS HIGH, IT WILL USE UP YOUR MEMORY CARD FASTER THAN IF YOU HAVE A CAMERA THAT HAS LOW RESOLUTION.  HERE IS A CHART THAT SHOWS WHAT HAPPENS:

HERE IS SOMETHING THAT YOU ALSO HAVE TO KEEP IN MIND:  IF YOU USE VIDEO ON YOUR CAMERA AS WELL AS TAKING PHOTOS, BE AWARE THAT YOU WON’T HAVE THAT MUCH SPACE ON YOUR CARD.  IT SHOWS THAT WITH A 32GB CARD, YOU CAN GET 1800 PHOTOS WHEN YOUR CAMERA SHOOTS WITH 10 megapixels.  IF YOU SHOOT 20 MINUTES OF VIDEO ALONG WITH YOUR PHOTOS, YOU WILL NOT GET 1800 PHOTOS ON YOUR CARD.  IT IS ALWAYS GOOD TO HAVE AN EXTRA ONE ALONG, JUST IN CASE YOU RUN OUT OF STORAGE SPACE ON YOUR CARD.  THESE CAN HOLD A LOT OF STORAGE FOR VERY LITTLE MONEY.

THOSE ARE THE ESSENTIALS FOR YOUR ART EQUIPMENT TO GET STARTED.  

TOMORROW, IN PART 11, I WILL GO IN TO LENSES, AND MORE FILTERS AND WHAT THEY CAN DO TO IMPROVE AND ADD TO YOUR ART WORK.  THIS NOW GETS INTO THE CREATIVE PART OF PHOTOGRAPHY, AND AS YOU WILL SEE, THE FUNNER PART OF PHOTOGRAPHY WILL NOW OPEN UP TO YOU.  THANK  YOU FOR STICKING WITH ME THROUGH THE TECHNICAL LEARNING THINGS OF THE CAMERA ESSENTIALS.  BEFORE LONG, YOU WILL SOON BE LEARNING THE ARTISTIC PART OF PHOTOGRAPHY, AND LEARNING ABOUT COMPOSITION AND HOW TO REALLY BECOME AN ARTIST.

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