6 Photography Tools to Enhance Your Workflow
What's your process?
You don’t need to spend hundreds or thousands of dollars on equipment to get incredible results.
Iconic images result from hard work, dedication, patience, and skill. Speaking of skills, the power of observation is one of the most important.
No matter the specialty, increased attention to detail assists artists with discovering the ideal subjects, settings, lighting environments, and compositions. Instincts defy logic, and they know exactly when and where to create—or release the shutter!
Several tools on the market help photographers see better. Some are essential. Others are optional.
Every style and approach is unique, but most photographers argue that a camera kit is incomplete without the following accessories:
Camera bag
Camera straps
Lens cleaning kit
Tripod
Remote shutter release
Spare batteries
Additional lenses
Lens filters
Lens hoods
External flash or flashgun
Reflectors
While I agree, there are six more invaluable tools and practices that can’t be overlooked. They empower photographers, transforming stills from good to great.
Multiple Cameras
I’ll never part with my reliable Canon 80D or Canon AE-1 Program cameras. Why choose digital over film when you can enjoy both?
There is magic in shooting film. The journey from exposure to development and printing may be slower; however, this meditative process shows photographers how to be intentional with a limited number of frames. Besides creative control, film technology offers a higher dynamic range and resolution.
Plus, there are several options to bring your innovative vision to life. The first photographers once began with black-and-white film. Nicephore Niepce, a French inventor and scientist, is widely credited with snapping the first negative photograph in 1826. After Eastman Kodak invented slide film in 1935, Edwin Land first publicly demonstrated instant photography in 1947. Although the most common film formats include 35mm, 120, and 4x5, others exist.
Favorite film brands: Lomography + CineStill
It’s no secret that cameras are expensive. Decades-old professional film cameras can cost upwards of $1,000. Fortunately, places like Ebay, KEH, B&H, antique stores, or thrift shops offer incredible deals.
Better yet, if your relatives have a used camera, take it off their hands. Or simply borrow one! Film Objektiv offers an extensive list of film cameras you can test before taking the plunge. And there are even more companies that rent digital cameras.
If you can fit multiple cameras in your bag or case, I recommend carrying more than one type. You never know when you’ll want a filmic or digital look. Taking a photo of the same subject, using a different technique, can teach you more than any class or book. When you better understand the craft, you can hone your style.
I’ve dreamt of trying tin-type photography, a technique that imprints a single exposure on “a thin sheet of metal or iron that has been coated with a dark lacquer or enamel.”1 Although this method reached prominence during the 1850s and 1860s, it has experienced a resurgence today.
Tripods Heads
Tripods provide stability. This is particularly true if a photographer requires a slower shutter speed for long exposures greater than 1/60th of a second to achieve a particular effect. Light painting is a popular example of this.
After a long shoot, there's nothing worse than realizing your favorite selections are blurry. Tripods prevent user error, guaranteeing sharpness and clarity.
Photographers can choose from a wide variety of tripod legs. Most are constructed from aluminum, carbon fiber, wood, basalt, or steel.
Favorite tripod brand: Manfrotto
If your work requires more flexibility, I recommend exploring different tripod heads. There’s an option for every scenario2:
Three-Way / Pan-and-Tilt - As the most traditional configuration, a three-way head contains two axes of movement: horizontal pan (x) and vertical tilt (y). Some models incorporate a third axis (z) for lateral tilts. Best for: landscape photography
Ball - The ball-and-socket design enables multi-directional adjustments in one fluid movement. Best for: landscape, portrait, or action photography
Pistol Grip - Like other ball heads, pistol grip tripod heads allow for easy repositioning. They utilize a handle (pistol grip), enabling photographers to swiftly release the ball or lock it into place. Best for: action or wildlife photography
Gimbal - Gimbals are ideal for heavy equipment (i.e., telephoto lenses). Cameras are mounted on a secure arm that pivots around its center of gravity, allowing for smoother panning and tilting motions. Best for: wildlife or sports photography
Geared - Geared heads are built with precision in mind. It takes three knobs to engage the gears and control a camera’s pan, tilt, and yaw with minute adjustments. Best for: portrait, architectural, or macro photography
Panoramic - With their rotating bases, panoramic tripod heads prevent parallax errors by pivoting the camera around the nodal point (optical center) of the lens. They benefit from a locking knot or lever, which stops at common intervals (i.e., 15° or 30°). Best for: panoramic landscape, architectural, or interior photography
Before you choose the best head, consider the weight, size, and speed of your tripod. A heavy tripod will only slow travel photographers down. On the other hand, wildlife photographers in inclement weather conditions may require increased stability—especially when using long lenses.
Monopods are also popular amongst some portrait and headshot photographers!
Portable Lights
You never know where your creativity will lead. Sometimes, it’s the studio or the outside world. Nature’s shifting colors, textures, and “moods” perpetually inspire.
Photographers are no longer limited by heavy lighting equipment. Several manufacturers offer a wide selection of powerful portable lights. These include compact or battery-powered monolights, mini or large LED panel lights, tube lights, or even ring lights.
Brands like Aputure and Lume Cube offer portable lights compatible with Bluetooth. When paired with your phones or tablets, they can be customized and controlled from an app. Additionally, most portable lights don’t require continuous charging. Instead, they are built with rechargeable or Wi-Fi-compatible batteries.
With this advanced technology, photographers can operate more efficiently.
Hard Cases
Soft, cloth cases may be lighter, but there is nothing like a Pelican case. If you are traveling, this is a must-have accessory to protect your expensive equipment from unexpected drops and damages.
While some brands offer more competitive pricing, Pelican cases are famous for being watertight, crushproof, rustproof, shock-resistant, lightweight, and customizable. Beyond these impressive specs, they contain an automatic pressure valve, which is beneficial for those traveling gear between altitudes. The manufacturer also offers a lifetime guarantee for Protector Cases.
Pelican products are not just trusted by photographers. Infinitely customizable, they are built for many different industries including military, law enforcement, fire safety, and live entertainment.
Pelican cases can be heavy, but many are designed with wheels, only increasing portability. Their micro cases are also perfect for storing memory cards.
Filters
Which lens filters are essential? The standard ones include ultra-violet reducing filters, skylight filters, polarizing filters, ND filters, and protection filters. They can all vary by chemical composition of glass, coatings, and rings.
If you had to pick one, I would argue that polarizing filters are the most advantageous. While boosting color saturation and contrast, they can also eliminate pesky glares or reflections. If you’ve ever photographed water, glass, or other shiny surfaces, you can appreciate these features.
All of the above-mentioned filters are practical. But what if you want to infuse your images with surrealism? Try special effects filters.
Diffusion and soft filters create an ethereal, vintage look. Other variations include starburst, prism, split diopter, kaleidoscope, chromatic flare, and streak filters. Instead of spending hours in post-processing, these tools enable photographers to achieve spectacular in-camera results.
Favorite special effects filter brand: Prism Lens FX
Portable Drives
Both solid-state drives (SSDs) and hard disk drives (HDDs) are data storage devices. SSDs contain nonvolatile flash memory, utilizing “silicon’s physical and chemical properties to offer more storage volume, speed, and efficiency.”3 HDDs operate with an array of mechanical parts including magnetic-coated disks.
Although SSDs were first invented in 1976, they didn’t start gaining popularity until the late 1990s and early 2000s. In recent years, their prices have markedly decreased, but many HDDs remain less expensive.
Why are SSDs worth the investment? Unlike HDDs, they are typically smaller, lighter, faster, and more energy efficient. Since they are not constructed with moving parts (i.e., fans), SSDs are exceptionally quiet and durable.
Most SSDs are incredibly portable, so you can offload images on the go. If you drop one, there’s no need to launch into a full-blown panic attack. Yes, SSDs can still break, but they are more shock-resistant than traditional drives.
Which tools do you swear by? Let us know in the comments below!
