Tripods

In this installment Iill go over another short list, this time Iill be looking at the accessories I believe any photographer should have at his or her disposal.

If you thought the world of post processing software is vast, wait until you take a peek at all of the accessories there are: tripods, camera bags, flashes, memory cards, specialty lenses, cleaning kits, reflectors, lights, timers, light meters, the list goes on and on. And there seems to be an endless variety of each type of accessory, too. Itis enough to make your brains go boom!

What Iill do here is recommend some of these types of products, and even suggest a particular brand or model, but these are only my suggestions. Remember that Iim new to digital photography, a veritable babe in the photography woods. I do have some experience, however, and the ear of a few pros. What Iim learning Iim passing on to you for your consideration.

Still, if you know of a better product, model, or process please let me and the other readers know about it.

I would also like to remind you that this series of articles are for those folks who are either thinking about stepping up to a DSLR, or have recently done so and may be wondering what else should you be doing. While pros are welcome to read along, Iim sure this stuff is old hat to you. Even so, if you are experienced and you find that Iive gotten something wrong please feel free to point it out.

OK, enough of that, letis get into it.

When I first started writing this segment I knew there was a lot of accessories to cover, but I thought I could hit the major points and make some suggestions in one very big article. Boy, was I wrong!

As I started digging into the many options available in each accessory category I found not just more to talk about, but more that I really needed to talk about if these articles are to be of any use to you. So, Iive decided to dedicate an entire article to each one of the accessory categories Iim going to list in a moment. That way I keep the information in nice bite-sized pieces that should be easier to digest: I see no need for all of us getting headaches trying to understand this stuff.

Regardless of your skill level, if you are even somewhat serious about shooting photos, then there is a set of accessories you must have and Iive listed what I believe that set should include. Understand that my list is not definitive, but these are the things that I take, or would take if I had the cash to buy everything I want, when I leave the house with camera in hand.

Must Haves

• Tripod: I donit care what kind of camera you have or whether it sports the new anti-shake technologies, YOU WILL NEED A TRIPOD.

• Camera Bag: A good camera bag is prime on my list because everything you own in photography will likely wind up in it, so it has to be something you can rely on not to break or allow the elements to seep in.

• Memory: More than likely youive already bought an extra card. Trust me, you need more.

• External Flash: The main difference between an amateur and a pro shot that uses flash is that the pro likely used an external flash unit for lighting. Built-in flashes light almost from the point where the photos are taken, which mean the subject is well lit, but uninteresting. Get an external flash.

• Extra Lenses: Most camera come with what is called a kit lens. This lens is great for a majority of the shots youill likely take, but it wonit offer the versatility other lenses can provide, and versatility is key to getting great shots.

In this installment Iim going to look at tripods. Iill be pointing some of the features you should look for and mention some brands. So, on with the show.

Ever wonder why photos taken by pros always looks sharp while yours might look OK, but not nearly as crisp? In the shots the pros take you can see the pores in modelis skin, and the fine, nearly invisible hairs on a childis cheek, or the iris filaments in the eyes of a puppy. The photos you take, on the other hand, youire happy with if the head is not a big elongated blob.

One of the reasons for the difference is that the pros religiously use tripods, or some means of steadying the camera.

It seems like an impossible quandary. In all but the fastest shutter speeds, touching a camera while taking a picture will screw up the picture, but you have to touch the camera to take the picture.

No matter how steady we think we can hold a camera we canit hold it steady enough to get the clearest, sharpest photos. Thatis where a tripod comes in. Tripods support your camera and lens and provide a solid, hopefully unmoving base on which you can snap your shots.

True enough, for a large percentage of the photos you will take, hand holding your camera will suffice; the subject is far enough away, thereis plenty of light for higher shutter speeds and lower ISO settings, or you may not care that the fine details are not so sharp. But as you become more proficient in composition, as you learn to use your camera to its fullest potential, youill want every shot to be the absolute sharpest it can possibly be. Besides, sharper pix lets you enlarge more, allowing you to make a useful photos out of ones that you might have otherwise tossed.

I also believe the detail is really what makes a photo interesting. Stopping a baseball in flight is far more intriguing if you can see the stitching on the ball as it hurls through the air, and kids are somehow cuter if you can see the spot of grape jelly on their cheeks.

Since many of the more interesting photo opportunities donit present themselves when the light is just right, you need a tripod to at least eliminate blurs caused by camera shake.