If you have seen a camera bag, you must have noticed loads of pockets, zips and partitions in them.
Have you ever wondered what they are for?
What other accessories and gears do we need other than the camera and the lenses?
The accessories that a photographer carries in his bag varies from person to person as per their needs and personal preferences but here’s a list of important accessories you need in your camera bag that could come in handy when things go south.
Because no matter what you are going to shoot and how experienced you are, you cannot foresee certain factors but we can pack in the necessary gears to face them in case it happens.
Let’s get into it.
1) Tiny Screwdriver
Screws by itself have a basic flaw : They get looser over time.
Now imagine if you are in an important shoot of your life and your camera mount is shaking because the screws go loose.
That would be a nightmare, wouldn’t it?
So carry small screwdrivers in your camera bag so you can fix such problems within minutes and it barely takes up any space.
2) Giottos Rocket Air Blower
Here’s a fact about photographers: their workplace may not necessarily be neat and dust free.
And when you are working in such places your camera lens and filters might pick up some dust that would affect the quality of the photograph.
A simple solution would be to wipe the dust off right?
But here’s a little weightless accessory that you could have in your camera bag that would clean off the dust without having to make physical contact which might damage the camera sensor.
Trust me, it’s very valuable.
3) Small First Aid Kit
This is one of the most important thing that people forget.
They pack up all the necessary things that could protect and save their camera in case something happens but they take their own safety for granted.
New cameras can be bought, your career can be restarted, everything can be replaced except you.
Even if we are extremely careful something might happen and it’s always good to have a small first aid kit in your camera bag.
4) Spare Batteries
Photoshoots can take hours and we all know it.
We can’t really put a time cap on it as the photographer has to stay until he/she is absolutely satisfied with the work.
A photographer’s worst nightmare is running out of battery.
Imagine waiting to get the perfect shot of sunset after a two hours hike up the hills just to see your cameras drained?
Wouldn’t that be frustrating?
This has happened to some of us and so let’s learn from our mistakes.
Buy a few spare batteries and take it with you next time you go for a photo shoot.
5) Small Flashlight
Flashlights are so essential in day to day life that it has been incorporated in our mobile phones!
But why waste your mobile phone’s charge when you can carry a small flashlight with you?
Remember what comes after sunset? Darkness, and none of us like to feel around our camera bags to search for the essentials!
Nor do we want to leave our gears behind by mistake.
We can write a whole article about “Why flashlights are important to photographers or any human being for that matter”.
You might not realize the importance now, but you will need it when the time comes.
6) Protective Wrap
You know how they say “The best accessories are the most simple ones”.
As the name says “Protective Wraps” can protect your camera from anything and everything that could harm it.
They’re simply square pieces of non-scratch material with a hook and loop knit on the outside to secure around camera, lenses and other accessories.
This comes in handy when your camera bags is full.
In such scenarios, our cameras are very susceptible to getting damaged.
But if we cover it up with a protective wrap, it would protect and keep it safe.
7) Super Glue
This tip is taken from the advice of countless photographers.
Yes, Superglues are used to fix broken parts and you might think “I have never broken my camera”.
The thing is no one wants to break their camera and it happens sometimes and we would totally regret it if we do not have something that could fix the situation.
A photographer says:
“I accidentally slammed my Pocket Wizard against a door frame while turning a corner. The hot shoe mount fell off, leaving me lightless for the reception. Thanks to some quick-drying super glue, I quickly pieced it back together and was good to go in under 90 seconds”
They also say it’s better to superglue the wound shut in case we get hurt.
8) Spare SD Cards
Just like batteries, SD cards might not be very reliable.
And if they become full in the middle of a photoshoot, we have to pack up our bags and leave.
How many times have our phone popped up this notification “Memory not sufficient”.
We do not want to see that in important occasions and it’s always recommended to take a spare with us in our camera bags.
9) Ear Plugs
Earplugs are being praised by so many photographers as it can be extremely useful when the time comes.
Imagine having to finish some editing work in a loud coffee shop or if you are having a headache shooting a concert?!
Earplugs are a simple solution!
10) Spare Lens Caps
Photographers seem to lose one thing again and again : Their lens caps.
It occurs quite often if we aren’t careful and it comes with a big price – Having to leave our lens unprotected.
So, it’s always better to have a spare lens cap around to protect the lenses!
So, this wraps up our list of important things to keep in your camera bags.
Hope this article helped and gave you some insights and value.
