8 Must Have Camera Accessories

Are you a gadget addict? Do you love new toys? Then read on for my personal pick of accessories you need to have in your kit bag! All of these items I own and can personally recommend.

1) Bottle Top Tripod
The Bottle Top Pod is just genius, throw them in your kit bag / handbag and you instantly have a tripod wherever you have bottle. If you're feeling adventurous you can make your own (as I did) with these simple instructions.

2) Photo Idea Index
Photo Idea Index by Jim Krause. This book was great for me when I first started out on my 365 Project, It gave me handy tips on being more creative with my picture taking and exploring new angles and composition tips. Jim has written a few other books on design and I have a few of these too.

3) Waterproof Case
Underwater photos are just great and the Aquapac Underwater Camera Case Has served me well. If you ever spend any time on a boat or have your own pool these things are indispensable. I've had mine for a few years now and it's been brilliant. They're also great for keeping the sand out while you're sunning it on the beach.

4) Quality Rechargeable batteries
Anyone who has been at a party and had there camera die will tell you this, although totally boring a decent set of Rechargeable Batteries are a great investment. A lot of cameras have custom batteries so if you're one of these people, make sure you buy a spare battery pack or 2 so you never run out of juice at that crucial moment again.

5) Gorillapod
Another tripod hack, I love my gorillapod, I have the Compact Digital Camera version but there is also one for Digital SLR Cameras. Small, light and they can wrap around practically anything.

6) External flash
Nothing improves your flash photography more than an off camera flash. This is probably the most expensive accessory you can get, but if you've got some spare cash a few off camera flashes used effectively can turn a drab dark photo into something special.

7) LED Keyrings
I recently posted a link to a tutorial on LED Lighting using a few of these little LED Keyrings, I've had fun playing around with them to light paint. I bought 10 of these from eBay, they are much cheaper than a flash if you're in a controlled environment.

8) Micro-fibre Cleaning Cloth
A handy cleaning cloth is a must have accessory for wiping sticky finger marks from LCD screens and lenses, they also work great for mobile phones and if you have 4 eyes like me, great for your glasses too. These handy little ones store neatly away in a bag you can take anywhere.

A Few Extras
There are a gazillion more things I could list here, I love gadgets! I'll list a few more below and would love to hear what your favourites are in the comments below.

• 19-in-1 Card Reader - Any will do, these are brilliant for when your friends come over and they haven't got a cable, just whip out the memory card and you're good to go.
  


• Photoshop or Photoshop Elements - Nothing beats photoshop when it comes to editing your photos, pricey but well worth it.
  


• Wireless Remote - If you have a fancy camera that can utilise a wireless - remote get one, they're pretty cheap on eBay and you wont have to keep running backward and forwards with the self timer.
  


• UV Filter - Anyone who has a SLR needs to put a UV filter on there lenses, they come in all shapes and sizes and are perfect for protecting your lens (one of my lenses got scratched and I was VERY unhappy)