Pretty much everyone has taken a picture once or twice, but there’s a big difference between the casual photographer and the photography enthusiast. You know the enthusiasts when you see them — they’re the ones who don’t let you eat your food until they’ve Instagrammed it, or who stand in the middle of a busy walk to get a perfect shot of sun hitting a building.
If you’re that person, we understand. There’s something special about capturing a special moment with a photograph. Nowadays, smartphones and digital cameras make it super easy to take tons of photos wherever you go. Even better, tech companies are constantly creating new accessories that make taking photos even more fun. Here are some of the best camera accessories for anyone who’s wants to up their digital photography game.
Wireless Camera Remote
Image: Alpine Labs
If you’re into photography, you’ve probably tried (or at least thought about) taking some time lapse photos of some amazing scenery. You know it can be hard to set-up, let alone ensure the perfect settings for every shot. Indulge your inner photographer with one of the top accessories for a DSLR camera: a wireless remote like the Pulse from Alpine Labs.
A wireless remote is a powerful way to control your camera from your smartphone. By plugging into your DSLR or camera’s USB port, you can control everything from the instant shots, time lapse, or video all from your phone. Complete creative freedom at your fingertips.
WiFi-Enabled SD Cards
Image: ephotozine
If you’re someone who takes a lot of pictures, then you know how much of a hassle it can be to transfer those photos from your SD card to your computer. One of the top camera accessories for SD card users is definitely a wi-fi enabled SD card, like the ones from Eye-Fi. These little babies pack a big punch — they can hold up to 32GB of photos.
Of course, the real power comes from their wireless capabilities. No more fumbling with USB cords and wires. Just use one of these in your smartphone, tablet, or other Wi-Fi enabled device, and the SD card will upload photos right to your computer when the device is on and connected to Wi-Fi.
Flexible, Portable Tripods
Photo by Miss Zhang on Unsplash
Traditional tripods can be such a hassle. They’re bulky and inflexible, and they’re a real pain in the butt to travel with. On the other hand, tripods are pretty much invaluable for the photographer trying to take time-lapse photos or shooting in low light. What do you do?
The answer: upgrade your tripod to a flexible tripod like the Gorillapod. Gorillapods are cool camera accessories for an obvious reason. Their innovative design allows you to bend the legs any which way so you can adjust the height or securely attach the tripod to something while you shoot. Gorillapods are available for all sorts of cameras, and they even have models made just for smartphones. There are magnetic options, too. You really can’t go wrong with these durable, portable tripods.
If you’re thinking, “Why do I need a tripod?”, let us tell you. Tripods keep your camera totally still, so you can say goodbye to any blurriness. We’ve all taken a photo in low light and seen it come out all blurry and grainy, and no one wants that. Plus, your new tripod is the perfect way to pull off timed photos. You know, so you can actually be in the photo for once.
Clip-On Smartphone Lenses
Image Credit @professorhines
If you really like using your smartphone for photography but miss the lens capabilities of a more sophisticated camera, we have good news for you. Clip-on lenses for your smartphone are one of the best camera accessories for the advanced photographer on the go. Lenses like the Olloclip expand the capabilities of your basic smartphone camera, so you can take professional-grade shots without carrying around a big camera. Plus, it’s way cheaper than buying a new lens for your DSLR.
Have you ever tried to take a close-up photo with your smartphone only to find your camera unable to focus? We've totally been there, which is why we love these lenses. With a clip-on macro lens, you can finally snap the perfect picture of a flower or an extreme close up of latte art. Whatever you want, we won’t judge. Clip-on lenses also let you take fun, fisheye effect photos to spice up your goofy selfies. Plus, there’s a wide angle lens that’s great for those landscape photos.
If what you really want is more zoom, don’t worry. There are plenty of telephoto lens options that can increase your camera’s zoom up to 8x. Cheaper options can still pack a punch with 1.5x magnification, so find the lens that best suits your needs.
Ring Lights
You may have heard ring lights called selfie lights, but whatever you call them, they’re one of the cool camera accessories for anyone looking for an easy way to give great lighting on a subject, especially for portraits and video monologues. They are exactly what they sound like: a circle-shaped light filled with several LED bulbs that will brighten up your photo shoot. Some models have different brightness settings, so you can adjust the intensity of the lighting as you wish.
Ring lights are great for portraits Photo by Jessica To'oto'o on Unsplash
Ring lights come in lots of types. You can get a clip-on light for your smartphone. Or, if you’re really dedicated to the selfie, you can even get a case that features a ring light. As for your DSLR or other camera, there are attachable options for those, too. What we’re saying is you can get ring lights for all your cameras and never have to suffer from bad lighting again.
Aerial Drones
Image: DJI Mavic
Drones such as the DJI Mavic have become a photographers best friend over the years, allowing them to capture grand, wide, cascading images that offer a completely unique perspective of your subject. They often offer both HD capture in addition to image stabilization for extra sharp images and smooth video. We recommend a few test runs before you’re shoot, because while they certainly aren’t like piloting a helicopter they do take some getting used to!
Now try to get that shot without a drone.
Lifeprint Instant Printer
Let’s be real. For a lot of people, a smartphone is their go-to camera. Even if you have a bigger, fancier camera like a DSLR, it’s not practical to carry everywhere. Embrace the smartphone camera life and make printing your photos easy with Lifeprint Instant Printer. This compact device can print your photos in just seconds, making it super easy to share your photos in real-time.
What makes Lifeprint stand out from other cool camera accessories? With Lifeprint, you can handle more than just photos — you can print stills from gifs and videos, too. You can then bring those gifs and videos to life, making them show action, using the power of Lifeprint’s Hyperphoto app. It’s literally like Harry Potter, except real. With the app, you can also view other users’ photo streams for inspiration. Lifeprint is a whole new world for sharing photos.
The Lifeprint photo printer can connect to your iPhone or Android device via Bluetooth or wireless, so you can really take it anywhere you go. Plus, its portable size makes it easy to throw in your bag, or even slip in your pocket. If your friend or family member has a Lifeprint printer of their own, you can even send your photos right to their printer. It’s a great way to let mom know you’re doing just fine on your spring break to Mexico.
Lifeprint ZINK Paper
Sometimes, cool camera accessories need another accessory to work their very best. What we’re saying is that to make your Lifeprint instant printer live up to its full potential, you’ll need some Lifeprint brand Zink paper. Our Zink paper comes two sizes that correspond to the two Lifeprint printer model sizes: 3” x 4.5” and 2” x 3”.
What makes this paper so special? For one, it perfectly fits the printers. Plus, thanks to the inkless printer, the paper requires no ink to print your photos! That means you don’t have to replace costly inkwells or hassle with removing them. Inkless printing is also considered eco-friendly.
If that’s not enough, Lifeprint’s Zink paper comes with an inventive sticky backing. Just peel off the protective back to reveal adhesive that you can stick almost anywhere. Deck out your computer, your planner, your phone, and whatever else you can think of. Your photos can truly become a part of your environment with the adhesiveness of Zink paper — and you can watch your carefully placed photos come to life anytime with the Hyperphoto app.
Ready to Snap Some Photos?
There’s a line that separates amateur photography from professional photography. To cross that line, you can study things like color theory and composition, but all that studying won’t do any good if you don’t have the right tools. If you’re trying to take your photos to the next level, you have to check out the best camera accessories on the market. Now go take some great pics!
