Hey, how’s it going? I’m Andy Jones, and this is episode 184 of the Photography Side Hustle podcast.
I want to wish all my American listeners a happy Thanksgiving.
This time of year, we have Black Friday and sales leading up to Christmas. Now, because I’m a caring person, I want the best for you and all the other photographers out there.
You might be asked, “What do you want for Christmas?” How many times have you been able to give them an answer? Or maybe you want to treat yourself during the sales.
Well, I’m going to prepare you in advance.
So here are 12 items you might consider.
1. Camera Bag
This is where you should buy the best quality bag you can afford. Putting your expensive equipment in a $25 bag is very risky.
There are lots of different styles of bags, such as backpacks, messenger bags, slings, roller bags, and hard cases for super protection.
You need to consider three things when buying a camera bag.
The first is Protection. You want it to shield your expensive gear from impacts, scratches, dust, and moisture, keeping everything safe wherever it is.
Next is …
Organization. You need customizable dividers to allow for a nice, snug fit for your cameras, lenses, and accessories. Everything needs to be held in place, not moving around and getting damaged.
The third thing to consider is comfort. A well-designed bag reduces strain on your back and shoulders during travel or long shoots. Don’t underestimate comfort. One of my first backpacks was really uncomfortable, and I carried it everywhere instead of putting it on my back.
If you can’t try it out, read all the reviews before buying it.
2. Belts and Harnesses
Now, I have to say I have never used a camera belt or harness. But I have seen so many wedding photographers using them, and it makes total sense.
Carrying two bodies and lenses around all day on regular camera straps can be a pain. If I were to shoot another wedding, which isn’t going to happen, I would get a shoulder harness.
If you are looking to shoot family portraits, you might want to consider either a belt system or a harness. It’ll reduce back pain on long shoots.
3. Extra Batteries
This one is a no-brainer. You need lots of fully charged batteries with you on every shoot. Especially if you live in a colder climate. Batteries don’t hold a charge when it’s chilly out. The colder it is, the quicker they lose their charge.
Like I said, it’s a no-brainer. Just buy a couple of extra batteries.
4. Memory Cards
Again, this is a no-brainer. Always carry extra cards with you.
When you are choosing a memory card, consider three things.
Ample Storage: You don’t want to run out of space during high-volume shoots like sports events.
Speed: High-speed cards facilitate rapid shooting and faster downloads, especially for 4K video or burst photography.
If your camera shoots 30 frames per second, your memory cards need to be able to capture those photos easily. A slow card will cause buffering and make the camera pause until the card has caught up.
Fast cards are expensive but necessary.
They also need to be durable. You want waterproof, shockproof, and temperature-resistant cards to ensure reliability.
Look at brands like Lexar, Sony, Sandisk, and Pro Grade.
5. Circular Polarizer
These are super useful. Great for shooting everything from landscapes to family portraits.
They give you glare reduction, which minimizes unwanted reflections from water, glass, or shiny surfaces.
Enhanced colors and deepened blues in skies and intensified foliage colors for striking images.
Because they are circular polarizers, you get creative control. They allow you to fine-tune the effect by rotating the filter. As far as price goes, you can pay as little as $20 and over $500. It all depends on the size of your lens filter thread.
6. Lights
This is a great time of year to buy lights. There are lots of good deals.
All you need to do is decide if you want flash or continuous lights. Flash gives you more power output for less money. Continuous LED panels are excellent but very expensive.
If you are new to lighting your photos, I recommend a Godox TT865. At the moment, they are $119 at B&H.
7. Remote Trigger
You would need a remote trigger for camera stability. When your camera is mounted on a tripod, you need to eliminate vibrations caused by physically pressing the shutter, especially for long exposures.
They also allow you to trigger the camera from a distance, which is useful for wildlife photography, sports, or self-portraits.
Some triggers offer advanced features like interval shooting for time-lapse photography.
Now, I’m talking about wireless remote triggers, not ones that are connected to the camera by a wire.
Next is …
8. Universal L Bracket
This is a metal bracket that fits to the bottom and side of the camera body.
You need one of these if you use a tripod. To secure your camera onto a tripod, you need a mounting plate. The plate has a dovetail fitting that locks into the tripod head.
I hate these mounting plates. They are so easy to lose, and when they are on the camera and you put the camera down, it makes them unstable.
So, the universal L brackets have the dovetail fitting, called an Arca-type fitting, along both edges.
This makes it easy to move between portrait and landscape orientations without readjusting the tripod. I leave my L bracket on all the time. It’s metal and protects the camera body on two sides.
Best of all, I don’t need mounting plates.
Okay, next is one you might not have heard of …
9. Lens Adapters
I use an adapter on my Canon R6 body so I can use my EF lenses on the RF mount.
It’s possible, though, to get adapters that let you use Canon lenses on a Nikon body or Sony lenses on a Nikon body.
There is a world of possibilities out there. Just search for “Lens Mount Adapter.”
Next on my list is …
10. Printers
Printing your images at home will change your relationship with photography.
The best printers and ink are not cheap, but they will pay for themselves quickly if you sell wall art.
If you are a landscape photographer selling prints online, it’s got to be quicker and more profitable to print it yourself compared to ordering it from a photo lab.
Anyway, the bigger Canon printers, like the Pro-1000, are reduced by $300 at the moment. The Epson P900 is $200 off.
11. Portfolio Presentation Binders
Now, these are old school, but there is still a place for them.
If you are trying to sell large prints and don’t have a studio, these are for you.
B&H is selling one that holds twenty 36” x 24” prints for $139. There are lots of different sizes to choose from.
Meeting customers and showing them physical prints of your work makes it easier for them to make a decision.
12. Editing Software
This is something I really hadn’t considered. It was Kevin Cowley in the Facebook group who mentioned that he got Adobe Photographer Plan Subscriptions at Christmas from his family.
So check out Adobe.com and see what they are offering. B&H in New York also sells subscriptions, but only to US residents.
Okay, I hope I’ve given you some good ideas.
As always, if you need help with anything, you can find me in the Facebook group, Messenger, Instagram, and now Bluesky. Which is a breath of fresh air.
I’ll be back next week, thanks for listening, bye.
