To start off a workshop all about visual communications, first we want to make sure we have all the basic essentials in our camera kit to set us up for success. All of these items can be found on places like Amazon if you do not have a camera store near you, or if you are looking to save some money. It can hurt to have to purchase a bunch of stuff in the beginning, but one of the main ways to succeed in media communications is to have the basics in order to begin creating your content. Along with obviously needing a camera, which we will get into how to choose the best kind for you in a later post, here is a full-proof list of items to begin your media-making journey:
Camera Tripod- Probably one of the most versatile and necessary accessories is a tripod. Whether you’re shooting landscape, portrait, night, street, or even wedding photography, you’re going to need a tripod at some point or another. They are also useful in low light settings, as the stability will allow you to take longer-exposure shots without any camera shake.
Basic Camera Lens- For cameras such as Nikon and Canon, a basic lens is the stock one that usually comes with your camera. These are usually 50mm f/1.8 lenses. This will help you start out with your photography and teach you how to better composition techniques because you cannot zoom very much.
Remote Shutter Release- This allows you to take a photo without having to touch your camera. Remote shutter releases are great for completely getting rid of any motion blur, or if you are wanting to take a photo with yourself in it and you do not have anyone to help, or you simply want to make sure the composition is done to your liking. These are usually used along with your tripod, so it is a smart idea to have both, i guarantee you will thank me later.
SD Memory Cards/External Hard drive- Whey it comes to shooting photography, the more memory cards, the better. Having multiple memory cards can help eliminate the problem of one of them becoming corrupted and you losing all your work. Another good item to have is an external hard drive. Although these can be a bit pricey, it is better to be save than sorry and have a spot to back all of your files up onto. This will also help save space on your computer hard drive!
Camera Cleaning Kit- Dust and debris makes its way into your camera lens no matter how hard you try to keep it out. Having one of these cleaning kits will help save you the frustration and danger of trying to do it with household items and hurting your camera.
A Bag for it All- Might not seem like an absolute need, however, once you have all the items for your camera, it really. helps to have a protective camera bag to organize it all into one space.