Cheap items that will help improve your photography Photography gear isn't cheap. If you're looking to take your photography to the next level, there's no shortage of expensive lenses and accessories that will beckon to you.
Sometimes it's worth it to save up for the right piece of equipment, but you don't necessarily have to make a serious investment if you're looking to make gains in your creative pursuit. Here are a few relatively cheap buys that will pay off dividends if you're looking to try something new, build on your current photography skills, or just add another visual trick to your arsenal.
Go back to school
To really master the arts of things like lighting or post-processing, online courses are invaluable. They can also be pretty expensive. But if you're looking to pick up some additional knowledge on the cheap, Creative Live hosts classes on an array of topics – and best of all, they're free when you watch live. The Creative Live app also offers a free lesson of the day.
Along those lines, maybe read some books for inspiration. Remember the library? The library! Learn about past masters of photography or see what current photographers are doing. Bryan Petersen has a whole slew of instructional books, or you could look for some creativity boosters like David du Chemin's follow-along lessons.
Join the club
Local photography groups can help you get out the door and put you in good company. Being around other photographers and making connections within your area's photography community are great ways to keep furthering your skills, and organizations often have very affordable yearly membership fees or suggested donations – one Seattle group suggests $20 per year. Many clubs organize through meetup. com, which is a good place to start looking.
For an even lower barrier to entry, join a local photography group on Facebook for sharing and critiquing photos. And if you're looking for extra incentive, think about starting a 365 or 52 project, where you take a photo a day or a photo a week for a year. There are tons of online groups to join for support and critiques, and there are also options for 30-day projects if you feel overwhelmed by an entire year.
White and black poster board
A couple of pieces of white and black poster board make for quick and cheap ways to play with lighting. White poster board can act as a reflector, and a piece of black poster board can help tame unwanted light and reflections. It's not fancy, but it's a very cheap way to add some visual tricks to product and still life photos. And depending on the situation, poster board can act as a makeshift backdrop for portraits.
Photo by northfromseattle, licensed under CC 2. 0
Colored plexiglass
A bit of bold color can make your product photography pop. A brightly colored sheet of plexiglass costs somewhere around $10 and can lend product shots a new level of professional polish. Out here, west coast retailer TAP Plastics offers plenty of affordable options, but online options abound. Make sure to add on a bottle of glass cleaner to your order, if you haven't got some already – the fingerprints will accumulate faster than you think.
Pop up flash diffuser
If you're not ready to spring for a flashgun, you can dip your toe into the vast waters of lighting by modifying the light from your camera's pop-up flash. Sure, a Gary Fong Puffer or a Light Scoop looks a little silly, but at $20 and $30 respectively, they're a reasonably priced way to make more of what your camera already offers.
Speedlight modifier
If you've gone ahead and purchased a flashgun, congratulations – you're already reaping the benefits of a more powerful and pliable source of illumination. But there's a lot more you can do. For less than $10 you can start with a bounce diffuser, and for around $30-50 you can add something a little more exotic, like a Rogue FlashBender.
Or go no further than your local craft store: if you're just looking to experiment, some construction paper can be fashioned into a snoot and taped to a flashgun. It doesn't get much cheaper than that.
Wireless flash trigger
Moving your flash off camera will also open up new possibilities, and third-party radio flash triggers are more affordable than ever – a Yongnuo wireless trigger kit can be had for about $30. It's a whole new ballgame when you free your flashgun from the confines of your camera hotshoe.
LED flashlight
You can drop a whole lot of cash on a fancy LED light for photography, but if your aim is to experiment with another kind of off-camera illumination, pick up an LED flashlight. They're a great way to play with light painting, and if you're feeling industrious, an LED flashlight can be modified into a makeshift Ice Light for a fraction of the cost of the real thing.
ExpoDisc
If you find yourself spending a lot of your photo editing time nudging the color temperature slider back and forth, ExpoDisc is worth looking at. At $50 it's on the expensive end of 'cheap' but we know a number of wedding and portrait photographers who swear by it.
It's a magical world – go exploring
To quote an extremely wise and temperamental philosopher, "It's a magical world out there, Hobbes 'ol buddy. . . let's go exploring!" Photography is in itself a wonderful excuse to get out and explore. A new neighborhood, a historical site, a park – going somewhere new can spark creativity, awaken a new interest, and generally be a good exercise for the mind and the body. Pick a location, set yourself a goal, grab your camera and get out the door.
. dpreview.com2017-8-18 16:00
