May 15

LIFESTYLE – Photography essentials for camera enthusiasts

Posted by Editor on May 15, 2016 in Lifestyle | 1 Comment

About 6 months ago I took up photography as a hobby and I must admit I have been addicted ever since, now I know this is not a passing phase, I thought it would be a good time to see what products are on the market to enhance my photography experience.

These products can be used for those who are advanced or like myself, quite new to the wonderful world of taking pictures!

CAMERA BAG

Having a secure bag to keep your precious equipment, which is also comfortable to carry around, is essential. I came across a couple of amazing camera bags, which are stylish too!

The Thule Covert DSLR Satchel is lightweight, but very well padded inside, so you can be sure your equipment stays safe and secure. There is a zip inside with elastic pockets, perfect for keeping spare memory cards and batteries. As well as extra pockets, the padded interior is in 3 sections, one for your camera and two for extra lenses. The strap is sturdy and thick, so it fits comfortably over your shoulder or across your body. This is a stylish and sturdy bag, which will last you for years!

Thule Covert DSLR Satchel £68.99 , available at Thule.com or Argos

The Manfrotto Street camera messenger 1 for DSLR/CSC is a lightweight multi-purpose bag, it has plenty of room for your laptop, mobile phone, accessories, your camera and it’s lenses. It opens from the top and is easy to access, allowing you to pull out what you need, whilst it is still on your arm. The strap is sturdy, comfortable and the material hard wearing. Inside, the removable army print padded bag holds your camera safely and there is plenty of room for extra lenses or other items you wish to carry. This multi-purpose bag is great for day-to-day use, or for a day out taking photos.

Manfrotto Street camera messenger 1 for DSLR/CSC is £79.95 and available at Manfrotto.co.uk

MEMORY CARD

eyefi mobiPRO have created the Ultimate WiFI SD Card which is available in 16GB and 32GB capacity. It includes built-in WiFi that connects your camera, to your smartphone, tablet, PC or Mac. You just install one of their easy to use aps and select which photos you would like send to your device. What I really love about this clever card is that Eyefi Mobi mobile apps work with you from the moment you capture a picture, automatically organising photos as you take them and it includes 1 year free Eyefi cloud! This little gem is worth every penny and will enable you enjoy your photos as soon as you take them!

Eyefi Mobi Pro 16GB – ￡49.99 & Eyefi Mobi Pro 32GB – ￡65.99 Available from en.eyefir.com

LENSES

I am in love with the olloclip 4-in-1 photo lens, it is not for your DSL camera, but for your mobile phone! Since I took up photography, I have found when I walk around I often spot something magical I want to take a photo of, but of course those are the days I don’t have my camera with me. So you can imagine how excited I was to discover this little beauty, you simply fit it over your mobile phone and suddenly you have 4 amazing lenses to shoot with! It is really easy to fit, you simply unscrew one lens to release another underneath and turn it around on your camera to have 2 more! Hats off to whomever created the olloclip, as it is easy to use and creates beautiful photos!

olloclip 4-in-1 photo lens available in Rose Gold for iPhone 6s & 6s Plus. RRP £69.99; Available in all Apple stores.

TRIPOD

Now I am getting into headshot photography, I have been looking for an easy to carry and sturdy tripod, to help me create better quality photos! I found the perfect stand, the BeFree compact tripod for travel photography. Not only does it come in various colours, it is easy to assemble, sturdy and comes in a stylish over the shoulder bag! It is compact in size and light, with 100% carbon fibre legs, it actually only weighs only 1.1 kg (2.4 lbs), so you can take it anywhere.

BeFree compact tripod for travel photography, available at Manfrotto.co.uk for £174.95

PHOTO EDITING

The MAGIX Photostory 2016 Deluxe software lets you create amazing videos out of your photos in no time at all and in resolutions up to Ultra HD. You can impress your friends and family with captivating slideshows and watch your most memorable moments again and again on your TV, smartphone or tablet. The software includes loads of effects and templates and your pictures will change according to the beat of the slideshow music you have chosen.

MAGIX Photostory 2016 Deluxe £44.99, available at Magix.com

CAMERA STRAP

Having a sturdy camera strap is essential to keep your camera safe and even though your camera comes with a strap, adding one or replacing it with something stronger is worthwhile. The Carhartt Camera Strap is made using a soft and strong 100% Nylon weave for the base of the Camera Strap, Carhartt have added woven Military style Carhartt branding to the strap and include two different style attachments to cater for any style of camera.