8 accessories you should have to improve your photography

Photography is a wonderful way to express your self artistically, even if you are a beginner. A great camera is a must, but accessories can also help improve your photography as well. Here are 8 accessories you should have to improve your photography.
If you are just starting out in photography, keep in mind what kind of photographs you enjoy making before purchasing a bunch of accessories that you may not need. The types of accessories you want to invest in will be based on the type of photography you want to get into as well.
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1. Tripod
An overall sturdy tripod is a must in photography. You may notice that after taking photographs, some of your shots might be coming out fuzzy. This is due to camera shake, where the camera might slightly move after you press down on the shutter button. A tripod will help steady the camera, greatly reducing any camera shake.
2. Lighting stands
Lighting stands are a great alternative to an off-camera flash. These are inexpensive and can help with lighting when taking portraits and shots of items for purchase. You might also want to get sandbags for windy days.
3. Beauty dish
A beauty dish is wonderful for portrait photography. Indirect light is bounced all over the dish before lighting up the model. This causes soft light to fall all over the model's face, bringing out some shadows nicely without any harsh light.
4. Grey card
Grey cards are a great accessory to help you get the correct color and white balance each time you take a photo. Take a photo of each grey card in all possible lighting settings and shoot in RAW format, in case you need to make any changes post-processing. Hold it or have your subject hold up the card for each lighting change.
5. Flash gels
Flash gels are a great accessory to your flash and are inexpensive. Place a gel over your light to change the color and lighting for an artistic effect. Play around with the different colors to set a variety of moods in your shots.
6. Polarizing filter
Polarizing filters can really make a difference in that they will emphasize color in your shots. Glare will be taken off your photographs, really bringing out the colors. If you use a digital camera, purchase a circular filter so that it fits your lens.
7. Reflector
A reflector resembles an off-camera flash, except its much cheaper to buy. Use a reflector if your shot's light source is on the side or behind your subject. The reflector will bounce some light onto the subject, filling in light without looking too harsh.
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8. Stabilized lens
Stabilized lens will help sharpen your photos. These lens compensate for the movement of your hands when shooting at slow shutter speeds. At slower shutter speeds, your camera is more likely to shake from you holding and pressing down on the shutter button. The stabilized lens will help prevent the shots from coming out blurry.