Five Items to Purchase for New Photographers

If you're like me, the first thing you thought about when purchasing your camera was what would be the next lens to get. It's understandable; while the kit lens that comes in a bundle is a perfectly suitable lens to use, it leaves you wanting more. Part of maturing as a photographer is to learn to work with what you have, though. Using certain lenses forces you to get creative (which is probably why I struggle to challenge myself: I did what I am not advising and went for lenses first). Maybe a kit lens doesn't give you the range you want. Of course there will be some photos where you absolutely need the range, but maybe it prompts you to think of an alternative photo than the shot you want. Using a prime exclusively helps you manage shot composition. You can't zoom, so learn to move around and think about how to frame your shot. Before you go ahead and buy a second lens, consider these five items to help you maximize your current gear and learn other types of photography.

1. Cable Release - This is my first recommended item to get. A cable release has a number of uses. A cable release will allow you to take longer exposure shots by putting your camera in bulb mode. The shutter stays open as long as you want it to. This is useful for night photography, to name one example, so you can instantly immerse yourself in a new type of photography by buying a very inexpensive piece of equipment. The other thing is that it also minimizes camera vibration. Even the act of pressing the shutter release button has the slightest vibration. Using a wireless remote or a cable release eliminates this, enabling the sharpest pictures possible.
2. Tripod - Now, most of the time a cable release is used when a camera is mounted on a tripod. It isn't necessary, as you can always create your own sort of setup to hold a camera steady. A tripod is much more convenient and steady, though, so you'll want to get one of these. Tripods aim to hold a camera motionless for a shot, particularly for longer exposures. Tripods (and the tripod heads, which are bought separately for higher end setups) can range from inexpensive to quite expensive. As a beginner, it might be excessive to drop hundreds on a tripod and head thinking that you'll grow into it, but it is important not to go too cheap, as the tripod needs to be steady and able to support the weight of your camera and lens (and some lenses can be quite heavy). You also don't want a ball head that slowly moves during a shot, making the picture blurry. Having a tripod enables you to more easily do night photos, maximize the sharpness in your photos, and also is best for photographing macro shots.
3. Battery - A battery might not seem like the best investment, as different cameras use different batteries. While not completely cheap, the price of a battery is worth the convenience and its ability to bail you out of a tough situation. The last thing you want is to have your battery run out midway through a trip or concert and have to wait for your only battery to have to charge before you can use your camera again. When starting out, I wouldn't recommend getting a battery grip right away; these also can vary by camera model, and these are much more on the pricey side. The extra battery is a good start.
4. Cleaning kit - Keeping your gear clean is an absolute must. No matter how careful you are, the gear is going to need to be cleaned. You can get kits that will provide all the basics for you: a rocket blaster to blow particles of dust off of the lens so you never have to make contact with the glass, a goat's hair brush for anything you cannot remove with the blower, and a microfiber cloth with cleaning solution for a wet cleaning of the lens surface. This will keep your lens (and future lenses) in prime condition. Typically it is cheapest to but all of these things in a bundle if you don't have any of them already.
5. Reversal ring - This one is more of a placeholder for a general category of macro lens substitutions. You may be able to buy macro adapters for a low price, but these, while will have an impact, also greatly reduce image quality, so opting for these cheap adapters is not a great idea. There are other alternatives, though. Many lenses can be disassembled and altered to become amazing macro lenses in exchange for the loss of certain functionality (such as autofocus). That requires a little research and acquiring a cheap lens (like $40-$50, not an actual good, new lens). One alternative, though, is a reversal ring. A reversal ring attaches to the camera body and mounts your lens backwards. By doing this, the lens becomes a fantastic macro lens at the fraction of the cost of a macro lens. The peril of doing this, however, is the rear element is exposed, which is not ideal since you cannot put any sort of filter on to protect it. If you do decide to go down this route, just proceed carefully to avoid any damage to the lens. It is a great low cost alternative that yields great quality relative to some of the junk you may find online.

So there you have it: for the price of a lens (less than most lenses, in fact), you can get five items that will expand your photography capabilities immediately that will expose you to various types of photography and help hone your skills and technique so you can really but a new lens to use well once it comes time for you to get one.