Top 5 Accessories Every Photographer Should Have on Set
It’s pretty hard to believe that I’ve been working on commercial photography sets for over fifteen years! A majority of those years were spent hauling gear and cleaning countless products and surfaces, but even the most boring of gigs had some teachable moments. This is a new series I’m releasing on the YT channel offering up some of my favorite tips and tricks. First up on the list are my Top 5 accessories worth having on any photo shoot.
Here’s the condensed version of my Top 5 list from the above video.
Gaffer’s Tape - An indispensable piece of kit for holding things together on set. Can be used for: placeholder marking, gear identification, taping down cables/cords, repairing a battery door, holding together a v-flat, the list goes on and on.
Light Meter - Your shoot lives and dies by proper exposure. Sure most modern cameras have a solid built-in meter, but when working with multiple artificial light sources on set having an accurate, hand held reading is worth its weight in gold. Especially useful for big shoots on location where your set is always changing. I’ve been using Sekonic meters for 18+ years now and they’ve never failed me.
Backup SSD - No modern, digital shoot is complete without on-site backups. Even when it’s not my job to have one, I bring a backup SSD or two. The new D1 series enclosures from Terramaster are incredibly solid, waterproof, dust proof, and crush proof! You can also save 10% on any Terramaster drive with coupon code “MATMARRASH”. A shameless plug that pays off!
A-Clamps - Right up there with gaffer’s tape, A-Clamps are super handy to have on set in a variety of sizes From tightening up wardrobe on a model to propping up a light modifier, you can hardly have too many of these when on a photo or video shoot.
ROBOCUP - I’ve never been on a shoot where a member of the camera crew didn’t have some sort of drink with them. When you’re working with expensive digital equipment, you don’t want those drinks placed anywhere near that pricey gear. What started as a tool for the outdoors crowd has now taken photo and movie sets by storm. Get yourself at least two of these and your production team will thank you later.
(Bonus!) Bluetooth Speaker - Along with convenient drink placement, having good vibes on set is critical to a photo shoot’s function. I recommend the JBL bluetooth speakers that fit in a cup holder so you can pop the tunes right in the ROBOCUP when on location.
What are some accessories you can’t live without when you’re on a photo shoot? Any big ones that I missed? Let me know what you think and I’ll catch y’all next time for some more tech tips and tricks.