PHOTO GADGETS THAT ARE WORTH EVERY PENNY

So you’re looking for the best photo gadgets you didn’t know you needed? Then come on in, you’re in the right place! These are some of the best photo gadgets I have purchased and owned over the years. I am a big supporter of the KISS method (keep it simple ~~stupid~~) when it comes to my life (says the overthinker with pro/con spreadsheets). Let’s just get right down to it, shall we?

JJC HARDSHELL CARD HOLDER

If you need one piece of equipment to be hardworking and reliable, it is your SD cards so innately, that you need to keep them safe, dry, and out of harm’s way.

Whether it’s pets, kids, or you’re just clumsy and don’t yet have a system (if not, you 100% need to) losing an SD card could mean losing important data you need to save and edit later.

This JJC case was actually a holiday gift in 2022 and I admit I didn’t think much of it until I started using it to keep my full SD cards in my office before they get cleaned up. I also write what’s on them in a Post-it note and keep it folded inside the case, that way I always know what’s on each card.

LENS CLEANING KIT

If you wear glasses, you know cleaning cloths are not all created equal, and I am particularly picky with mine, they have to actually clean and this one delivers.

I have had this exact kit since the beginning I feel like, and I use it often during wedding season. I clean both the inside of my camera and outside, in addition to each of the lenses before weddings and in between shoots and I love that I still haven’t even run out of the cleaner.

Remember to wash your cleaning cloth every now and again so that you aren’t wiping your lenses with a dirty cloth.

THINK TANK SD CARD HOLDER

I am not sure why I waited so long to “splurge” on a dedicated SD card holder, but it was a no-brainer when I finally admitted to myself that I needed one. Think Tank is a brand trusted by photographers worldwide to carry their gear.

Naturally, their SD card holders are no different. Mine is orange and holds my business cards in addition to 9 SD pockets with a clear window.

TIP: I like to flip my cards over on their back to indicate to myself that they’re full and the other way around to indicate they’re clean and ready to go for the next shoot.

ACRYLIC BLOCKS

These beauties are very simple but so useful! The obvious choice is to place them under invitation suites to elevate one of several pieces from the background, but another way in which you can get creative with these is to place them under a thinner fabric, like a wedding veil or bridesmaid dress for a little pedestal.

You can stack more than one behind your items to create different heights

REFLECTING BOUNCE CARDS

Ah, the simplicity here. Literally, the words that came out of my mouth when I saw a photographer friend using these was “Isn’t it amazing how sometimes the simplest products make the best solutions?” And this is it. I am not afraid to say I spent upwards of $40 on light-bouncing products I rarely use, yes they’re great quality and all, but worthless if they never come out of my camera bag.

These guys though, they’re simple, lightweight, and get the job done. I had been looking for an alternative for a product that is no longer being made and these fit that perfectly.

SELFIE TRIPOD

Okay, this one I am so excited to share! This has been one of my favorite travel gadget purchases to date! For the longest time I got super lame selfies, especially on vacation, and then I set out to look how influencers got such amazing photos and this, my friends, was the answer! This selfie tripod has a remote control that connects via Bluetooth and you can snap your own photos now!

TENBA CF CARD HOLDER

This is very similar to the Think Tank version of the card holder, but this one has bigger slots that are perfect for CF cards. I also own this version and I like to keep my SD cards inside their little plastic cases and then insert them in these slots, so that gives me versatility depending on where I am going and if I need to store mixed media in there too (SD and CF).

If you are not familiar with Tenba, I also own a roller bag from there and the quality is absolutely outstanding. I’d not hesitate to recommend them to anyone looking for a solid travel bag for your gear.

LUME CUBE

This one is so fun and useful (not only for photography I might add) but especially in combination with the selfie tripod, this is the perfect travel light to get photos after the sun sets. I have used this guy as a small fill light, a flashlight in a pinch, to lighten shadows on some details, to help me get food photos in dimly lit restaurants, and better photos while traveling.

Products Mentioned

This post contains affiliate links. If you follow an affiliate link and purchase that product or service, that means I get a small commission at no extra cost to you, these products or services are used or thoroughly researched by me and I intend to bring you useful content and an easy way to find any products mentioned. I have not been paid to promote or endorse any of these items. These are my honest opinions and thoughts and all products were purchased with with my own money.