Useful non-photographic tools for photography?

[tunalegs]

I'd like to hear some ideas.

I'll say that a bicycle for instance can be very useful to the photographer because unlike a car it can be pulled over and parked anywhere in a couple of seconds if you happen to see an interesting site or event. Missing out on something interesting because you cannot find parking is one of the most frustrating things that can happen when you chance upon an interesting scene. I bring a bike if I'm going downtown.

Other ideas? A folding step stool for event photography perhaps? Or other ideas along those lines.

 

[FrankS]

A smile and a good attitude will get you far.

 

[Peter_Jones]

A hat and gloves in this weather 🙂

 

[edge100]

Ball bungee cords. Very handy for putting up a light when you don't have a stand.

 

[bojanfurst]

Duct tape. Duct tape is one of the humanity's greatest inventions. It will hold your light stands in place, your lights, flashes, heck, I've seen it hold cameras together, too.

 

[FrankS]

Universal tools are duct tape, vice grips, and bungee cords. One could practically build an entire civilization using just these. (forgive the hyperbole)

 

[konicaman]

A Fedora - best weapon against flare!

 

[Jockos]

A hat and gloves in this weather 🙂

A Fedora - best weapon against flare!

Ah, yes! Nothing beats a solid rainproof felt fedora!

 

[Peter_Jones]

So we all agree - people should wear hats more often ? 😀

 

[edge100]

Duct tape. Duct tape is one of the humanity's greatest inventions. It will hold your light stands in place, your lights, flashes, heck, I've seen it hold cameras together, too.

Gaffer's tape is better. Doesn't leave any residue.

 

[raytoei@gmail.com]

for me the useful tool is the cigarette.
there is a certain anti-social aspect of it that
makes it appealing and definitely useful to my
photography...

 

[petronius]

Gaffer tape and a Swiss Army knife.

 

[tstermitz]

VW Vanagon for landscape photography. I can drive somewhere, pop the top for sleeping, or making a mid-afternoon coffee.

I can climb up on top of the cab, set my tripod up in the luggage hole. That gets my landscape shots above fences and hedges.

 

[ruby.monkey]

Non-photographic: coffee.
Photographic: image stabilisation.

 

[Sustich]

Ah, yes! Nothing beats a solid rainproof felt fedora!

Quite handsome and waterproof too? Who is your hat dealer, I need one of those.

Oh, and being follically-challenged, I need it even when the rain is long gone.

 

[Jockos]

Quite handsome and waterproof too? Who is your hat dealer, I need one of those.

Oh, and being follically-challenged, I need it even when the rain is long gone.

That's an Akubra, and they are damn near waterproof!
Order one size larger than usual - they'll shrink that much after a few showers, but after that they're rock solid!

 

[Chuck Albertson]

That's an Akubra, and they are damn near waterproof!
Order one size larger than usual - they'll shrink that much after a few showers, but after that they're rock solid!

=1 for Akubras. I have a "Snowy River" model that I picked up in Longreach about 25 years ago, and it's nearly indestructible.

 

[jesse1dog]

A set of old dental tools, sharp craft knife, pieces of bamboo, Q-tips, watchmakers' screwdrivers, can of lighter fuel: that should set you up for replacing sticky foam seals.
Always thought a set of aluminium steps would be useful but particularly like the VW van solution.

jesse

jesse

 

[johannielscom]

For landscape and architecture photographers, the iPhone compass, combined with VelaClock.

Compass tells you the direction things are located, VelaClock tells you when the sun is rising and setting, the exact position on the horizon where it rises and sets, daylight time, etc.

Has helped me many times to decide on locations, either while being there and returning later with the appropriate gear, or when planning to shoot.

 

[Tom A]

# 1 Good shoes
# 2 Good jacket or vest
# 3 Gaffers tape - can be used to stick film canisters back to back too.
# 4 For dark room: Dollar store plastic bottles (1 ltr and 2 ltr)
# 5 Freezer bags with Zip-Loc - many!!!!
# 6 At the moment in Vancouver: LL Bean's fleece lined jeans
# 7 Good shoes - cant emphasize this enough!!!!