Useful non-photographic tools for photography?

[Peter_Jones]

Non-photographic: coffee.
Photographic: image stabilisation.

Perhaps one requires the other ?

 

[oftheherd]

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.

(sigh) I used to have a VW camper. What a fun vehicle to own. So many places to store things out of the way. Sleeping accomodations on the move. The top canvas opened to the outside for unrestricted views it you could park right. I really miss it.

 

[burancap]

Oh great... true GAS -Googling: vanagons for sale

 

[taskoni]

I second the shoes, gaffer tape and to add: BlackWrap (Cinefoil)!

 

[jtm6]

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.

Although more expensive, consider Gaffer's Tape instead of Duct Tape. Gaffer's tape doesn't leave any residue.

Edit:

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

Oops. Beat me to it. 😉

 

[Bill Clark]

An open mind!

 

[Richard G]

1. Shoes - Scarpa walking shoes are my favourite.
2. Fedora indeed. Mine is green and I wear it at lunchtime on my walks. Draws more comment than the M9-P. Are some of you guys getting these outside of Australia too?
3. LighTrac iPhone app: I can have another cup of coffee, knowing just when the south face of a building will begin to get the glancing late afternoon sun. iPhone notes app. iPhone Vic Heritage app gives me the history of any building or bridge or anything else I am standing near.
4. Clean cotton handkerchief.

 

[nikon_sam]

As others have already stated...
Comfy, broken in shoes...
A Maglite flashlight (the AA size one)
Sharpie
A good quality paint brush (about 1 1/2" wide) for removing hard to get to dust
For the over "50" Club a nice pair of Cheaters
Half finger wool gloves
Now the VW Van would be on the list if I could find one for sale and if I could afford it...

 

[teleparallel]

Confy Shoes!
Water Bottle.
Something small and substantial to eat(Chocolate, Cereal Bar).
Umbrella
Plastic bags.
Flashlight.

C'est tout!

 

[Pablito]

rubber bands, the fat ones that come on broccoli and the extra long ones in different colors from Staples.

notebook and pen

business cards

extra small leatherman (better than swiss army knife, and it has a knife)

hand wipes

giant zip loc bag for camera bag if you get caught in really bad downpour (like monsoon rain)

squares of bubble wrap -weights nothing protects equipment

pencil (eraser is good for cleaning battery contacts)

tiny led flashlight

 

[Harry Lime]

Good shoes
Umbrella (Knirps)
Gaffer / masking tape
Small LED flashlight
Swiss Army knife with scissors / tweezers (tiny)
Sharpie
Business cards
GPS

 

[f16sunshine]

Luck. !



+10 characters including dog treats . Dogs like em, dog owners love em!

 

[lynnb]

I found an Energizer LED head torch, with a hinged beam unit that permits the beam to swivel down and fix to any angle through 90deg, to be much more useful than a hand held torch - keeps the hands free..
It has a simple power button that cycles through white light, deep red light (like a safelight) and off. Comes in very handy when walking over tricky ground in the dark, or when ferreting about in camera bag.

 

[lynnb]

In some places, an information sheet stating photographer's rights might also be useful!

 

[Sparrow]

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

... one cannot build a civilisation without cable-ties

 

[Sejanus.Aelianus]

Umpteen years ago, I heard a story about Zoltan Glass being interviewed.

The reporter (from a camera magazine) asked: "Mr Glass, what is the most important tool in a professional photographer's studio?"

Glass, already fed up with the whole thing, replied "Without an Oompha - the studio would not work!"

The puzzled reporter asked the great man what an 'Oompha' might be.

Glass grabbed the nearest object, a staple gun, and held it up, pronouncing with great authority: "This is an Oompha!"

😀

 

[jky]

Haven't checked is this has been mentioned:

Comfortable Shoes

 

[shadowfox]

I'm almost never without my Fisher Space Pen.
Marking film rolls, jotting down location info, simple sketches, whatever...

 

[kubilai]

I agree with the importance of having good shoes, but my point is about shooting in the crowd. Sometimes you cannot reach the barreer, and realize a step ladder can be more useful than a 400/2.8 :

 

[Keith]

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

Except when using the 15mm Heliar ... how do I know this? 😀