The piece of non photographic equipment you can't do without for your photos.

The Useless Snapper

The Useless Snapper

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No
Bet that's making you think.
My offering and I will explain why. The fat boy electric bike. Modified for 3 batteries, Why 3 batteries I hear you ask it gives me 80-100 mile range depending how it's used. You don't want this thing to run out of juice with a camera bag and tripod you are talking 35 kg for bike and 15 kg for gear it's hard peddling I found out the hard way:)
So why an electric bike for birding it's quiet and you have access to your camera in front of you straight away brilliant on places like North Uist, Anglesey and other places like that.
Great for landscape work as well this thing does trails paths beaches easily the fat boy tyre comes into its own.PSX_20231207_084805.jpg
 
The obvious one is a computer to process the raw images, but I guess you're looking for the less direct items :)

While not always needed, a good pair of walking shoes is important if I'm out and about - last thing I need to be worrying about when trying to find the right sport to take a shot from is slipping on some wet rocks, for example.
 
Going to sound daft, but a travel towel lives in my camera bag, I know it's a bit hitch hikers guide to the galaxy but I carried it before reading the books.
It comes from my press days, we'd use a small towel (or tea towel) to cover the camera in the rain, it keeps a lot off.
It's handy for the rain, drying the camera or yourself, sitting on. Honestly it's got a load of uses and weighs almost nothing.
 
Some good replies there. I can check all those boxes.
I did this post a bit tongue in cheek if I'm honest.
It's the sort of post that can help a lot of new photographers with things they may not of thought of.
 
The Useless Snapper said:
Bet that's making you think.
My offering and I will explain why. The fat boy electric bike. Modified for 3 batteries, Why 3 batteries I hear you ask it gives me 80-100 mile range depending how it's used. You don't want this thing to run out of juice with a camera bag and tripod you are talking 35 kg for bike and 15 kg for gear it's hard peddling I found out the hard way:)
So why an electric bike for birding it's quiet and you have access to your camera in front of you straight away brilliant on places like North Uist, Anglesey and other places like that.
Great for landscape work as well this thing does trails paths beaches easily the fat boy tyre comes into its own.View attachment 408567
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I dread to think the cost of this bike setup :eek:
 
Me.
 
Not essential but... a gardeners kneeling pad. It gives me something semi-rigid and flat to go in my backpack so I don't get things sticking in my back. Gives me a cleanish surface to change lenses on and I can always sit on it if I want.
 
My favourite outings are sunrise or night skies so for me it has to be clothing related in all honesty.

I was over in Wales Friday evening stood by Keeper's Pond for about 3 hours shooting the Aurora in minus temperatures. There's no way I was doing that without decent clothes, thermals, snood, gloves, woolly hat & a hip flask of spiced rum :)
 
Sealskins knee high waterproof socks. (I don't wear shorts)

Boots can let water in at times and need more maintaining. The merino liner keeps feet cool in summer too. Warm in winter. They're windproof too. And last year's.


And to go ultra "out there"..... Ear plugs.. If it's a long hike and high winds the wind noise gives me headaches.
 
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LeeRatters said:
My favourite outings are sunrise or night skies so for me it has to be clothing related in all honesty.

I was over in Wales Friday evening stood by Keeper's Pond for about 3 hours shooting the Aurora in minus temperatures. There's no way I was doing that without decent clothes, thermals, snood, gloves, woolly hat & a hip flask of spiced rum :)
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keepers pond.. would that be between Abergavenny and Blaenavon?
And my indispensable article of equipment would be my flask of hot chocolate made with milk and NOT water lol
 
for pitchside sports photogrpahy... hot flask of milky coffee :) while all the other photogrpahers stand around shivering at half time .. i drink my lovely coffee :)
 
Jammy Dodger said:
How do you cope with everyone parking on pavements?
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Badly. It makes me incredibly angry and if I can catch the offender I verbally tear them to pieces. :argue:

Pavement parkers should be handcuffed into a wheelchair for at least 24 hours, then denied access to a toilet until they soil themselves. Then they should be left sat in it until it's gone dry and crusty enough to give them nasty sores.

There is NEVER a reason to park on the pavement - they are for people not cars. :mad:

I'm very sorry to hear that you have to use a chair too - they help a great deal, but other people make it a lot harder for us than it should ever be.
 
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Sky said:
There is NEVER a reason to park on the pavement - they are for people not cars. :mad:
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Depends where you are, we were told by the fire brigade to park on the pavement in our street because if we did not, the fire engine couldn't get through. They even put signs up in the street to tell us to do it.
 
Unlocker said:
Depends where you are, we were told by the fire brigade to park on the pavement in our street because if we did not, the fire engine couldn't get through.
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In that case you should park in a different street as that one is obviously not wide enough to accommodate parked cars. Once again; 'There is NEVER a reason to park on the pavement - they are for people not cars.'
 
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A big floppy rubber lens hood. I do a lot of nighttime photography from inside tall buildings and the hood helps block reflections in double glazed windows. It also sparks countless conversations with photographers and non-photographers whenever I am in a crowded space like The Shard.
 
Sky said:
In that case you should park in a different street as that one is obviously not wide enough to accommodate parked cars. Once again; 'There is NEVER a reason to park on the pavement - they are for people not cars.'
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And that is why people still park on the pavements without a care.

Very grand sounding suggestion, but suggestions need to be workable to be worth anything, what would you do with all the cars that have nowhere to park?

If they made a rule stating that drivers must leave 800mm between their cars and the wall/hedge or what ever border the adjacent property, there's a good chance everyone would be happy.

It's a problem that is not going to just go away, they need to find a workable and enforceable solution.

(we don't park on the pavement outside our house, one the road is wide enough, and two we have space for four cars off road)
 
Sangoma said:
what would you do with all the cars that have nowhere to park?
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I don't GAF where you put them, but just don't park them on the pavement. :headbang:

Far too many people are just selfish ar@eholes who only care about themselves. That is the problem that needs addressing and it would solve a million other problems at the same time.
 
Sky said:
I don't GAF where you put them, but just don't park them on the pavement. :headbang:

Far too many people are just selfish ar@eholes who only care about themselves. That is the problem that needs addressing and it would solve a million other problems at the same time.
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And how is that attitude any different to those who block the pavements?
How will that thinking solve the problem?

Sorry, I can't agree that your approach will help resolve the problem.
 
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