Photography, for many people, involves whipping out a smartphone and hitting the capture button. Why get fancy with lighting, aperture, angles, shutter speed, focus? Just make sure everyone has their eyes open, and call it good. But for those who demand more — say, a perfect, beautiful shot to lock in the moment — this method won’t work. Serious photography operates in the nuances beyond simply pressing a button, and it takes a small village of pro-level accessories to do it right. The ones below help make gorgeous photos less elusive. As for having the eye? Well, get out there and start practicing.
Heavy Camera Strap by DSPTCH x Gear Patrol $45
Hadley Pro Camera Bag by Billingham $250
50mm Prime Lens A GP Guide to Prime Lenses Is Here
CLT104 Carbon Fiber Tripod by Induro $330
77mm XS-Pro Kaesemann Polarizer by B+W $151
Rugged Thunderbolt Portable Hard Drive by LaCie $170+
Power Reserve 2X by mophie $50
Professional 2000x 64GB Memory Card with USB Reader by Lexar $95
Photoshop Lightroom by Adobe $149
Microfiber Cleaning Cloth by Declan $25