Will’s Top 10 Must Haves for Photographers in the UK

Will’s Top 10 Must Haves for Photographers in the UK

'Whether you're a beginner at photography or a seasoned professional, there's a number of must-haves for any creative and getting the right equipment will help you in the long run. Below are my top 10 recommendations, taken from a list of equipment that I've compiled over the years being a full-time professional photographer myself.

These products are chosen in the aid of making your creative life easier and helping you to create the best quality work that you can! There's a lot of products for photographers out there, but this list can help you separate fact from fiction as I describe ones that have worked for me and importantly, why they work and help me be a better photographer.'

Will's curated list of must haves for photographers will surely get you on the right track and introduce you to things that you didn't know you needed. 
Creator Image
Will Lamerton
Photographer and Business Owner

Digital entrepreneur based on the North Devon coast in the UK. Having started three successful businesses over the years, I use my skill sets in digital cont... See More

  • Esddi Studio Light Box Brightness Foldable Shooting Tent translation missing: en-GB.activerecord.decorators.item_part_image/alt
    Source：uk.esddis.com

    Esddi
    Studio Light Box Brightness Foldable Shooting Tent

    Will Lamerton

    Traditionally, a photographer would have to spend a lot of money on lighting and studio equipment to get great studio images, or, work hard in post-processing to create a great quality image. Both options waste money or time. 


    With a lightbox, the average photographer can make a small investment and produce great quality studio work in this portable box. For a commercial product and lifestyle photographer, the size of this portable studio is perfect for the vast majority of what I shoot and produces great results that need very little post-processing. 




    This is a really useful tool for any photographer to have, especially if you're after a cheap and effective way to try out studio photography.
    £94.99
  • Adobe Adobe Creative Cloud Photography Plan translation missing: en-GB.activerecord.decorators.item_part_image/alt
    Source：amazon.co.uk

    Adobe
    Adobe Creative Cloud Photography Plan

    Will Lamerton

    Adobe Creative Cloud has possibly been one of the most used and biggest must haves in my photography career. Every image I shoot gets post-processed through both Adobe Lightroom and Photoshop using this Creative Cloud Plan. The software package creates a fantastic way for you to store, edit and export your photography across synced devices. 

    You can edit on your phone, computer or tablet easily anywhere, even offline with both Photoshop and Lightroom connecting seamlessly creating a very coherent editing experience. Adobe products have traditionally been very expensive, but the Photography Plan is incredibly competitive at less than £10 a month.

    I'd highly recommend the software package if you're a beginner just getting into editing or a seasoned professional wanted a great way to store, process and export your work.
    £119.99
  • Dji OM 4 3-Axis Smartphone Gimbal translation missing: en-GB.activerecord.decorators.item_part_image/alt
    Source：amazon.co.uk

    Dji
    OM 4 3-Axis Smartphone Gimbal

    Will Lamerton

    Videography equipment is only something I've invested in more of over the last year and it's been an excellent must-have for my photography repertoire. Often, the purpose of photography is to tell some sort of story and this can be heavily backed up by the use of video. 

    As technology improves, filming with your smartphone is an excellent way to do this and the DJI OM-4 can really add a professional level to your smartphone creations. This gimbal is inexpensive, portable and creates great results. 

    Obviously, if you're going to get more serious about video, there are professional-grade gimbals, but as a photographer wanting to shoot bits and pieces of high-quality video, this DJI product is perfect.
    £139.00
  • Neewer 6-In-1 Timer Shutter Release translation missing: en-GB.activerecord.decorators.item_part_image/alt
    Source：amazon.co.uk

    Neewer
    6-In-1 Timer Shutter Release

    Will Lamerton

    A remote shutter release is a really useful tool to have in your photography toolkit and takes the pain out of getting around unintentional camera shake hindering your work. This plug and play option is great because of the thought for compatibility with a wide variety of cameras.

    Alongside the shutter release, you'll get a set of cables that allow you to connect the device to whichever camera you own. This has been great for me, as I upgrade and change my camera equipment, I don't need to buy a new, compatible shutter release.
    £22.49
  • Lee Filters DSLR starter kit translation missing: en-GB.activerecord.decorators.item_part_image/alt
    Source：amazon.co.uk

    Lee Filters
    DSLR starter kit

    Will Lamerton

    Filters are a great addition to your camera kit, allowing easy capturing of different photography exposures and saving you from having to do more heavy lifting in post-production. I really like this Lee Starter Kit because it gives you the necessary tools to start making use of physical lens filters. 

    Since owning this kit and other products by Lee Filters, I've found my creativity has definitely expanded and opens you up to lots of different, unique photography options. There are definitely cheaper alternatives for filters, but Lee has a proven, great quality that again, will save you time and remove some of the issues you'll encounter with cheaper filters.
    £190.00
  • Manfrotto Befree Advanced GT Camera Tripod Kit translation missing: en-GB.activerecord.decorators.item_part_image/alt
    Source：amazon.co.uk

    Manfrotto
    Befree Advanced GT Camera Tripod Kit

    Will Lamerton

    A tripod is a must have for all photographers, there's been an untold amount of times that I've needed one! This Manfrotto tripod is not the cheapest option, but with some camera equipment, going for something more expensive will ultimately last you longer, and help you create better quality work more easily.

    For me, this Manfrotto tripod is lightweight, being carbon fibre, portable but also sturdy so that I feel safe with my camera on it. Camera equipment can be really heavy and a lot to carry, so any weight I can save without sacrificing quality in my equipment is a benefit to me.
    £299.00
  • Zacro Professional Camera Cleaning Kit with Blowing Bottle, Cleaning Solution translation missing: en-GB.activerecord.decorators.item_part_image/alt
    Source：amazon.co.uk

    Zacro
    Professional Camera Cleaning Kit with Blowing Bottle, Cleaning Solution

    Will Lamerton

    This camera cleaning kit is essential for keeping your photography equipment in top shape. Although lots of options out there, I like this kit because it has everything you would ever need for keeping your camera body and lenses clean and at such an affordable price.

    You can keep your sensor clean with the blowing bottle and brushes, and your lenses shining with the swabs, cloth and wipes. I love that this kit by Zacro also comes with a storage box which makes it super convenient to carry with you and use in the field as you're shooting.
    £15.99
  • Various Brands Battery Grip translation missing: en-GB.activerecord.decorators.item_part_image/alt
    Source：amazon.co.uk
    Various Brands Battery Grip translation missing: en-GB.activerecord.decorators.item_part_image/alt
    Source：amazon.co.uk
    Various Brands Battery Grip translation missing: en-GB.activerecord.decorators.item_part_image/alt
    Source：amazon.co.uk

    Various Brands
    Battery Grip

    Will Lamerton

    If you're a frequent shooter, a battery grip is an excellent investment to make your life easy and to ensure you never run out of battery whilst out shooting for the day. There's a bunch of after-market options, however, I much prefer the first-party options made by the camera manufacturers. This way, you ensure quality and a good fit for the camera model you're buying for. 

    A battery grip is a more expensive option than just buying extra batteries, however, I do really like how a grip will plug into your camera body and expand the battery in one package removing the hassle to charge and carry individual batteries. I've included three battery grips for some major manufacturers, however, make sure you check your camera is compatible before purchasing.
    £235.00
  • Sekonic Exposure Meter translation missing: en-GB.activerecord.decorators.item_part_image/alt
    Source：amazon.co.uk

    Sekonic
    Exposure Meter

    Will Lamerton

    If you're regularly using manual mode on your camera, this product can speed up your workflow and make it ridiculously easy to get the correct exposure for your camera. More often than not, I've found this product gives more accurate readings than my cameras own built in meter! 

    Not only does the Flashmate give consistently great results, but I love it particularly for how lightweight and reasonably priced it is compared to similar competitor products. This device is small enough to slip into your pocket, is fully featured and versatile to many photography styles as well as being super simple to get to grips with and use.
    £199.00
  • Polaroid Snap Touch 2.0 translation missing: en-GB.activerecord.decorators.item_part_image/alt
    Source：amazon.co.uk

    Polaroid
    Snap Touch 2.0

    Will Lamerton

    I love old style polaroid cameras. Being able to take out this pocket-sized camera and capture unique, instantly printed memories has a certain novelty appeal to it and might push photographers who are used to digital photography to think differently about what images they're capturing.

    The Polaroid Snap Touch 2.0, brings the old fashioned art of film photography and modernises it with an easy-to-use touch interface, an app for on-the-go photo printing, 13MP camera and 1080p video. I love this camera because it puts a spin on my usual photography work, modernises film photography and challenges my creativity all in an easy to use package.
    £169.99

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