Unit 1

Topic- 1 (Photography: Definition, Meaning & Concept)

A photograph is an image created by light falling on a photosensitive surface, usually
photographic film or an electronic image sensor, such as CCD or CMOS chip. Most
photographs are created using a camera, which uses a lens to focus a scenes’ visible
wavelength of light into a reproduction of what the human eye would see. The process
and practice of creating such images is called photography.
The meaning of Photography is “drawing with light”
Photography:
The art or process of producing images by the action of radiant energy and especially
light on a sensitive surface (such as film or an optical sensor).
Conceptual Photography:
As a part of conceptual art- is a photography genre in which the artist makes a
photograph of a concept or idea. In this type of photography, you try to covey a
concept or message with a photograph. Few photographers are using Photoshop to
edit and process all the magic happens in camera.

Topic- 2 (Brief History of Photography)

5th-4th Centuries B.C.
Chinese and Greek philosophers describe the basic principles of optics and the
camera.

1727- Johann Heinrich Schulze discovered that silver nitrate darkened upon
exposure to light.
1814-Joseph Niepce achieves first photographic image using an early
device for projecting real-life imagery called a camera obscura. However,
the image required eight hours of light exposure and later faded.
1837- Louis Daguerre's first daguerreotype, an image that was fixed and
did not fade and needed under thirty minutes of light exposure.
1841- William Henry Talbot patents the Calotype process, the first negative-
positive process making possible the first multiple copies.
1843- The first advertisement with a photograph is published in Philadelphia.
1851- Frederick Scott Archer invented the Collodion process so that
images required only two or three seconds of light exposure.
1859- Panoramic camera, called the Sutton, is patented.
1861- Oliver Wendell Holmes invents stereoscope viewer.
1865- Photographs and photographic negatives are added to protected works
under copyright law.
1871- Richard Leach Maddox invented the gelatin dry plate silver bromide
process, which means negatives no longer had to be developed immediately.
1880- Eastman Dry Plate Company is founded.
1884- George Eastman invents flexible, paper-based photographic film.
1888- Eastman patents Kodak roll-film camera.
1900- First mass-marketed camera, called the Brownie, goes on sale.
1913/1914- First 35mm still camera is developed.
1935- Eastman Kodak markets Kodachrome film.
1941- Eastman Kodak introduces Kodacolor negative film.
1948- Edwin Land launches and markets the Polaroid camera.
1963- Polaroid introduces the instant color film.
1978- Konica introduces the first point-and-shoot autofocus camera.
1980- Sony demonstrates first consumer camcorder for capturing
moving picture.
1984- Canon demonstrates first digital electronic still camera.

Topic -3 (Types of Camera)

Film Camera

It all started with film cameras. During the early

days of photography, we use film as the
medium to record images. Later, the camera
sensor and memory cards replaced Film.
The ISO part of the image comes as the film
feature. So, we need to change the film rolls
according to our ISO needs. 
You can control the Aperture and Shutter
speed from the camera. Now, camera
manufacturers have stopped producing these
types of cameras for photography due to lack
of demand.
Digital Camera
DSLR camera is the short form of Digital Single Lens Reflex Camera. This is
the most popular type of cameras in the market. All professional
photographers will have one DSLR camera in their kit. It is actually a
combination of a digital imaging sensor with a
single lens reflex camera.
DSLR cameras come with a detachable lens. So,
you can change the camera lens based on
the type of photography. If you are doing
landscape photography, you can mount a wide-
angle lens and for wildlife photography a telephoto
lens.
In a DSLR camera, you can get a direct view of
the scene through the camera’s optical viewfinder.
Both full frame and half frame camera options are
available in DSLR cameras.
Canon and Nikon are the two popular manufacturers of DSLR cameras. You
can also get DSLR cameras from Fuji, Pentax, and Sigma also.
You can choose one, which fits, in your budget and the type of photography
you are doing. The wide variety of lens options is one factor, which makes
DSLR cameras quite popular. All the current DSLR cameras are also capable
of recording videos. Some can even record 4K videos.
DSLR gives you the ability to record images in RAW format. You can later
post-process image in Photoshop or Light room.

Technology
Both SLR and DSLR cameras make use of single-lens reflex technology,
which utilizes an internal reflex mirror that allows the user to see what the lens
sees and will be captured through the camera’s optical viewfinder. However,
DSLRs have a slight advantage. Some DSLR models offer live digital viewing
through the rear LCD screen, just like today’s mirror less cameras without
optical viewfinders do.
Image Sensor
The most significant difference between SLRs and DSLRs is their sensor.
SLR cameras are essentially versatile analog/film cameras, and the “D”
before it (which simply stands for “digital”) was added following the
development of SLRs with digital sensors. Of course, it follows that digital
SLR cameras also use memory cards to store thousands of images, while
SLRs capture a specific number of images per roll of film.
Then again, the comparison between SLR and DSLR cameras is not the
same as the age-old debate between film and digital cameras, considering the
SLR is just one of the many types of film cameras.
Interchangeable Lens Feature
Thanks to their unique imaging technology, both types of cameras use
interchangeable lenses. This means users can outfit their SLR or DSLR
camera with lens choices depending on their unique imaging needs and
shooting styles.
Video Capability
Another advantage that comes with the development of digital cameras is that
most DSLRs are capable of recording videos, whereas handy film
photography cameras like SLRs can’t.
Quality and Resolution
Film cameras generally offer better image quality, particularly in terms of
color, contrast, and dynamic range. When taking into account the available
types of film and analog sensors (particularly in large format), SLRs beat
many consumer DSLRs in terms of pixel output.
Price and Value
Since there are currently more DSLRs available on the market, they tend to
be less expensive than SLRs. However, if cost and value are more of a
priority than convenience, it’s important to note that SLRs are better
investments considering they don’t need to be upgrade like digital cameras
do. Plus, SLRs (like most film cameras) make valuable collectibles that you
might even be able to sell for a profit.

Topic - 4 (Types of Photography)

1. Portrait Photography

One of the oldest types of photography is portrait

photography. It can range from shooting your family
members to friends to pets. It is often called portraiture
and this type of photographer abounds. Portrait
photography, or portraiture, is a type of photography aimed
toward capturing the personality of a person or group of people by using effective
lighting, backdrops, and poses.

2. Wildlife Photography
The genre of photography that focuses on animals and their
natural habitat is called wildlife photography. Animal
behaviours in wild are also capturing by wildlife
photographer. Mostly these pictures are captured to be
printed in journals or exhibitions. Many people practice
this type of photography. Apart from a good camera,
several lens, strong flashlight, you need patience to click the
right picture.

3. Nature Photography
Natural photography comprises of pictures of
nature as viewed from the eyes of the
photographer. Contrary to what many people
believe, nature photography is not only
restricted to capturing the images of trees and
plants, but rather includes any outdoor natural aspect including hills, water
bodies and even the sky.

4. Fashion Photography

Fashion photography captures models in a glamorous light

display fashion items such as clothes, shoes and other
accessories. This type of photography is conducted mostly
for advertisements and fashion magazines.

5. Night Photography

Contrary to what most people think, night presents and unique beauty and
challenge for photographers. Night photography not only offers n entirely
different perspective of things but also provides a great depth of colours that
further enhances the magic and mystery of clicking images at night .
6. Advertising

Advertising photography is all about photographing objects

to be covered by advertising. The purpose of advertising
photography is to show items in the most attractive way and
to encourage their purchase.
Promotional photos accompany us in everyday life. They can
be found in various catalogs, brochures, price lists,
brochures or advertising on billboards.
 Unit- 2
Topic-1 (Basic Parts of DSLR Camera)

Lens- a camera lens is a major part of the DSLR

camera. It’s an optical device that is detachable and fits
in front of the camera body. You can think of it as the
human eye. Its job is to allow the light to come inside
the camera. In a DSLR camera, you can attach and
detach a lens from the body, enabling you to use
different types of lenses.

The best part of a DSLR camera, and something that

makes it unique and so popular is the fact that you can
use different types of lenses for different purposes.
For instance, if you go to a zoo, you’re likely to find that the
main animals like the lions and tigers are far away from you.

With a normal camera, you may not be able to get too close to
them. But with a DSLR camera, you can change your lens and
attach a telephoto lens. Telephoto lenses are bigger and help
you zoom and reach far away things. That is because they
have a higher focal length.

Focal length is measured in millimetres. The lens shown in the image has the
focal length 18mm – 55mm. Simply speaking, these numbers
mean how much you can zoom in or zoom out.

For instance, in the 18-55 lenses, at 18mm you can see a lot
of the scene. If you want to zoom in and go towards 55mm,
you have to rotate the zoom ring.

As you go to 55mm, you’ll see that you are zooming in.

Shutter- In photography, a shutter is a device that allows
light to pass for a determined period, exposing
a photosensitive digital sensor to light in order to capture a
permanent image of a scene. A shutter of variable speed is
used to control exposure time of the film. The shutter is
constructed so that it automatically closes after a certain
required time interval. A ring outside the camera, on which
various timings are marked, controls the speed of the shutter.

Shutter speed exists because of camera shutter – which is a curtain in front of the
camera sensor that stays closed until the camera fires. When the camera fire, the
shutter opens and fully exposes the camera sensor to the light that has passed through
your lens. After the sensor is done collecting the light, the shutter closes immediately,
stopping the light from hitting the sensor. The button that fires the camera is also
called “shutter” or “shutter button,” because it triggers the shutter to open and close.

Sensor-The soul of a digital camera is its sensor—to determine image size,

resolution, low-light performance, depth of field, dynamic range, lenses, and
even the camera’s physical size, the sensor is key.
An image sensor is a solid-state device, the part of the camera’s hardware
that captures light and converts what you see through a viewfinder or LCD
monitor into an image. 
The sensor size also affects what you see through the viewfinder—the
relationship between what you’re shooting and what actually gets recorded in
the frame and passed through to the memory card.

Sensor types

The most common types of sensors are CCD (charged coupled device) and
CMOS (complementary metal–oxide–semiconductor).

CCD is one of the oldest image-capture technologies for digital cameras and
has long offered superior image quality compared with CMOS sensors, with
better dynamic range and noise control. Although CCD is still prevalent in
budget compact models, its basic construction and greater power
consumption have for the large part prompted camera manufacturers to
replace it with CMOS alternatives.

CMOS has been considered an inferior competitor to CCD, but today’s CMOS
sensors have been upgraded to match and even transcend the CCD
standard. With more built-in functionality than CCDs, CMOS sensors work
more efficiently, require less power, and perform better for high-speed burst
modes.

The newer Foveon X3 sensor, based on CMOS technology, is used only in

Sigma’s compact cameras and DSLRs. Live MOS is a brand name for image
sensors that Leica, Olympus, and Panasonic use in the Four Thirds System
DSLRs that they’ve been manufacturing since 2006. These sensors
reportedly offer CCD image quality with the lower power consumption of a
CMOS.

Sensor sizes

Full frame (36mm by 24mm): The largest sensor size is called full frame, as
it is the same as a frame of 35mm film.

Viewfinder-When talking about cameras and

photography a ‘viewfinder’ is the part of a
camera used for composing and focusing the
subject being photographed, and viewing the
entire frame of an image. Viewfinders can be
glass, as found in rangefinder and DSLR type
cameras, or an LCD screen as found in mirror
less cameras. In modern cameras the
viewfinder also includes an overlay of useful
camera and exposure information, include a
visual representation of camera focus settings
and metering settings. The viewfinder is a photographer’s one-stop
shop for capturing correctly composed and exposed images. Live-view
mode allows the camera’s rear LCD screen to be used as a viewfinder.
Topic 2 Camera control and Adjustment

A. Exposure

Aperture

Aperture refers to the opening of a lens's diaphragm through which light

passes. It is calibrated in f/stops and is generally written as numbers such as
1.4, 2, 2.8, 4, 5.6, 8, 11 and 16. Lower f/stops give more exposure because
they represent the larger apertures, while the higher f/stops give less
exposure because they represent smaller apertures. This may seem a little
contradictory at first but will become clearer as you take pictures at varying
f/stops.

Shutter Speed

Shutter speed is responsible for two particular things: changing the brightness
of your photo, and creating dramatic effects by either freezing action or
blurring motion.

In photography, shutter speed or exposure time is the length of time when the

film or digital sensor inside the camera is exposed to light, also when
a camera's shutter is open when taking a photograph. The amount of light that
reaches the film or image sensor is proportional to the exposure time. 1⁄500 of a
second will let half as much light in as 1⁄250.
ISO
(International Organization of Standardization)

In very basic terms, ISO is simply a camera setting that will brighten or darken
a photo. As you increase your ISO number, your photos will grow
progressively brighter. For that reason, ISO can help you capture images in
darker environments, or be more flexible about your aperture and shutter
speed settings.

However, raising your ISO has consequences. A photo taken at too high of an
ISO will show a lot of grain, also known as noise, and might not be usable.
So, brightening a photo via ISO is always a trade-off. You should only raise
your ISO when you are unable to brighten the photo via shutter speed or
aperture.
B. Depth of Field
C. Measurement of light- Exposure Metering System
Exposure meter, also called light meter,
photographic auxiliary device that measures the
intensity of light and indicates proper exposure
(i.e., the combination of aperture and shutter
speed) for film or image sensors of a specific
sensitivity. Traditional exposure meters are
separate handheld devices, though almost every
modern camera, both film and digital, comes with
a built-in meter.

Regardless of how you shoot, and whichever shooting mode you prefer to
use, there is one item that remains constant – the light meter. Somehow,
either you or your camera has to know how much light in on your scene in
order to determine the optimal combination of aperture size, shutter speed,
and ISO sensitivity to get the photo you want. This tool, which may not seem
all that relevant to new photographers, is called a light meter.
How the camera light meter works
When you point your camera at a scene you also need a way of measuring
the incoming light so you know how much of it there is and what settings you
(or your camera) need to control in order to get the shot you want. It’s just like
measuring the temperature of your food with a thermometer to make sure it’s
done properly.
Most cameras today use a process called TTL Metering, which stands for
through the lens. It means that your camera examines the light coming in
through the lens and evaluates the brightness of the scene. Then you, or your
camera, can adjust the settings in order to make sure your photo is exposed
how you want. You may not ever notice the light meter at work or even see
that it’s there at all unless you shoot in Manual Mode. But trust me, it’s
constantly monitoring the light whether you know it’s working or not.

View the metering scale in Manual Mode

To see the light meter doing its thing, put
your camera in Manual Mode and look for a
series of dots or vertical lines at the bottom of
your camera’s viewfinder.
The number scale at the bottom of the image
above is an example of a camera’s light
meter, and the tiny little triangle shows
whether the picture is properly exposed or
not. In this case, the triangle is at 0, which
means the image is neither under or
overexposed, but changing the aperture,
shutter speed or ISO would make the triangle
move up or down the line accordingly and result in a picture that is either a
little too bright or a little too dark.

D. Composition and Perspective

Composition
Composition in photography can be defined as positioning the objects in the
frame in such a way that the viewer’s eye is automatically drawn to the most
interesting or significant area of the capture.
In landscape photography, we usually have the time to carefully compose our
image before shooting since we work with objects that are immobile or slowly
moving (such as clouds or the sun).

With street photography or photojournalism, on the other hand, composing is

done in a matter of seconds. To reach this point a photographer needs a
combination of knowledge, practice and a bit of creative courage.

Even a perfectly exposed and sharp image taken with a professional camera
can “tell us nothing” if it’s not composed in an interesting or meaningful way.
In fact, if composed well, your image may as well be blurred or underexposed.
As long as these aspects contribute to your idea, they are perfectly
acceptable and might even become the emblem of your distinctive style.
10 Photography Composition Rules

RULE OF THIRDS
Imagine that your image is divided into 9 equal segments by 2 vertical and 2
horizontal lines. The rule of thirds says that you should position the most
important elements in your scene along these lines, or at the points where
they intersect.

Doing so will add balance and interest to your photo. Some cameras even
offer an option to superimpose a rule of thirds grid over the LCD screen,
making it even easier to use.

BALANCING ELEMENTS

Placing your main subject off-center, as with the rule of thirds, creates a more
interesting photo, but it can leave a void in the scene, which can make it feel
empty. You can achieve a balanced composition and even out the main
subject's "visual weight" by including another object of lesser importance to fill
the space.
LEADING LINES

When we look at a photo our eye is naturally drawn along lines. By thinking
about how you place these leading lines in your composition, you can affect
the way we view the image, pulling us into the picture, towards the subject, or
on a journey "through" the scene. There are many different types of line -
straight, diagonal, curvy, zigzag, radial etc. - and each can be used to
enhance our photo's composition.

SYMMETRY AND PATTERNS

We are surrounded by symmetry and patterns, both natural and man-made.

They can make for very eye-catching compositions, particularly in situations
where they are not expected. Another great way to use them is to break the
symmetry or pattern in some way, introducing tension and a focal point to the
scene.

VIEWPOINT

Before photographing your subject, take time to think about where you will
shoot it. Our viewpoint has a massive impact on the composition of our photo,
and as a result it can greatly affect the message that the shot conveys. Rather
than just shooting from eye level, consider photographing from high above,
down at ground level, from the side, from the back, from a long way away,

from very close up, and so on.

BACKGROUND

How many times have you taken what you thought would be a great shot, only
to find that the final image lacks impact because the subject blends into a
busy background? The human eye is excellent at distinguishing between
different elements in a scene, whereas a camera has a tendency to flatten the
foreground and background, and this can often ruin an otherwise great photo.
Thankfully this problem is usually easy to overcome at the time of shooting -
look around for a plain and unobtrusive background and compose your shot
so that it doesn't distract or detract from the subject.

DEPTH
Because photography is a two-dimensional medium, we have to choose our
composition carefully to convey the sense of depth that was present in the
actual scene. You can create depth in a photo by including objects in the
foreground, middle ground and background. Another useful composition
technique is overlapping, where you deliberately partially obscure one object
with another. The human eye naturally recognizes these layers and mentally
separates them out, creating an image with more depth.

FRAMING

The world is full of objects, which make perfect natural frames, such as trees,
archways, and holes. By placing these around the edge of the composition
you help to isolate the main subject from the outside world. The result is a
more focused image, which draws your eye naturally to the main point of

interest.

CROPPING
Often a photo will lack impact because the main subject is so small it
becomes lost among the clutter of its surroundings. By cropping tight around
the subject you eliminate the background "noise"; ensuring the subject gets

the viewer's undivided attention.

EXPERIMENTATION

With the dawn of the digital age in photography we no longer have to worry
about film processing costs or running out of shots. As a result, experimenting
with our photos' composition has become a real possibility; we can fire off
tons of shots and delete the unwanted ones later at absolutely no extra cost.
Take advantage of this fact and experiment with your composition - you never
know whether an idea will work until you try it.

Perspective
Perspective in photography refers to the dimension of objects and the spatial
relationship between them. It also relates to the position of the human eye in
relation to the objects in an image.

The farther away an object is from the human eye, the smaller it appears. It
may seem even smaller if an object in the foreground looks larger, because of
the relationship between those two objects.

Perspective also can affect the appearance of straight lines. Any lines in an
image will appear to converge the farther away from the viewer's eye they are
or as they approach the horizon in the distance.

Eye level also determines what a viewer is able to see in a photograph. The
first photo below was taken from a standing position, and the second, from a
seated position. Notice how the lines appear to converge (or not), and objects
seem smaller or larger depending on their relationship to the rest of the
scene.
 Topic- 3 (Types of lenses and Special Purpose Lens)

Types of DSLR Lenses

Standard Lenses – this is a term that seems to be disappearing a little from

terminology. Traditionally on film cameras it was used to describe lenses in
the 50mm range because this is what usually came with the camera.
Kit Lenses – These days the lens that is offered as a package with the DSLR
is generally called the ‘kit lens’. It is generally an entry-level quality zoom lens.
They are usually a fairly general-purpose lens designed for everyday
shooting. My personal preference is always to buy the DSLR as a body only
and to upgrade the lens from the kit lens as they are generally at a lower to
medium end of the spectrum of lenses.
Prime Lenses – A prime lens is a lens that has one focal length only. They
are becoming less popular in an age where photographers like to have the
convenience of a range of focal lengths at their finger tips (see zoom lenses)
but they are definitely worth considering. Zoom lenses are increasing in the
quality that they offer but prime lenses are known (especially at the top end)
for their image quality and speed (faster aperture).
While many like the convenience of zoom lenses I actually enjoy the
challenge of prime lenses and find that they make me think about my
photography a little more than when I have a zoom attached (I get a little
lazy).
Telephoto Zoom Lenses – Zoom lenses are the most popular DSLR lenses
at present and come in a range of configurations and levels of quality.
Obviously the benefits of zooms are that you do not need to physically get
closer to your subject to get a tighter framing of the image. These lenses can
have quite narrow ranges or quite long ones.
Keep in mind that if you buy one with a long focal length (for examples you
can get them in lengths ranging up to 300mm or longer) that the longer your
focal length the more impact that camera shake has on your images. More
and more lenses these days are being released with Image Stabilisation (IS)
to combat camera shake.
Macro Lenses – these lenses are specifically designed for shooting objects
up close. Many lenses and cameras come with a ‘macro’ setting but true
macro lenses will produce images that are life size and that enable you to get
in incredibly close from the subject you’re shooting.
Wide Angle Lenses – As their name suggests, these lenses enable their
users to take shots with a very wide perspective. They are useful for
landscapes and for getting in nice and close to subjects still fitting a lot of
them in.
Wide-angle lenses come both as prime lenses but also are being found at the
lower end of telephoto zoom lenses increasingly. Be aware that very wide
lenses will sometimes distort your image a little (or a lot), especially at the
edges of your photos where they can be quite curved. This can be used to
great effect but can also be quite frustrating at times.
At the extreme end of the ‘wide angle’ range are ‘fisheye lenses’ which
purposely distort your image in a curved way to get more into the shot. Again
this is a style of photography that many love but is an art to get right.

Specialty Lenses
Finally, there are some more specialized camera lenses that can impart a
unique look and feel to your photographs. There are several types of
specialty camera lenses, but a few of the most prominent examples are:
 Fisheye lens. A fisheye lens is an ultra-wide-angle lens that can
take in a full 180 degree radius around it. Fisheye lenses are so
named because they distort an image’s field of view, making even
a room in a house look like a bubble.

 Tilt shift lens. A tilt shift lens distorts perspective, making things
look smaller than they really are—almost as if they are toys.

 Infrared lens. These lenses play with light rather than perspective,
filtering out all light waves except infrared for a unique visual
effect.
Topic- 4 (Camera Accessories)

10 essential accessories for your new camera

1. Camera bag
If you've got a small camera body and a single lens like an entry-level
DSLR or mirror less camera, a bag may not seem essential, but it's a good
way to protect them in transport and it keeps rain and dust at bay. And as you
build up a collection of lenses and accessories you'll find that you need
something to keep it all together and make it easier to carry.
Photo backpacks are a great way to carry heavy kit over long distances.

Shoulder camera bags give speedy access, but as the weight is carried on
one shoulder it can be uncomfortable with heavy loads over long distances.

There are also quite a few 'sling' bags available now which combine the some
of the comfort of a backpack with some of the convenience of a shoulder bag.

2. Tripod
A tripod should be an essential part of your camera arsenal because it
provides a method of holding your camera at exactly the right angle and
keeping it absolutely still, so your images are pin-sharp and full with detail.
3. Tripod Head
A tripod head is the bit that goes between the tripod legs and your camera.
Many tripods are sold as a kit with a head, but you can also buy them
separately, which give you the opportunity to select the head that suits the
way you shoot.

4. Remote release
A remote release allows you to trip the shutter without touching the camera,
so it's useful for longer exposures when the camera is on a tripod as it avoids
introducing unwanted camera shake.
5. Additional lenses
This is a great starting point, but it won't be long before you find you need
something a bit wider for shooting landscapes or interiors, or you need a
telephoto lens to allow you to frame action subjects tightly.
You may also want to get closer to small subjects with a macro lens, or get a
dedicated portrait lens with a wide aperture to limit depth of field and blur
backgrounds.

6. Filters
Neutral density filters are incredibly popular because they enable you to take
long exposure shots in daylight to blur cloud or water movement in
landscapes. They also come in handy when you want to shoot with a very
wide aperture in bright light.

Meanwhile, graduated neutral density filters enable you to balance the

exposure of a bright sky with a darker foreground, and polarising filters are
useful to cut down on reflections and boost saturation and contrast.
7. Lens and sensor cleaners
Naturally it's important to keep your gear clean. A blower is useful for blowing
specks and grit off your camera body and lens before giving it a wipe with a
soft lens cloth.

It's also advisable to invest in a sensor cleaning kit because, even though
compact system cameras and DSLRs have in-built cleaning mechanisms,
sticky pollen and the like can still find its way onto a sensor and it can take
some shifting.

You don't need to buy anything fancy, just a pack of sensor cleaning swabs
and a small bottle of sensor cleaning fluid will do it, but buy decent stock that
won't shed fibres.
8. Reflector
A reflector is a quick and affordable way to brighten up your portraits and still
life images, giving your shots a high-end professional look. 

They're incredibly versatile - use them indoors (near windows) or outdoors to

bounce light back onto your subject and to fill-in unwanted shadows.

9. Flashgun
The pop-up flash of your camera (if it has one) is useful for adding a little fill-in
light, but you'll get greater power and more flattering results from a flashgun.
10. Flash diffuser
While a flashgun is extremely useful for providing extra illumination, filling in
shadows and bringing portraits to life, the light from them can be rather harsh.

A humble piece of translucent plastic can make all the difference, softening
the light and making it much more flattering.