Taking pictures is the easy part. Anybody with a phone can do it. But artistry? That takes grit, patience, and planning. The not-so-secret to being great, professional photographers tell me, is to keep practicing. These three photography-related tools can elevate anyone’s craft, no matter where they are starting.
Creativity Imagined
Print photo aficianados with a high need for instant gratification should swing by the Leica Camera boutique inside B&C Camera. Among the other treasures in this one-stop gear and accessory shop is the Leica Sofort 2 ($389), a hybrid camera with instant print functions. “We have seen photographers use the Sofort 2 as a small printer for their larger sensor cameras, for events and street photography, and encounters alike,” product specialist Nathan Kellum told me. See where your creativity takes you — on paper!
Analog Style
Photographer Edden Amber’s Vegas Analog shop at the Arts Factory offers museum-grade printing, vintage photography products, and workshops. One prize find is the PhotoMemo film photographer’s notebook (two pack for $12). Designed by Shoot Film Co.’s Mike Padua, this journal allows film photographers to capture grocery lists, haiku, sketches, film data, or whatever else they’d like on paper. Sometimes, it’s useful to get back to basics.
Kyandy Land
Created by owner Kyandy, ScrapbooksRUs’s Las Vegas travel scrapbook age kit ($9.99) is the shutterbug’s ideal add-on to a scrapbooking album. The kit includes one card stock, three 4x5 photo mats, and picture embellishments. Her store features a large travel section and scrapbooking accessories for all occasions. Feeling like a kid in a (keepsake) candy store is a common side effect of shopping here.