What would we do without rope? It can be used to hold things down, hold things up, keep them from blowing or falling, or even as a curtain rod. You can even use it to tie up your assistants before you cut them in half. (Please don't try this unless you're a professional magician.) Pickup some spring clamps, too, while you're at the hardware or local specialty wood shop. A few small and large ones should do the trick. My favorite use for them is to attach my hard reflector to my light stand to act as a fill card for my key light. Rubber bands may also seem like a funny tool, but they work great. Next time you buy a disposable underwater camera, keep the strong rubber band wrist strap. I have used this band to hold all sorts of things to my camera or tripod. If you can't find those, try Velcro straps or cable zip ties. Remember that you can link cable ties together end to end to make them as long as you need before you cinch them tight. Let's not forget our old friends the C-47s, a.k.a clothes pins. How else would we attach gels to our lights? Just be sure to get the wooden spring type. Plastic melts and metal gets too hot to handle quickly. Lastly, one of the most important professional items you'll need is a dense black bolt of cloth, known in the biz as Duvateen. Check your local rental houses for a small bolt or two. You can use Duvateen for a myriad of things. Try it as a background, to block out windows, to flag off sunlight or as a hood to help you see your monitor in the best possible way. You can use it to cancel out reflections in a window, painting or photograph. If it's big enough, it can even make you and your rabbit disappear. And now for my next trick.

The best way to sum this up is... get as many different adaptors that fit your camera connections as you can afford. For example, if your camera has a mini jack for the mic input, you should get every audio adaptor that adapts to a mini plug. You can't go wrong here. But where do you get all these things? Well, Radio Shack is a good place to start, but you might try looking for a radio parts supplier. It's usually a warehouse or hobby shop that caters to the serious electronic/audiophile types. A place where you can find resistors and circuit boards will definitely have what you're looking for. Once you have collected a small pile of adaptors, be sure to keep them all together in a smaller pouch or case inside your main big bag of tricks, so you can find them in a hurry.

When the hand is quicker than the eye, having protective gear on or available could save the show and maybe your fingers. Here are some simple items you should have in your bag of tricks. Good thick leather gloves help you handle hot lights and sharp gear. Ear plugs help with shoots with factories, rock bands and construction sites, because sometimes getting the great shots requires getting in close. A rain poncho comes in handy for those surprise showers or splashy, wet, damp conditions (look for the kind that folds up into a tiny pocket-size package, and be sure to carry a larger clear plastic bag to protect your camera too). Some other commonly forgotten protective items are Band-Aids, a small medical kit, sunscreen and bug spray. Save room by getting one product that both blocks UV and keeps the bugs away. Beware, though, small containers of bug spray often contain 100% DEET. Although great against bugs, it will melt plastic and should be applied to clothing, with very limited amounts on your skin. A few drops go a long way. Lastly, whether strapped to your head, held in your mouth or clipped to your shirt with a gooseneck to direct the light, a good hands-free small flashlight is a must. Having both hands free to do work, while still being able to see, is efficient and safe. And hey, don't forget a backup set of batteries for everything.