The Greatest Stuff on Earth: Gaffer’s Tape

This is another one of those things every photographer needs in their camera bag. Gaffer’s tape comes from Hollywood, where it’s used to strongly, but temporarily, tape things down—like taping something to a painted wall or wallpaper or a table, where you know you’ll need to remove it without taking off the paint or paper or damaging anything, and without leaving a sticky residue or messing anything up. That’s gaffer’s tape, and it’s a landscape photographer’s best friend. You’ll wind up using it in a dozen different ways when you’re out shooting, and you can use it without worrying about messing up your gear. I keep some wrapped around the leg of my tripod, so if I need some when I’m out shooting, I just unroll a little bit, tear off what I need, and go back to shooting. Plus, the great thing about it is it’s one of the few thing in photography that’s pretty cheap. A whole roll of it (black, 2 inches wide by 12 yards long) from B&H photo is around $6. Heck, buy two and give a roll to a friend. They’ll thank you again and again over the next year or so.