And a heated keyboard

And a heated keyboard

What accessory would you like that you’ve never seen or heard of? Something that would transform your photographic life and make everything easier, or better, or allow you to do things that you’ve never tried before?

For some people, presumably early on in the development of Photoshop, it was a way to draw in the editor – something for which a mouse is very far from ideal. Better yet, something where the pressure applied affects the result, just as it does with a pencil or a paintbrush. And – Ta Daa! – we have the graphics pad. The history Wikipedia relates is fascinating, and goes back to 1888: my own relationship with tablets started with a well-known knock-off brand, progressed through an earlier Wacom device, and has culminated with a small Wacom Intuos device. Along the way, I’ve learned that usability matters, and also that things like pressure sensitivity matter – as does one’s own position on the ladder of editing sophistication.



There’s still a parade of interesting ideas flitting into and out of existence. Many of them don’t have commercial legs, so they disappear rapidly: I still regret not buying a scarf camera strap for my daughter-in-law (the idea was to make a feminine camera accessory that was functional because it spread the weight over a wider area, but pretty) when they were available. Somebody’s cottage industry folded because – like me – too many people didn’t follow the web link in the review I read.

The latest edition of Amateur Photographer reviews a paper lantern diffuser for small flashguns: at one time, the Gary Fong diffuser was the must-have accessory for professional photographers doing social pictures. There have been numerous models, each for a specialist application (though I wonder if this is like the multiple sorts of mouthwash with supposedly different formulations for plaque, bad breath and receding gums) and the company still exists – but is it a triumph of marketing over commonsense? (I may find out soon.)



I’ve had a look round for the weird stuff I’ve ended up owning. The pictures are of a Kodak accessory that was marketed to doctors for recording their patients in detail: no ringflash and macro lens, but add-ons that required flashbulbs and a camera that was not by any standards expensive. As an afterthought, almost, it could also be used with the more expensive Retinette series. Just a little bit niche…

What’s the heated keyboard about? Well, my office is in a loft conversion, and outside the scope of the central heating system, so it is often cold in winter. I’ve just acquired a pair of finger mittens, which are wonderful at keeping warm the parts of my hand that don’t get especially cold, which is useful but not ideal. So what I really, really want is a keyboard gently warming my fingertips and joints. Ideally, accompanied by a mouse and graphics tablet that do the same…