It’s hard to keep track of Chris Burkard. One week he's shooting surfers in California, and the next he’s trekking through Alaska. Most recently, he’s been on the road promoting his film Under the Arctic Sky, a movie about surfing in Iceland.
Burkard shoots his project with regular cameras, but always has his iPhone as backup, and for taking notes. “I shoot a lot with the iPhone when I'm scouting,” Burkard says. “It's a useful tool that absolutely has a place in your camera bag. Any photographer who says it’s not useful is high.”
We wanted to know what accessories he uses with his phone so we called him up and asked.
Lovehandle Grip ($10)
“This is a stretchy clip that goes on back of the phone,” he says. “You slide two fingers into it when you want to film with one hand. Beyond filming, the Lovehandle increases your thumb reach on the phone, enabling you to do more with one hand.”
Ollo Clip Core Lens Set ($100)
“There are so many lenses out there, but the best are clip-on lenses. You don't want to use something that takes a long time to put on. The Ollo Core comes with a fisheye, super-wide, and macro 15x lens.”
Goal Zero Flip 10 Battery ($25)
“I always have one of these batteries on me,” says Burkard. “It’s tiny, but really helpful because when shooting, you burn through battery quickly. It holds a single charge for your phone, and weighs just 2.5 ounces.”
Tech 21 Evo Check Case ($40)
“I like this case because it’s really thin but protective. I’ve dropped my phone a hundred times and it’s never cracked.”
Black Diamond Storm Headlamp ($50)
“You can get lights specifically for the iPhone, but I use a headlamp whenever I want to light up a subject. The newly redesigned Storm offers 350 lumens, with two beam settings—spot and wide angle—both of which are easy to dim so you can get the exact light you need for the shot.”