You may have spent a whole lot of money on a camera that was supposedly manufactured by one of the best companies in the world; but you still wonder how come your pictures haven't improved at the slightest.

Well, it's not that you don't have the skill or the talent. In fact, you might have even gone to school and read all the best photography books. But what you might really need is all the right equipment. So before you go on eBay to sell off that great camera you bought, consider buying some of the following things that you may have needed to improve the pictures that you have been taking.

• A tripod – Yes, you may think that this is one of the most basic things in photography, but that is exactly it. Every photographer needs a tripod. There are many situations you will encounter when you need a tripod instead of relying on your own steady hands. A tripod will not only just keep a camera steady for that great shot you want to capture. It can also be used to “hold” your camera while you are busy preparing for a shot or it can be used to take pictures at angles that you otherwise can't using your own outstretched arms. If you don't have one already, get a tripod for your kit.

• A level – Some tripods have them built in but if you don't have some kind of level then your horizontal and your vertical shots might just be off all of the time. A level will help you get the right horizontal and vertical angle that you need to perfect your architecture shots or any other shots you think you may need help with.

• Filters – If you are into landscape photography, you will know that you will be playing with a lot of light while you are outside in the open. Your camera is not enough when it comes to trying to get the right contrast between the land and sky or ocean and sky. You can fix this by investing in camera filters that can give you all sorts of lighting effects. These filters can be used to manipulate colors and light so that you can get the shot that you really want.

• Lenses – There are all sorts of lenses that you can purchase if you are using a DSLR camera. If you are looking to capture as much as you can when it comes to landscape photography or if you are taking pictures of huge crowds of people, then you need a wide-angle lens.

You can also get yourself a zoom lens if you feel that you want to capture things from a distance. Zoom lenses are great for sporting events or if you are out taking pictures of various animals in the wild.

A macro lens is also something you may want to consider as it is the best thing to have for all those super close-up shots that you want of flowers, insects and other objects that just look better up close than from afar.