What less common things can you find in my bag?

I know there are photographers who are interested in what's in professional camera bags when on assignments. I won't go into what I carry in this post (I'll save that for another time), but here we'll look at 5 things that aren't immediately obvious, but could be found accompanying a professional. And I've cheated a little with the title - some of these items can't fit into a bag, and are found stored in a car boot, or somewhere convenient on location.

1: White bounce cards - these can be made of card or thick paper. I use 3 x 5" index cards. They are very useful to diffuse light by bouncing when there are high ceilings, or a non-neutral colour on the walls. They double up as a means of calibrating custom white balance.

2: White hand towel - two purposes (like most items in this list...): one is as a towel - to wipe off sweat during the pressures of an assignment, secondly it can be used as a reflector outdoors, especially with grass. Grass reflects a horrid green glow, and simply laying the white towel in front of your subject can reduce this glow and also lift some shadow.

3: Step-ladder - useful for group events, such as weddings or parties. Combined with a wide angle lens this gives a higher perspective. It can double up in portraiture work where a high perspective can be taken; it can be very flattering for a model to look upwards towards a camera as it can hide the body and pull in more of the jaw line.

4: White umbrellas - have a few white umbrellas and if it rains for yourself and your subjects. The white material doubles up as reflectors and lifts shadows. In sunnier conditions they can be used as reflectors in their own right, and indoors they can be opened up and used as a surface to bounce light from. For the more meticulous, having all umbrellas the same also makes for a more professional image.

5: Tape - useful in studio work to mark out positions for lighting, or where models can position themselves.