I hate photo editing, but this one accessory makes it bearable – and it’s not even related to photography

During the busiest part of the year as a photographer, without fail, my wrist would always start to ache. I initially blamed the overuse injury on the 12-hour days I spent with a camera in my hand as a wedding photographer, but I was in the middle of a marathon editing session when I realized that the biggest culprit wasn’t my camera at all but my laptop. This is why one of my favorite accessories isn’t one that you’ll find in my camera bag at all but on my desk: an ergonomic computer mouse.

I didn’t realize how terrible a laptop trackpad was for my wrist until I realized that the aching wrist that plagues me every busy season didn’t hurt the most with my camera in my hand – but after spending hours editing with a trackpad. Studies have shown that the wider range of motion possible from a computer mouse can create less strain than the static posture required for a touchpad.

The camera’s ergonomics have always been at the top of my list when searching for a new camera, so I was caught off guard that I had forgotten to prioritize ergonomics when editing. I quickly realised that, when I use my trackpad, I’m forcing my hand into the right position. But, a computer mouse fits to my hand, rather than the other way around. I use the Logitech MX Master 3 – the newer version, the 3S, is at the very top of our list of the best computer mouse for photo and video editing.

Besides being a more ergonomic choice, I like having both the mouse and the trackpad. I use the mouse most of the time, but it’s nice to have one hand on the mouse while pinching to zoom on the touchpad. I also feel like the mouse is more precise when working with local edits rather than the trackpad.

There are several things on my list of must-haves as a photographer, like my mirrorless camera, my 50mm prime lens, and a flash. But for editing, that list also includes a computer mouse (and, let’s face it, either some music or TV streaming to make editing less of a bore).

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