Are you looking to travel and can’t decide what camera gear to bring,
or you’re unsure what entails a good travel set up? Read on for some ideas for
consideration when you get the itch to photograph!
There is a lot to consider when planning your gear list for an
upcoming holiday, what gear is essential? What is good to take and what could
you really do without?
The first thing to consider is ‘What type of holiday is it?’ Is it long (6 weeks or more) or short? Is it
specifically a photographic holiday or are you travelling with people who don't
share your passion? The first type is simple, take as much as you can.
If your goal is to photograph a specific event or location then don't
hold back. Remember to pack the little things like extra memory cards, spare
batteries, effects filters (ND, polarisers) cable release, tripod etc. as it's always
better to be over prepared than under prepared.
The other type of trip is a little trickier to prepare for as you
must prioritise and decide what to take when you can't take it all.
A lot depends on the type of photographer you are. Me, I like to
travel light. I take only what I need, make do with what I have and use what I
can in the surrounding environment (you’d be surprised how many natural tripods
you can find!). During my last major trip which lasted six months, all I
carried was a Canon 5D MKII body, a Canon 24-70mm and a 50mm prime lens along
with some secondary gear consisting of cleaning equipment, memory cards, spare
batteries and a netbook with two external hard drives. I can safely say that I didn't
miss any equipment during the entire duration aside from a tripod, though in
all honesty the two times I would have used it wouldn't have been worth carrying
it around for six months. Did I miss any shots? Sure, but I did capture
more than I missed which is a win for me. Besides, I've missed several shots
sitting in this coffee shop while writing this post which goes to show that you
can't get them all!
Here are a few things I've learnt from my travels around the place
-
· Take a Rapid Strap. Really. If you are going to be carrying your
camera around your neck all day then you need a good camera strap. Those that
are factory packaged with digital SLR cameras are terrible for any copious
amount of time. The sling-strap was the single best investment I made for my travels
as it has saved me from experiencing countless sore necks and shoulders at the
end of a long day exploring through city streets.
· Have your camera prepped and ready-to-shoot at all times. The only
time my camera was in my bag was when I wasn't allowed to take photos due to
regulations in some museums or if I thought I was in an area that I considered
it a bit risky to have an expensive piece of gear on show. In fact, I
didn't even bring an actual camera bag along but rather an old messenger-style
bag that could just fit my camera in it along with my wallet, a spare
battery and some memory cards.
· Use your common sense when it comes to your security. In six
months of travel, the worst thing that happened to us was a credit card getting
skimmed. Be aware of your surroundings and know when to put your gear away. The
majority of people we encountered were very friendly and helpful, but do keep
your eyes open and alert. The biggest risk is opportunistic thieves.
· Respect local rules in regards to photography. Most regions
I've been to are fine with photography. I think Australia is more restrictive
when it comes to photography rules than any other country I've visited.
In Europe for example, I don’t recall any museum that banned photography
aside from the Van Gogh Museum in Amsterdam. Even the Louvre allow photographs to
be taken aside from flash photography which is understandable.
· Try to educate yourself about the city you'll be visiting before
you arrive. It really helps as most cities have a lot to see and you’ll
find that time is insufficient. Plus, it's always interesting to discover
obscure things to see in areas you visit.
· Download your images to a hard drive daily as backup. I brought
two HDD's and backed up to both of them every night. One I kept in my bag while
the other I gave to my partner to carry just in case. When you upload,
also make sure you name the folder with the date and place which you took the
photos. This is especially helpful later on when you have potentially thousands
of photographs and hundreds of folders to sort through. For example, my
conventional folder naming would be along the lines of "01032013 Rome" which
represents the 1st of March 2013 in Rome. If the trip duration is lengthy
then I’ll also separate the folders into months, making it a breeze to search
through later.
· Above all, have fun. Try to live in the moment and don't
spend your whole trip looking through the lens. Taking too many photos can potentially
separate you from the scene and remove you from the experience so, as crazy as
it might sound, sometimes you will just need to put the camera down and relax.
- Marc Busoli
What's the best tip you have for travel photography? Share your
tips below!
