Going on the Road? - Some Tips for Photographers Who Travel
I travel a lot. My mental health may depend on it, but that is probably over sharing. One thing is for sure, I have learned a few things about how to be a traveling photographer.
The first departure from my new home of Nashville.
Do not take new camera equipment.
Oh, it is a temptation. For many of us, trips are the main events where we consistently take pictures. It is natural to want to have that new camera that practically takes its own pictures for the once in a lifetime cruise to Hawaii. Or, to want that fine, fine zoom lens you can use in Africa. Here is the thing. There is a learning curve for getting comfortable with new equipment. Perhaps this is the time to get new equipment. You just need to get it far enough in advance to practice. And then you have to practice until the new piece of equipment isn’t really new anymore.
A performance by the Kecak Dancers of Pecatu, Bali.
Practice with your old equipment.
You need to warm up for photography events just like you need to warm up for athletic events. Get back into the picture-taking mode before you leave home.
Travel light.
In general, street photographers are well served to have small cameras and small lenses. It is also commonly recommended to use just one lens in street photography. The lens I use has an effective focal length range of 24mm to 80mm. For the most part, I can take any kind of travel picture with that lens. Add plenty of memory cards or film, a camera backup battery, a charger and two charging cords, and possibly an electrical adapter, if you are traveling internationally.
I rarely travel solo, but the only way to get to Paris was on my own. It is the City of Love.
A rule that will help you travel light.
New rule: If you take a piece of camera equipment with you, you have to use it at least once during the trip. I got to thinking I needed to take a tripod with me on trips. I have no idea why. I never ever use one at home. At the end of the trip I was frantically setting up the tripod so that I could get a picture. Did I learn my lesson? Nope. On the next trip I went out and bought a gorilla pod. The only time I used it was for the mandatory shooting of one picture. The story was the same when I took a flash with me. Now I have learned my lesson. I think carefully about dragging an additional piece of equipment along.
Do not travel too light.
If my trip includes an opportunity to take bird or wildlife photography, I will carry a second, big lens. Having an opportunity to take that kind of photography is absolutely worth the hassle of carrying the extra weight.
My interest is street photography, but I will never pass up an opportunity to take nature photography. This fellow is a Galapagos Marine Iguana. It was taken with an effective Focal Length of 300mm.
Have a plan for backing up images and post processing.
I find that my iPad is one stop shopping for both backups and post processing. Thank heavens for the mobile post processing app, Snapseed. I did buy an iPad with a lot of memory and I do have to take the card reader along. Some photographers choose to take a laptop along. That is too big, too heavy and too much of theft worry for me. I keep my iPad in the hotel safe when I am out of the room. Hotel safes are, for the most part, too small for a laptop.
Take a digital copy of your camera manual or guide.
At least once in a trip I tangle up my camera settings and I have to figure out how to untangle them. I have a copy of David Busch’s Olympus OMD EM1 Guide to Digital Photography downloaded on my iPad Kindle app.
Exercise
When you travel, are you taking too much equipment, not enough or just the right amount? Is the system you use for managing equipment working for you? Have you had a crisis that kept you from taking the pictures or bringing home the pictures you took?
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