Taking Travel Photos on Extended Vacations
Friday, May 30, 2008 @ 06:59
Many amateur photographers make the same mistake when deciding on what camera equipment to take on an extended vacation when they know they will be shooting wide variety of photos. So, what do they do? Simple, they just take it all. While that might sound like an expedient solution, it's really not. Lugging all that equipment can be cumbersome, especially if you've got a lot of traveling to do through airports. Not only do you risk problems with airport security, you also risk the loss or damage of your expensive equipment as you shuttle between your various travel locations. So the smart money is on carefully selecting what you will carry and what might be best simply left at home.
First of all, evaluate the specific locations you will be visiting and what your most likely photo opportunities will be. Will you be shooting many photographs out of doors, at night, in poor weather conditions, etc? Will you be in rough overall conditions, such as traveling through the Australian bush or photographing climbers on a mountain? This too is going to have a lot to do with whether you opt for a good "point and shoot" type camera, or a bulky SLR.
If you're taking a longer trip, with a variety of photo opportunities, of course you're probably going to want to bring the SLR gear. If so, make absolutely sure you have a sturdy travel bag to house all of the various accessories, including extra lenses. Most importantly, don't forget the tripod, as this is vital on vacation trips, since you never know where you'll be shooting and what the conditions will be. If you are trying to get that perfect photo of a wild bear in Alaska, you may have to wait a while in rather cold conditions. A tripod will make all the difference in getting a crisp, clear image or one that was shaky because your hands were freezing and you couldn't hold the camera steady when you eventually took the shot.
Finally, you might want to seriously consider packing a decent quality "point and shoot" type digital camera in your bag. This is because there will be some photo opportunities that can be forever lost if you have to fool around with bulky gear instead of just getting the picture as it happens. A decent quality compact will be invaluable for those times when it is just not practical to lug a heavy bag around. A small compact will also be a lifesaver for those photo opportunities where it would just be too risky to carry an expensive SLR rig, like while climbing mountains or snorkeling the Great Barrier Reef.
Whatever gear you decide to take along for your next vacation, just remember to have fun and go with the flow. The best pictures will come to you if you're patient enough to wait for them.
