Travel Photography Accessories: What to Take in your Kit?

Photography and “traveling light” are, to a certain extent, mutually exclusive ideas; by its very nature photography demands you have to have a certain amount of equipment, and when you’re traveling with a digital camera, this need increases. You not only need to be certain you have lenses to cover most shooting eventualities, but with digital photography you also need to make sure you have enough storage space in the form of memory cards for your daily photography requirements, as well as enough battery power to keep your camera running. With video recording becoming an increasingly integral part of digital cameras, it is also becoming even more important for digital photographers to have the facility to back-up their files on a daily basis, not simply to make sure they are securely stored, but to free up their memory cards for the following day.

National Geographic Ultimate Field Guide to Travel Photography

This superb practical guide to travel photography combines the best of all worlds: convenient size, comprehensive coverage, and useful, straightforward advice from the experts of National Geographic Traveler, the highest circulation magazine in its field. It’s the perfect “how-to” for anyone seeking to master the veteran photographer’s trademark skills: a strong sense of place; a swift, decisive eye; and a sure instinct for the dramatic scene.

However, there are ways of keeping the weight of your traveling kit to a minimum, which starts with your choice of camera: a pro-spec SLR will undoubtedly weigh more than an enthusiast-level one, and will be significantly heavier than the most recent mirrorless, interchangeable lens camera models. The following options cover the bare essentials of a traveling photographer’s kit (including file storage) where weight is the prime concern. Although bulkier than dedicated portable storage devices, a laptop computer remains the most versatile backup option, not only providing you with the necessary storage space on its internal hard drive, but also allowing editing (to fill in the time at airports, while traveling, and late at night in the hotel) and an email connection.

Camera

If you want to travel as light as possible, a mirrorless mid-range interchangeable lens camera such as this Panasonic DMC-GH2 may be the answer. “Weighing in at just 165g, it squeezes a high resolution, 18 megapixel APS-C sized sensor into a camera body that is smaller and lighter than most SLRs.

Lenses

Just as the Panasonic DMC-GH2 is smaller and lighter than an SLR, so too are its lenses. This 14-140mm zoom covers focal length equivalents of 28-280mm yet weighs only 460g. This would give a versatile range of shooting options, yet with the camera body, the combination would weigh in at little more than 600g.

Lightweight, Portable Tripod

Even if your camera has image stabilization of some sort, a tripod is still useful, allowing you to use very slow shutter speed in low-light conditions or for creative effect, without getting a blurred result.

Laptop

Although bigger and bulkier than portable viewers, a laptop is still the most versatile solution when it comes to storing and viewing files while you are on the move.

Spare memory cards

The days when carrying a single spare memory card was often sufficient for an extended photographic trip are gone: it is likely you will need two, or maybe three cards per day if you intend to shoot a mix of still images and video clips.

Lonely Planet Travel Photography: A Guide to Taking Better Pictures

In this third edition of Lonely Planet’s best-selling Travel Photography, internationally renowned travel photographer Richard I’Anson shows you how to avoid common photography mistakes and to develop your compositional and technical skills as a photographer. It’s full of practical exercises and examples to hone the tips and techniques outlined in the text, and stunning travel photographs throughout will inspire you on your journey.

iPad

Apple’s iPad is lighter than a laptop, and sure to appeal to traveling photographers. However, if you shoot lots of images, the relatively low capacity of the internal flash memory may limit its use as a viable storage option.

Spare batteries and charger

Keep at least one spare battery, more if you tend to shoot heavily between recharge times. Check the average time that a battery lasts on a full charge.

Power Need on the Road

Most digital cameras use rechargeable batteries, which makes it possible to keep a spare fully charged. Recharging at the end of the day is a priority and, if abroad, make sure you have the right adaptor. If the battery is NiCd or NiMH, avoid recharging until the battery is completely empty, but this is not normally an issue with Li-Ion; follow the manual’s instructions on this. Some camera manufacturers make available a separate AA-compatible battery pack, which can be useful in an emergency.

Travel Photography: Tread Your Own Path

Want to capture images of immense festivals and endangered wildlife or, perhaps, take the best photo when bungee jumping or underwater? Steve Davey, author of the hugely successful Unforgettable Places To See Before You Die, provides the know-how on these experiences plus many more. This first-ever photography guide from Footprint is not only visually striking and inspiring but also provides comprehensive advice, covering all the technical aspects of photography. And it is jam-packed with information and anecdotes on how photography can enhance your travel experience, allowing you to come home with both fantastic memories and stunning images.

Travel Photography: How to Take Striking Photography

The book starts with an inspiring introduction followed by a history from the first cameras to the digital future. The technical side is taken up with separate chapters on Light, Composition and the Camera before the main section of the book, The Journey, examines different areas of travel photography from Mountains and Deserts to Cityscapes and Festivals, with a close-up look at some personal experiences of contributors as well as special features ranging from Underwater Photography to Extreme Destinations. In the final section there is detailed guidance on storage and archiving of digital images, digital enhancement, viewing and printing, sharing and selling.

Incoming search terms:

• ipad as photographer\s storage
• travel photographer
• travel photography
• travelling with interchangeable lenses
• underwater photography file storage

Related posts: