The kit for all travel photographers

For me packing to go away is so exciting. Whether you are about to engage on a year long trip or an exotic 2 week holiday your camera kit will be very similar. You will want to take photos, and lots of them, but what about your pack? I have spent many months on the road with my camera equipment so here I have a well tested list of essential items.

The first thing to remember is that you cant take everything, after all your a travel photographer, and lite packing is key. Secondly the safety of your equipment is very important. When leaving your precious items in your hotel room think about getting a length of chain and padlock. You can use your back pack or suitcase as a safe and chain it too the bed. Whilst traveling in Malaysia my whole camera bag was stolen. When away from home it may be very difficult to buy new equipment, this may include limited funds or just that you are far away from a city and good camera shop. Luckily I was able to get a new camera but I lost over 400 photographs which was pretty disastrous. Think carefully about security. 

So, what are you going to take with you?

For the digital photographer

  • Plenty of digital memory.

    How you will store you images whist away takes some careful consideration. Memory cards these days come in a wide range of sizes, from 4 mg to 32 GB and bigger. A lot of people opt for the bigger sized memory card however the risks are worth thinking about. If you only travel with one or two large memory cards there is a possibility of loss damage or theft. This can result in many of your photos being lost. There are many ways to save your photos from sending photos home via email to using multiple memory cards.

  • Battery and recharger.

    If your camera uses its own battery a good idea is to have at least a one spare battery. If you are traveling to some where power cuts are a common problem it may be days before you are able to charge up your battery.

  • Power adapter

    Its important to get the right power adapter for the country you are visiting. Look on line or pop in to a travel shop for advise.

  • Filters

    For most people the thought of filters is a bit scary, I promise they are not. I would only recommend two type for travel. UV filters are a very good idea, for protection if nothing els. Get UV filters for all your lens and keep them on. I use a Polarizing filters which cut out tropical glare and are brilliant for photographing water, glass and the sky. I have writen more on filters for travel photography and how to use a Polarizing filter for you to read.

  • The Camera bag

    There are a few things to consider when choosing a camera bag, but its mainly up to your choice and personal preference. If you decide to travel with a couple of lens, filters ect you will want something bigger. A backpack is good for more equipment and comfort but is not so practical for quick lens changes. The other option is a shoulder bag which is much easier for lens changes. Many people, including myself, have two bags. One for travel which is protective and another for days out which is smaller and lighter. You need to think about what is right for you, whats comfortable, the size of the bag and also how much it looks like a camera bag. (Theft could be a problem in some areas.)

  • Cleaning gear

    Its good to remember that when traveling your camera may get exposed to more sand, dust ect. I recommend that you take a lens cloth, a cloth for wiping the out side of your camera and if your have an SLR a bulb blower is a good idea. (for lens changes) Its really good to clean the out side of your camera regularly as this will keep the camera clean and dirt is less likely to get in to the nooks and crannies!

  • Photographers Notebook and pencil.

    Before you go away your can make a list of things that you want to photograph. Whist on the road your Photographers Notebook is fantasic  to make notes about your photographs or write down places you want to go back to and photograph.

  • Tripod

    Carrying a tripod with you is a really personal choice. I don't travel with one,(i used to put the weight was not worth how much I used it.) If you decide not to travel with a tripod then there are lots of creative options, walls, fences, bags, tables, chairs, basically any stationery object that you find! If you have a point and shoot compact camera there are lots of mini tripods that you get. These mini tripods are so light and small that if you choose to use one weight is not really a problem.

Other useful things you might want to think about packing...........

  • Point and shoot camera. If you use an SLR you may want to take a smaller compact camera. Its nice to be able to take a smaller more convenient camera when you don't want to haul around your larger camera.

  • External hard drive. If you are planing to take lots and lots of photos its a good idea to invest in an external hard drive to back up all your images.

  • Water proof protection. If it starts raining you may not be ready to put your camera away. A good idea to keep light rain off your camera is a simple shower cap, works a treat!!

 

There are a hundred and one things that a travel photographer could take in their kit. Remember to keep it simple and light!! And don't forget your travel insurance and make sure it covers your kit!

 
Abby x
 

 

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