Travel Photography Tips
You're heading off on holidays; exotic landscapes await you, so maybe you need a few travel photography tips to help you prepare for your summer jaunt. With these and bags full of energy, lightning reflexes and a keen eye for detail, you'll be ready for take some great landscape photographs.
Some of these travel photography tips are simply common sense, others are things any of us can forget to do in the rush out the door. Some tips have to do with familiarizing yourself with the desination you're going to, its culture and local laws and customs.
But, whatever the reason for you trip, above all else, have a good time. If you get any great shots, why not send them in. I'm sure other readers would like to take a look!
Unless you're specifically heading off on a photographic trip, remember you're going away to relax and have some fun, so don't saddle yourself with loads of camera gear and accessories that you'll never get around to using.
Always take more film or memory cards with you than you think you'll need. Better to have extra than to run out somewhere in the middle of a shoot! You can get good deals on memory cards here
Take either a tabletop tripod (for the odd night scene) or a light compact tripod for long exposures (at night or otherwise).
Make sure you bring the right adaptors and power supplies for the country you're visiting.
This set will keep you powered in dozens of countries.
Don't give into the temptation to bring every bit of equipment you own.
If you're going on a once-in-a-lifetime trip, consider taking a secod camera body with you. If you're in Antarctica and your camera dies in the cold, how are you going to record your trip after that?
Check your passport is valid (I found out the hard way that mine was 2 months out of date when I got the opportunity to travel and then had to withdraw as a replacement passport wouldn't have been ready in time). And ensure that any visa requirements are met before you leave.
Make sure you get all the required vaccinations and innoculations if you're traveling to a tropical country. No photo opportunity is worth damaging your health over. The Lonely Planet and Rough Guide books are ideal travel companions and often feature some stunning photography.
Do some research on your destination's culture and terrain and study the map before you leave. Take a closer look at the photos used in magazines, brochrures and guidebooks. Plan where you want to visit beforehand so you have an itinerary to follow.
Muggings and bag-snatches are all too common these days. Think about insuring your camera gear. It could be an expensive loss otherwise.
Always carry spare batteries and a charger.
If you shoot digitally, it's probably worth investing in a portable storage device (see Accessories to Consider).
If you're one of those people who travels with a laptop, back up your images to CD/DVD or your hard drive.
Keep a neutral density filter and a polarizer in your camera bag at all times.
If you're shooting digitally, check the results of an exposure on the LCD to make sure it's neither buned out or under-exposed.
Don't take pictures on private property - if there's something you'd like to photograph, seek permission (through an interpreter if necessary!).
Don't ignore local customs - the residents of some countries can be touchy about having their photos taken (for religious reasons amognst others) so if your landscapes include a local, be sure to get their permssion first.
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An obvious travel tip this - don't knowingly break any local laws. Taking photos that include military installations, airports or other potentially restricted places can get you into a lot of trouble in some countries. Be aware of what's acceptable and what's not at your destination.
If you're heading to a tropical climate (e.g. on safari), pick a time that will let you cope with the heat/humidity, if that bothers you. Late spring/early summer and late autumn/early winter can be good times to travel when the heat won't wear you down.
Take one or two lenses to cover focal lengths between 28mm and 300mm. If you don't have a lens in that higher focal length range, get a 2x teleconverter to double the focal length of your lenses (be aware that teleconverters decrease the maximum f-stop of your lens by one stop, so an f/3.5 zoom lens would act as an f/5.6 lens if used in conjunction with a teleconverter). Adorama have a wide range of them (just search for "teleconverter").
Pack your camera gear with care and attach your name and address to your camera bag.
Carry your camera gear (and especially film) as carry-on luggage on airplanes. The X-ray equipment used to scan luggage has been known to fog films. There's no such danger with digital memory cards though.
Lonely Planet Travel Photography: A Guide to Taking Better Pictures
Lonely Planet's excellent guide to photography around the world, penned by acclaimed photographer, Richard l'Anson. A must-have for any travel photographer.
The Travel Book: A Journey Through Every Country in the World
230 countries are represented with suggestions and travel photography tips on what to do in each country. great for deciding where to go.
On The Road With Your Digital Camera
Contains lots of practical advice for everything you need to know about planning and executing travel assignments.
Viewfinder: 100 Top Locations For Great Travel Photography
What to shoot, local history and essential gear for 100 locations all over the world.
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