Photo Life 03: Traveling With Photography Gear
For my third installment of Photo Life, I'd like to talk a bit about traveling with photography gear.
Kammi reached out to me about how I decide which cameras to travel with. She is going on an international trip soon and would love tips on what to bring.
When I travel, I always pack my camera gear first. Priorities, right? For me, it's always the same formula - two film cameras, one digital. I usually like to have one instant film camera and one 35 mm or medium format camera. If I only have room for two cameras, I leave my digital camera at home. I know that I will always have my iPhone which takes care of the digital format for me.
In order to make your trip a successful one, you should definitely plan ahead for what photography gear to pack. Think about what kind of images you would like to take from the trip and plan accordingly.
Here are a few things to consider:
What kind of trip are you taking?
Are you going to the beach? Think about the sand and water - you many not want to bring your most prized camera. Walking around a new city? Your digital SLR or 35mm cameras are perfect for this. Are you going backpacking or camping? You may want to photograph with something small and lightweight.
Also consider the length of your trip. If you are going on a day trip, you may want to travel light and only want to bring one camera.
Don't forget to check the weather at your destination, which will also help you decide what photography gear to bring.
Choose only the essentials.
Creativity needs constraints. You don't want too many options which may make you feel overwhelmed. The key is to limit yourself, and take photographs with what you have at the moment.
If you decide to take your digital SLR, consider only packing one lens. Remember to bring extra SD cards and your battery charger.
And of course, if you choose to bring a film camera - don't forget to pack the actual film. Speaking from experience here!
Carry On.
A rule of thumb I like to live by: Never pack what you can't carry.
Let's be honest, checked baggage is not exactly handled with care. And if you are like me, I'm sure your photography gear is pretty important.
I carry on all my photography gear - digital and film. I usually tell the gate agents that I have film and I have not had a problem with them hand checking it so that my film doesn't have to go through a scanner (although it should be safe).
Organization
Be sure to lay all of your photography gear out before packing to leave. This way, you can make an accurate assessment of much stuff you have and if it will fit in your bag.
I currently have this camera bag, but honestly, I don't take it with me when I travel. I usually pack my photography gear in a tote bag or even my diaper bag (any other mama's feel me here?). And of course, there are many stylish camera bags available which would make packing easy. Check out these or these.
Do you have any other tips for traveling with photography gear?
And as always, if there's a topic that you'd like to discuss (whether it's photography or film related), feel free to leave a comment below or send me an email.
