| So you've decided to take a trip - that's fabulous! | | | | safe than sorry.The other concern is your |
| You're excited about capturing photos along the | | | | destination country's customs laws and whether |
| way, but how do you make sure you've | | | | they limit the amount of camera equipment that |
| remembered everything you need to pack? Well | | | | you can bring, so do a little research on customs |
| first, each person has a different approach to | | | | and check with your travel agent before you |
| taking photos while away from home, so to help | | | | pack. Some countries may charge a fee or |
| you figure out what you need to pack, consider | | | | require you to bring special documentation, so it's |
| the following concepts.Concept #1: How many | | | | best to go prepared. At a minimum, you should |
| photos will you take?When it comes to | | | | get your expensive equipment certified at your |
| photography and trips, it's all about the balance of | | | | local customs before you go, so that re-entry is |
| time spent snapping photos and time spent doing | | | | not a problem either.Concept #3: Lighting |
| activities or relaxing; it's about how you want to | | | | conditions when you get there.Flash will use up |
| experience your trip. Are you the type of person | | | | batteries faster than non-flash, as will using the |
| who spends hours waiting for the right light | | | | built-in digital viewfinder on point & shoot digital |
| before taking a photo, or do you snap a single | | | | cameras. So consider how much photography |
| shot and move on? Are you trying to get the | | | | you'll be doing in low light. Museums and indoor |
| artsy shot or are you perfectly happy just to | | | | photo opportunities may require flash, or use of a |
| record the scene once? Part of your plans to | | | | tripod, whereas sunny outdoor shots may need |
| take photos will depend on who you're travelling | | | | you to increase the brightness of your |
| with and whether you're on a pre-scheduled trip, | | | | viewfinder.Concept #4: Technical limitations on |
| or free to make your own schedule. Are you | | | | your hardware.Let's face it: extreme |
| travelling with someone who is a photo enthusiast, | | | | temperatures can play havok with any mechanical |
| or will your travel mates grow impatient the | | | | or digital equipment. How hot or cold will it be |
| instant you pause to take a shot? Have you | | | | where you stay? Will you be quickly going |
| signed up for an organized tour, or can you stay | | | | between air conditioning and hot humid weather, |
| in a city for an extra 3 days if you wish? Are you | | | | or will you be outdoors in frigid temperatures for |
| planning to visit 30 cities in 30 days, or just 1 city | | | | more than a minute? You must weight the risk of |
| in 2 weeks.The number of shots you take will | | | | fungus or heat damage to your film or memory |
| depend on who you are and the nature of your | | | | cards versus convenience and the cost of |
| activities. For example, if you're hiking through | | | | replacing them. Also consider taking sealable bags |
| forest or jungle for 8 days, you may be too tired | | | | to prevent condensation as you go between dry, |
| to snap more than a few shots a day, let alone | | | | cold hotel rooms, and steamy hot outdoor |
| carry anything heavier than a small camera, | | | | temperatures.Do you plan to take underwater |
| whereas if you're staying in central Venice for 8 | | | | photos? If so, consider purchasing a disaposable |
| days, you may plan to take hundreds of shots a | | | | underwater camera. These days, it seems most |
| day and can easily change cameras or lenses | | | | underwater cameras also float, but you need to |
| should you need to go back to your hotel. | | | | figure out if that's what you want. Sometimes |
| Consider how active you plan to be - e.g. hiking vs | | | | your camera will have a special underwater casing |
| bungee jumping vs rafting. Can you hold your | | | | accessory for your camera that you can buy |
| camera securely, or do you need to rely on the | | | | before your trip, but it likely won't float, so be |
| camera strap, or even some other type of | | | | sure you don't drop it in the ocean!Digital |
| harness? Is your camera heavy, or do you have | | | | photographers must consider battery life in |
| a lighter one? Are you willing to carry it in a large | | | | foreign countries, and accessibility of throw-away |
| camera bag with various lenses and accessories, | | | | batteries if rechargeable ones are not available. |
| or would you prefer to have a small case that fits | | | | The DSLR that I own has a proprietary battery, |
| only the camera? The case or backpack that you | | | | but in case it dies, I purchased a AA battery |
| bring to carry your camera and accessories in can | | | | accessory that lets you operate the camera on 6 |
| make your trip very pleasant, or very unpleasant! | | | | AA batteries. Disposable AAA batteries are much |
| The bottom line is that only you know yourself | | | | more readily available than proprietary |
| when it comes to snapping photos and what | | | | rechargeable ones, and I'd rather spend money on |
| you're likely to do. Make sure you'll be physically | | | | batteries than be without. Be careful, though; |
| comfortable with what you choose to bring or | | | | should you ever end up purchasing batteries in a |
| else your photography goals will be hard to | | | | foreign country, make sure you splurge on |
| achieve.Memory card capacity is a major | | | | internationally known brands, rather than skimping |
| consideration for digital photographers when it | | | | on the cheap kind - I can't tell you how frustrated |
| comes to how many photos you can store; | | | | I was when I bought a brand I had never heard |
| likewise film photographers need to know how | | | | of in Switzerland only to find my camera |
| much film to bring. Assess how many photos you | | | | detected they had no juice left!Related to battery |
| plan to take per day, and come up with the total | | | | recharging, it's important to be aware of the |
| number you plan to take for the whole trip. Then | | | | power configuration in your destionation country. |
| look up how many photos will fit on each film or | | | | Do you need a power converter, or will your |
| memory card; that should tell you how many of | | | | native power supply work? Do you plan to bring |
| each you need to pack (or purchase). However, | | | | your AA battery recharger with you, or your |
| once you've calculated how much memory | | | | priorietary battery charger? Check with your |
| storage you have to pack, or how many film | | | | vendor to see if they recommend a particular |
| cartridges you need to carry, seriously consider | | | | power converter.Concept #5: In case of |
| doubling it; it's a lot easier to pack extra film or an | | | | damage...Is there technical support available for |
| extra memory card than spending time during | | | | your camera at your destination? If so, is it free, |
| your vacation buying an extra one. If you're | | | | or do you have to pay for it? Can they fix your |
| anything like me, you'd rather spend your time | | | | camera same-day, or replace it quickly if it |
| looking through tacky souvenirs than searching for | | | | outright dies? If your nearest camera shop is 500 |
| an internationally-known brand of film! Of course, | | | | km away, you may need to take a second |
| if you're going the digital route, research the | | | | camera with you, or tools to fix it yourself.That's |
| internet cafes near your lodging to see if they | | | | a lot to consider! But frankly it depends on your |
| support USB downloads; perhaps you can burn a | | | | shooting style and your desitnation. On my trip |
| CD along your travels using these facilities. Or, if | | | | Mexico, I took a disposable underwater camera, a |
| you're really gung-ho, pack a laptop or a video | | | | small point & shoot, and a larger DSLR with a |
| iPod and download your photos to a larger | | | | single primary lens. I left them locked in my |
| disk.Concept #2: Airports and CustomsThe | | | | room's safe, and only used one at a time, so it |
| obvious concern of travellers these days are the | | | | worked well for me. I took a small bag with which |
| X-ray machines and what damage they can do. | | | | to dampen the affects of condensation because |
| Digital cameras and memory cards have no | | | | of rapid changes of air conditioning to humidity. |
| reported incidences of damage from X-ray | | | | But I also took a larger bag that had cleaners, |
| machines at airports, so you're pretty much safe | | | | spare batteries, and my AA battery pack - I |
| if that's all you carry. Film photographers, | | | | used this when going inland to see Mayan |
| however, do need to be concerned about film | | | | communities since I knew I'd never go back and |
| passing through X-rays, so be sure to pack your | | | | didn't want to risk coming away with no |
| film in your carry-on luggage in a separate bag so | | | | photos!Jennifer Clarkson is a Canadian |
| that you can specifically request the bag be | | | | Photographer living in Ottawa. She is compiling a |
| manually searched instead of X-rayed. Note that | | | | website of articles for Amateur Photographers to |
| checked luggage typically have more damaging | | | | share knowledge about digital photography ( You |
| X-rays pointed at them, so checking your film is | | | | can sign up to her Photography Forum to post |
| not a good idea. At modern airports, there tend | | | | questions and images, and you can rate the |
| to be fewer problems with X-ray damage, but I | | | | photos in her Photo Gallery. She is also compiling a |
| know a friend of mine who went to Iceland | | | | series of eBooks for Beginners, and the first |
| returned with blemishes on virtually all of his 12 | | | | eBook is now available: Choosing your Digital |
| rolls of film after airport authorities convinced him | | | | Camera and Accessories. |
| that X-rays would not damage the film. Better be | | | | |