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