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