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