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