Traveling with a Camera
#1 Lesson: NEVER forget your camera when traveling!
After some 50 years of travel, I cannot imagine stepping out of the house on my way to the airport without my camera. Traveling with my camera is just an automatic habit. The camera allows me to capture memories, those once-in-a-lifetime opportunities that cause nature and life to ‘stand still’ forever in a dramatic, nicely composed photo, with clarity and focus.
How many times have you remembered a trip in the past without a photo? How many times have you told yourself, “Never again!” If that is you, I would suggest you run out now and purchase a DSLR / Mirrorless camera. NOW YOU ARE READY TO TRAVEL!!
…….. Yes, you can use your Smartphone, but if you want superior photos…… I am biased.
In fact, on our trip to Australia in 2018, just two weeks prior to leaving, I decided to lessen the carry-weight of my camera and supplies by buying a Sony Mirrorless camera with two lenses and accessories from Amazon (www.amazon.com/). This came to around $850.
I was nervous since this was the first time I would be using something other than a DSLR and this was an important vacation.
However, after returning home with some 3,000 pictures, and loading them onto my computer, the images came up for viewing and I was absolutely blown away. The quality was fabulous and all my nervousness about this ‘trial camera’ was for naught.
Traveling with my camera was now a breeze and free from being anxious about my new camera!
What else do you need with your camera?
If you have a camera and a couple of lenses and other items (additional batteries and memory cards) needed for travel, you need a camera bag to carry all this equipment. I have had a few over the years and the issues have always been ‘too large’, ‘too heavy’, or just ‘too awkward’. So what I did for our last trip to Italy (for 15 days and a cruise out of Rome for 10 days), was to buy a very lightweight, compact all-purpose bag from Amazon. What a relief!!
It was easy to access, as well as easy to open and close while using the shoulder harness over my head. It rode over my shoulder nicely and even had inside dividers, a hidden zipper area on the inside, and other features that proved invaluable. The best feature was that it was so lightweight!
HINT for Photo Success: Learn to hold your camera correctly, left hand under the lens in order to manual focus, if appropriate, and to adjust the ‘zoom’ feature if you are using a zoom lens.
Appropriate camera/picture-taking mechanics.
Keep your elbows close to your body so that the camera is steady; do what you can to keep the camera steady, even leaning on a tree or side of a building for a stronger, more solid support position with your body.
Remember, sharp focus is a key to good photography and provides you with a sense of satisfaction and motivation to continue. It is more pleasing to see an in-focus image than one that is out of focus which is useless. Be patient and practice.
Now you are ready to travel!! If you are new to photography and taking pictures with a DSLR / Mirrorless camera and do not feel comfortable with all the dials and menu options, then just use the ‘Auto’ mode. This will automatically identify the correct settings for aperture, shutter, ISO, depending on the light source and direction, what you are shooting, etc., and will take the guesswork and frustration out of doing this manually. You will return home much more satisfied.
If you become ‘hooked’ when you get back from your trips and want to learn more just take a class online or buy a book. A great course online is through Professional Pro called Digital Camera Mastery. (www.professionalpro.com)
Do not be afraid to take a ton of pictures. The memory cards (64GB or 128GB) allow you to take pictures without the worry of running out of memory.
Even experiment with a few videos without worry. Be sure to always, however, have a second memory card just in case. Think of landscapes, architecture, people enjoying themselves, your wife, kids, signs, and, of course, food!
Make a photo essay of your trip with shots of the places you visit, restaurant signs, city signs, and people, along with the tourist ‘biggies’. Be creative, be up early, and find time to take a few pictures in the early morning and early evening.
With every picture, you will learn, and I’ll bet, if you are enjoying yourself with your camera, you will become more committed. Remember, your memories for a lifetime are saved in all the photos; even after you are gone they will live on with your kids and their kids.
Enjoy your time and enjoy traveling with a camera!!
FOR INFORMATION ON PURCHASING TRAVEL PHOTOS
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Santorini in a day
One Day in Palma de Mallorca
How to talk with Strangers when Traveling
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