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By Lloyd Douglas

Pack and Snap: Introduction of the Essentials for the Globetrotting Photographer

Introduction

You stand on the top of a wind-swept hill, staring at a splendid landscape, golden in early morning light. In your hands is your camera, ready for a new story. This isn’t just about photography – it’s about traveling, living the story yourself, and telling that story through photographs. This is the world of travel photography, an art, and a narrative, and every photo is an account of that.

 For you, the globetrotting photographer, each trip is a chance to see again and seek a new perspective, literally and figuratively. Your camera kit will be your storytelling toolkit and the method for unlocking your imagination. In this article, I will show you how.

1. Understanding the Essentials of a Travel Photography Kit

After all, the heart of travel photography is about capturing the magic, life, and personality of the locations, experiences, and faces that you encounter on your journeys. But you can’t take that photo until you’ve unpacked a kit that can be as nimble and mobile as your photographic eye.

Camera Choices: The Soul of Your Kit

Your camera isn’t just a piece of the kit. It’s the keyhole to the world, your paintbrush. Whether it’s the powerful sensitivity of a DSLR sensor, the graceful dexterity and lightness of a mirrorless model, or the low-key power of a high-end compact, each camera has its own presence. Picture it as the person you take to the ball. Do you want to dance with a wooden barrel or a dashing partner who knows how to dip?

If you’re new to photography and do not have equipment dedicated to photography, I found this bundle on Amazon that has what you need to hit the ground running. I’ve accumulated most of the equipment in this pack over the years, one by one, and that was a mistake. I would have saved time and money if I had just purchased a pack like this one with everything all at once.

I prefer Canon and have been using them for over a decade. My current camera is the Canon R10, and I love it. I have also used Transcend Memory cards since 2008, and the ones I haven’t lost still work to this day. The lenses in this bundle are kit lenses, meaning they are often bundled with the camera; however, most bundles only come with one, not two. With both these lenses, you’ll have a good range of wide and telephoto focal lengths. A good starting point for every photographers need.

Here is the R10 Photography Kit: Canon EOS R10 4K Video Recording Mirrorless Camera with 18-45mm and Canon RF-S 55-210mm f/5-7.1 is STM Lenses + 2 X 64GB Fast Transcend Memory + Deluxe Accessory Bundle

Lenses: The Eyes of Your Adventure

Lenses are the heralds of your camera bag. A wide-angle one will let you give wide vistas, highlighting a landscape in its wild and wonderful glory in your photograph. It’s as if you step back from the painting on the wall in a gallery to drink in the full glory of the work of art, each corner of the canvas in amazing detail, a riot of forms and color. Conversely, a telephoto lens will let you zoom in on a detail from a long distance, to portray what can be a life in its own right, isolated from the hubbub of everything else going on all around, as if that distant figure in the same painting as just before, were smiling sweetly at a secret inside their head.

Accessories: The Supporting Cast

Without memory cards, spare batteries, and a cleaning kit, you don’t have a kit. The memory cards are the fresh pages you will write upon, the spare batteries, the life your camera will have, and the cleaning kit, the pristine lens stage on which you will work.

If you have multiple cameras, you more than likely have run into the problem where each camera takes a different size of memory card. This is especially true if you have a larger professional camera like a DSLR and a small action camera like a GoPro or a Insta 360 camera.

In addition, cameras require an incredible amount of speed to record ultra-resolution video. With cameras recording in 4K, which has 4x more pixels than HD, and action cameras recording up to 5K and more, you’ll need the fastest card you can get.

I personally use these memory cards. I recommend them wholeheartedly. I own over 5 of them and I have never had an issue. I use them for recording hours of 360 video at 5.7K with a high bit rate. I used them to record 120 FPS slow more video with my Canon R10. You can watch the Air show I filmed here:

And they have never failed me when recording my RAW image format photographs. What is great about these is that these are micro-SD cards that work with action cameras like the GoPro and 360 cameras like the Insta 360. However, it does come with an adapter that allows you to use it in larger DSLR and Mirrorless cameras as well with no performance loss.

Here are the memory cards that I use to this day: SanDisk 128GB Ultra microSDXC UHS-I Memory Card with Adapter - Up to 140MB/s, C10, U1, Full HD, A1, MicroSD Card - SDSQUAB-128G-GN6MA [New Version]

My travels have taught me that the right kit can make the difference between a so-so shot and something special. For instance, my fast prime lens while traveling through Turkey enabled me to take architectural shots in dim locations without the use of artificial light. Here are some of the images I was able to take while traveling through the Caravanserais in Turkey. These ancient pitstops for travels making their way across the Middle East had no artificial light and were kept dark to prevent the scorching sun from overheating the pack animals and travers alike. 

Each time you make such a decision, your travel photography kit is no longer the only gear at your disposal; it becomes the embodiment of your photographer within, ready to capture the world through your eyes. Now, as we continue to customize your kit to your travel style, bear in mind that with a faithful ally in your camera bag, each tool, piece of kit, gadget, or accessory is a brush stroke of the painting that is about to be made.

2. Tailoring Your Kit to Your Travel Style

Every traveler has a compass to call their own, and your photographic gear must dance to the rhythm of your travels. Whichever path you map for yourself, whatever horizons you cover, your equipment must be unique to your needs.

Backpacking: Light and Might

Picture yourself on a hiking expedition deep in the jungle trails of the Amazon rainforest. The less weight you have to haul, the better. If you’re a keen photographer wanting to bring your best equipment, a high-quality mirrorless camera with light-action lenses is your new best friend. Choose a general-purpose zoom lens and it can show off the majesty of a dense forest canopy as well as the minute details of an orchid hidden below. Accessories? Replace bulk with versatility: a featherweight travel tripod that’s ready to steady any lens, no matter how long, and a weatherproof, watertight case that can serve as both storage and protection from random downpours. The interaction of purpose and precision here is precisely the point.

This is a company I have been using since 2008 for my photographic travel needs. My Tamrac camera bags have survived safaris in Kruger National Park, Dog sledding on glaciers in Alaska, and travels through the southern part of Mexico in the mountains of Chiapas and so much more. These bags are built to last, and you really must believe me when I say, I’m still using the same 2 bags from 2008 to this day, and they have very little wear for what they’ve been through. They have updated their design, and you can find their new stylish bag here:

What’s great about these larger bags is that not only can you take larger Telephoto lenses, but you can also fit your laptop and even a second DLSR which really cuts down on the amount of luggage you need to take when traveling.

Tamrac Anvil Slim 11 Camera Backpack for Photographers DSLR Camera Bag with Laptop Compartment, Professional Photography Backpack, Waterproof Camera Bag with Tripod Holder, Camera Carrying Case, Black

Luxury Travel: Elegance and Excellence

Now imagine you’re stepping into the grand lobby of a Parisian hotel, with its aura of old-world luxury and its pervasive sense of timeworn refinement. Luxury travel offers more latitude in the high-end of your photo kit. Your image-quality preference, for example, might well justify the inclusion of a full-frame DSLR. The much larger sensor area of such a camera would intrinsically deliver better performance. Likewise, the longer focal length of your largest prime lenses might offer advantages when the lofty hotel bed view is shared with others. Think of it like getting dressed for a gala; what you carry should complement the surroundings, from the lines of your camera body to the quality of the lens surfaces.

Adventure Travel: Rugged and Ready

For the adrenaline junkie or the intrepid traveler within, your camera equipment ought to be suited to the elements. Perhaps you’re rappelling down a dry slot canyon in Utah. Wind, rain, and possibly a few knocks on the way down. A rugged weather-sealed DSLR or action camera, coupled with tough optics and a shock-proof case and you’re ready to go. Your other accessories, like a flexible tripod, might be able to grip just about anything as if you yourself were able to adapt to anything thrown at you by the wild!

Sometimes, it’s better to use smaller, waterproof action cameras. While I was traveling in the Philippines there was a point where I went kayaking between islands. I didn’t take my large DSLR. Instead, I took my GoPro to take photos and videos. Could the footage be better if I had taken my DSLR. Yes, but there would be a very high risk that it would have been the end of my DSLR and the photos on it. So I decided to use my GoPro.

I’ve been using GoPro action cameras for years, almost over a decade. I still have and regularly use my GoPro Hero 2 3D system, which works fine to this day. I’ve strapped them to drones. I’ve driven thousands of miles from the East Coast to the West Coast mounted to the outside of the car for drive-lapse videos like this one:

And it still works fine to this day. I’ve upgraded to newer models, and the increase in quality is incredible because the early GoPros were way ahead of their time to begin with.

Here’s a link to a GoPro Kit that will surely have all the accessories you would need for any adventure you go on. This bundle will save you time and money as opposed to buying each accessory separately.

GoPro HERO12 (Hero 12) Black - Waterproof Action Camera with 5.3K HDR Video, 27MP Photos, 1/1.9" Image Sensor, Live Streaming, Webcam, Stabilization + 64GB Card & 50 Piece Accessory Kit - Bundle

            This list is geared towards traveling out of your comfort zone; it’s also about having gear that you feel corresponds to what your travels are all about. As the gear and tech proliferate to help the modern traveling photographer throughout their travels, be mindful that your kit is never just stuff. Your kit is the gear that unlocks the stories that yearn to be told, the steadfast partner that shares your journey of discovery and storytelling.

3. Innovative Gear and Tech for the Modern Travel Photographer

Innovation is the key that opens new worlds of creativity. The modern travel photographer will be the first to admit that there’s a dizzying sense of discovering shiny new gear and tech, just like entering a candy shop; every part you purchase is more exciting than the last, with its potential to offer flavors of composition and perspective.

The Magic of Modern Cameras

A story as well as an image, an interpretation, a modulation of the dynamic range, and the color science of the camera. Your camera will influence the ease with which you will be able to create the image you desire. You must remember, however, that photography is an art, and almost anything is possible if you can get creative enough.

Drones: A Bird’s Eye View

Ever since the rise of the drone, traveling has become a lot more interesting. Both figuratively and literally, we have gained perspective. Imagine flying a drone. Imagine controlling a camera that can hover over the landscapes that you’re traveling through. Imagine being able to reveal the earth’s grandeur from high above. A drone camera unchains your photography from Earth’s restrictive gravity. It frees it to soar, like a bird, like a Jedi. A drone reveals aspects of the world that were previously as inaccessible to photographers.

I’ve built several unmanned aerial vehicles from kits and scratch. Not just the common quadcopter, but remote-operated airplanes as well. It’s always a scary process. You’ll never know when something will break or if you’ll lose signal and the aircraft will just fly away lost forever.

In the end, I needed a drone that was smaller and easy to travel with. I also needed it to be able to comply with the Federal Aviation Association rules for drones. That’s why I went with the DJI Mavic Air 2s. I’ve heard a lot of good things about DJI in the drone community, and now that I’ve spent years and hours of flight time with my DJI Air 2s, what I can say is that the reviews do not do it justice. This drone is a dream to fly. If you’re a beginner, I recommend you start with this drone. I’ve worked with other drones that required more experience and advanced knowledge of software, aviation, and radio technology, and the Air S2 blows their quality out of the water, or Air, I should say.

Honestly, I wish I had begun my aerial photography career with this drone because it would have saved me so much time and stress and given me much more footage and photos in my early days than what I used then.  You can see the drone video’s I’ve been able to create here:

Here, you’ll find the kit similar to the one I purchased. I highly recommend it. It comes with several extra batteries and the essentials for flying your drone as a professional photographer: Digital Village DJI Mavic Air 2S Fly More Combo - Drone Quadcopter UAV with 20MP Camera 5.4K Video 128GB Pilot Bundle with Backpack + Landing Pad + More

Lighting and Portability: Best of Both Worlds

Professional lighting doesn’t have to be unwieldy: compact LED panels and flashes can now pack a serious punch while remaining portable enough for any set. They can mean the difference between a great photograph and a masterpiece, just as a painter’s brush effectively applies light to dark, defining the characters in the scene and evoking their emotions.

When I’m taking photos at events, I always make sure to bring my flash. It can be the difference between getting a captivating shot or an image that is too dark that no amount of editing can fix.

I’ve had the top of the line at the time Canon Speedlight and it was incredible. The price was also incredibly high, but it was worth it. Unfortunately, it was stolen from my car and I wasn’t able to justify purchasing a new one at that time.

However, I did take a chance and purchased a  Neewer speedlight, and now I use them regularly. I have two, and I can use them not only at events, like car shows, graduations, and art gallery premieres. But with additional tools, I can use them with my professional lighting equipment like my softbox or umbrella lighting wirelessly to create an on the spot studio with no need for a power outlet. 

This is the upgraded version of the flashes that I use, and I have several Neewer productions, including heavy-duty tripods, backdrops, light stands, and remotes.  Neewer is a brand I can trust and I think you should too.

Neewer TT560 Flash Speedlite for Canon Sony Nikon Panasonic Olympus Pentax and Other DSLR Cameras, Digital Camera Speedlight with Standard Hot Shoe

Note that these are tools of technology, not just technology itself. Given the freedom to be your creative partner, they will inspire you to go the distance, to get closer, to see and make meaning for the heart. And they will stand by you as you do all that.

Conclusion

And with that, we’ve come to a complete circle in identifying the need-to-know components of every globetrotting photographer’s gear. Your travel photography bag is your story in images. It’s because you’re out there with them, learning their nuances, ready to capture and create your masterpiece from the lens of a camera. Yours could be the only person to reveal what the world has yet to see.

Your camera bag may be seen as a jewel box, its contents precious gems that delineate different facets of your lived experience. Wherever you are exploring and documenting a cityscape, climbing a long mountain trail, or watching the ocean meet the sky in an epic sunset– your kit is your accomplice, helping deliver the photographic content you need it to create.

The right kit can make photography seem easier, but I’ve come to feel that it can also make travel itself feel more worthwhile: It adds focus, allowing you to seize on and eternalize a moment in time in terrain that any mistake might otherwise spoil forever.

Relish what you add and how you add it to create a kit that is truly your own. By thinking differently about your kit and engaging with the range of tools that you can use to record photographs, you can start to see the process as one of expression rather than simply a production one. Your kit should be a narrative – a reflection of who you are and how you’d like to capture the world. It has a story to tell, one that your inner artist can craft.

Make your travel photography kit reflect you and be your enabler to experience life’s amazing moments around the world. Pack, shoot, travel; your inspiration is a shot, and the location of your destination is your canvas. The world is vast, and moments are many and you are a roving lens who can create a series of timeless moments on your travels. So, ready your kit, walk out the door, and capture the overflowing essence of life’s journeys. After all, in this adventure of life, you are the globe-hopping photographer, and it’s up to you to capture your shot.

An Additional Note: What I’m Reading

My friends and family know that I have a deep admiration for Ansel Adams. I call him my archnemesis because I’m always trying to reach his level of quality and expertise. Just when I think I’ve reached something close, I find a book or print where he not only invented the process but also made 10 improvements along the way.

While people say that art is subjective and relies on personal taste, I believe that in no world can you believe that Ansel Adams is not a true master of photography. He is credited with taking photography into the world of extremely high-quality fine art. Some people today don’t think of photography as art and especially as fine art. Their options change real fast when they start to look at the works of Ansel Adams. I own several of his printed books and I recommend you do too. The Kindle additions are also incredibly valuable because the physical books are so high quality and heavy that traveling with them is impossible. It’s completely up to you to get the physical or digital; however, if you can, I suggest you get both.

I’m reading “The Ansel Adams Photography Series” I’m reading them out of order and I’m currently on the second book: “The Negative (Ansel Adams Photography, Series 2)”.  This book is extremely important to me because I still take film photographs as well as develop them myself at in my home studio. I have a lot of experience and evidence working with physical film to know that the dynamic range of colors, tones and shades, as well as the quality of film is still beyond that of digital. However, film is extremely expensive, extremely easy to develop wrong, easy to damage, hard to store and is a very slow process to digitize to get the highest of quality. This is what has led to making digital so attractive because digital has fixed all of those issues at the cost of quality.

However, the majority of the principles in “The Ansel Adams Photography” series apply to digital photography as well and will very much help in the planning stage, taking the photo, and editing in Photoshop and Lightroom.

Here’s the series of Ansel Adams Photography:

Ansel Adams: The Camera (The Ansel Adams Photography Series 1)

The Negative (Ansel Adams Photography, Series 2)

The Print (Ansel Adams Photography, 3)

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