Travelling brings you closer to great locations and photo opportunities that you may otherwise not be able to capture. There’s no greater feeling than ticking a famous view off your bucket list and coming home with a memory card full of new images to edit.
However, one of the few drawbacks of travelling with your camera kit is how it can slow you down. As photographers, we have a tendency to pack all our kit, and while this may be suitable for a commercial job, or a shoot close to home, packing all that weight into a rucksack will only slow you down and risk spoiling the experience completely.
Fear not, there’s plenty you can do to make sure you travel a little lighter this vacation season. Some of our tips are on the sort of gear to take, others are on how to use kit, but all of them are useful and should improve your picture-taking experience…
1 ) Pick the right camera:
Let’s start with the most important element of the equation, the camera. A big-resolution camera doesn’t have to weigh you down these days so if you are planning a vacation and have the budget to pick up a new camera, there are plenty of options to choose from. For example, something like the Olympus E-M1 MkII tips the scales at just 574g (including battery and memory card). That’s a significant weight saving compared to a DSLR like the Nikon D850 (915g). Photographers can still shoot with a full-frame sensor without being weighed down thanks to Sony’s range of a7 and a9 cameras. The a9 tips the scales at 673g and the a7III weighs just 650g.
Sony offers a range of powerful, but lightweight, cameras. Image by Alessio Lin/Unsplash
2) Pick the right lens:
Travelling light means making compromises and, while you may own a locker full of lenses, that doesn’t mean you should pack them all when it comes time to go on holiday. Instead, opt for your more versatile lenses, such as a 24-70mm f/2. 8 zoom that will allow you to capture wide angles landscapes and close up portraits or details shots with the twist of the wrist. Alternatively, pack short and light prime lenses, such as a 50mm f/2. 8 or 24mm f/1. 4 - these lenses won’t weigh you down but will deliver excellent image quality.
A Nifty Fifty f/1. 8 won't weigh you down. Image by Milind Ruparel/Unsplash
3) Buy bigger memory cards:
Ideally, you wouldn’t want to store a whole trip’s worth of images on one card, but if you really do have to save weight, switching out a bunch of 32GB cards for a 64GB or 128GB card will not only cut your payload, but will also reduce the risk of you losing a card as you swap it out for a fresh one. If you can, remember to back up images to a cloud service if you have access to Wi-Fi.
Just don't run out of memory when you are travelling this summer.
4) Charge on the go:
Batteries, especially DSLR versions, can soon add up and take up valuable space in your kit bag. One alternative option is to just take a couple of batteries and, if your camera allows you to, charge up on the go using a powerbank. This is also a good idea if you are travelling in more remote places where you won’t have regular access to walled power points.
5) Go for alternative supports:
While it’s nice to be able to support your camera, tripods (even carbon fibre models) will weigh you down, especially if you are covering rough terrain like rugged coastlines. However, there are alternatives. Manfrotto make monopods that double up as walking poles, so these supports will actually help you cover that rough terrain. Also, there’s monopods with little feet at the bottom to give you a steadier support without the weight of a full blown tripod. Consider using natural supports too - rest the camera on a bench or fencepost or you could always rest the camera on your bag instead.
Monopods are light to carry, but offer stability. Image by Thomas William/Unplash.
6) Rely on natural light:
It can be tempting to pack a flashgun to capture some creative images, but flashguns can be heavy items that you may consider a luxury if you are aiming to travel light. Instead, focus on using natural light. If you need to shape the light, why not swap out the flashgun for a lightweight reflector to bounce light back onto a subject. If you have neither of these, think on your feet. For example, use a white shirt as a makeshift defuser to soften harsh light or, if you can, reposition subjects under shade to avoid shadows.
7) Switch up your filters:
Landscape photographers will most likely have a box of filters they love to take on a shoot, but if you are travelling light, you may wish to consider an alternative. Instead of packing ND filters in different strengths, why not just take a variable ND filter. These clever accessories take up hardly any space and, by twisting the ring, you can adjust the strength of the ND filter, making it lighter or darker.
A variable ND filter will save you weight.
8) Share kit around:
What if there’s a bare minimum level of kit you want to take, but it’s still too heavy? Well, if you are travelling with a fellow photographer, why don’t you try sharing kit? Obviously, this will only work if you use the same system, but if both of you shoot, say Canon, one person could pack the body and a wide angle while the other packs a bigger telezoom. No fighting over who gets to use what first though!
9) Hire when you out there:
If you are travelling great distances, but only intend to do the odd bit of photography on your journey, you may find that you can’t justify any gear in your (already full) bag. Fear not, there’s still a way to take pictures. If you can plan your journey’s route in advance, why not search out some camera shops that hire out camera gear? This way you can use all the awesome kit of your choice and then return it, so you don’t have any risk of having to pay excess baggage charges. Just remember to take some memory cards as you’ll want to take these home with you.
Travelling far? Why not hire kit when you arrive in town? Image by Jakob Owens/Unsplash
10) Leave the laptop at home:
One of the biggest items of kit to weigh you down when travelling is a laptop, so ask yourself if you can do without it. If you need to edit images on the go, check to see if you can use your camera’s Wi-Fi mode and transfer photos to your smartphone instead, before editing them using the mobile version of Photoshop. Once you’re done, you can use your smartphone again to upload your holiday pics to the internet and make all your friends jealous.
. digitalrev.com2018-6-29 03:00
