Travel prep tips can help you prepare whether you’re embarking on an overseas trip, a nature trek, or just exploring your region with your camera. Having a few key tips up your sleeve can significantly enhance your experience and results. Here are five quick tips every photographer should know.
Tip 1: Research the Location Ahead of Time
Before you set off on your adventure, spend some time researching your destination. Knowing the best spots to shoot, the local customs, and the weather conditions can help you prepare better. Use online resources like weather apps, travel blogs, photography forums, and social media to gather information.
Doing this before you pack will help you make wiser decisions on what to bring.
Use a Weather App for travel prep
Let’s start with the weather, which you can easily research on the Weather App on an iPhone or The Weather Channel App.
We just returned from a trip to Europe, and my packing list changed daily before we left. We were sweltering at home in Virginia, but the weather forecast kept changing in the cities we’d be visiting. And then I remembered we’d be cruising on the North Sea!
In the end, I added clothes I’d wear in the spring or fall here, plus a raincoat. I wore all of the cold-weather clothes I brought and almost none of the summer clothes. Believe me, you’ll capture better images if you’re not shivering, sweltering or wet!
As you can see in this selfie of us in Peel, on the Isle of Man, we’re dressed for cooler weather, even though it was July 25th.
Plan for Golden and Blue Hours
Another way to use the weather apps for travel prep is to discover the sunrise and sunset times.
Identify the golden hours—the time after sunrise and before sunset. These times offer the best natural lighting for photography, rendering your shots more magical and visually appealing.
If you’re going on safari, you’ll be out early to see the animals wake up. A few years ago, I shot this photo of an acacia tree as the sun rose on the Serengeti in Tanzania. To control the light, I shot in Manual Mode, with the following settings: aperture f/4, ISO 100, shutter speed 1/640.
Depending on where you’re headed, you may be surprised at how late the evening blue hour is! If you know you won’t be staying up that late, you can probably leave your tripod at home.
An alternative to carrying your tripod that works with today’s cameras is to set a higher ISO. I shot this blue-hour image of London hand-held from the stern of the Viking Sky in Greenwich, England. I set my Canon 5D Mark IV to Aperture Mode with an ISO of 1000, an aperture of f/4 and a shutter speed of 1/125 second.
Travel Prep Tip 2: Create a Shot List
Visualize Your Goals
Having a clear idea of the shots you want to capture can save you time and ensure you don’t miss any critical moments. Before your trip, jot down a list of must-have images. This is where social media, like Pinterest or Instagram, can come in handy. In the search bar, type where you’re going. I include “photography” in my question.
Tip 3: Practice Your Camera Settings Before You Go
Get Comfortable with Your Gear as Part of Your Travel Prep
Knowing your camera inside out is crucial. Spend time practicing different modes, like Aperture, Shutter and Manual. Learn the button or dials to use to adjust Exposure Compensation. And be sure to practice adjusting the ISO on your camera. (Some Nikon cameras require you to go into the menu to control whether Auto ISO is set or not.) Understanding how your camera performs in various lighting conditions will help ensure that you can quickly adapt during your travels.
I think one of the best hidden benefits of travel is that it gives you the excuse to focus on your photography and learn how to use your camera! In your everyday life, it’s far too easy to put off having fun learning. But even a local trip can be the incentive to give yourself permission to learn! You’re welcome… 😉
Skip and I were waiting for a London Walks tour of the Inns of Court in London when I noticed this young woman on her rental e-scooter heading towards me. I couldn’t resist switching into Shutter mode and setting a slow shutter speed of 1/25th second to pan her as she passed.
Learning to pan takes practice, so start before your trip. Then, set your shutter speed to 1/15 second and leave it there. When you see an image you want to pan, all it takes is switching your mode to Shutter. If it’s too bright, you may have to increase the shutter speed slightly, as I did.
Experiment at Home
I love to think about the trip and then give myself the time to practice. Anticipation is a wonderful part of travel.
Experiment with different modes and settings at home so you can confidently tackle any situation that arises while you’re on the go. I’ll include a link below for my online camera class in case you want to brush up before your trip.
If you’re taking your tripod, be sure to practice setting it up! Otherwise, you’ll need to figure this out in the dark while the blue hour is fading. 😳
Travel Prep Tip 4: Pack Mindfully – Do you need that camera backpack?
We covered clothing above, but what about your camera bag? Part of my travel prep is imagining where I’ll be and how much room I’ll have.
While it might be tempting to take the big camera backpack, think about whether you’ll have space for it. I love my MindShift backpack by Think Tank. But for our Viking cruise this summer, I switched out to a lighter bag that doesn’t look like a camera bag.
This Moment bag is marketed as a tote, not a camera bag. But I can slip in a Moment bag insert, fill it with my camera, an extra lens, and my Seven Essentials and still zip it up. Best of all, it will sit on the floor next to my feet when we’re on a bus, touring the Shetland Islands or Orkney. I can reach down and easily get to my gear.
When I need to walk around with my gear, like in Ullapool or Greenwich, the insert even fits in my fun purple Kipling backpack (seen above in the airport next to my Think Tank camera rollaboard.) No one thinks I’m carrying expensive gear.😉
Travel Prep Tip Five: What About the Gear?
This is where your shot list will come in handy! Spend time imagining your surroundings.
What lenses will you need? If I’m going on safari, I include my 70-200mm zoom lens along with my 2x extender. If I’m spending time in old cities in Europe, I bring my 16-35mm wide-angle lens.
Will you be using your tripod, or could a PlatyPod do the trick and take up less room?
It might be tempting to bring all your gear, but traveling light is key.
Some things are essential, though. Don’t forget your extra batteries and chargers. Going overseas? Be sure to include a travel adapter for your plugs. I take my Seven Essentials, but then they’re always with my camera. 😎
Will you be downloading your photos during the trip? (Tip: You should!) You’ll need somewhere to download to, like your laptop, plus an image reader if your laptop doesn’t have the correct port. I use a Sandisk USB-C reader. I’ll link to it below. I also back up my photos, so I carry an extra disk.
Now It’s Your Turn:
Maybe, first, it’s time for a confession. I love to travel, and I’d love to bring everything with me. But I’ve learned that’s not a good idea… the hard way. My travel prep solution is to start packing early by laying out everything I think I’ll need, including clothes and camera gear. It feels wonderful!
Then, as the trip gets closer and I keep checking the weather, I adjust what’s laid out. I also take time to think about the itinerary, plan the shot list, and remove some of the gear.
I have another trick, too. When I come home from a trip and unpacking, I list what I didn’t use and store it in my suitcase. I have a collection of these lists, and they really help me return to the land of reality.
If you’re ready to learn to use your camera to the fullest, my online class, Camera Mechanics, is the perfect answer.
And here’s my affiliate link to the Sandisk image reader at Adorama.
If you’re unsure what the Seven Essentials are, I have a FREE PDF guide for you.
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