How to have a successful photo trip
Contents
1. If you have suggestion or recommendations for changes to this document please let me know Resources Travel clothes bags etc www rei com or www campmor com Silica packets for wet or humid environments www silicagelpackets com Great for soaking up water www shamwow com Nikon fog eliminator cloths www nikonusa com Great camera bags backpacks rollers rain covers www thinktankphoto com email me for possible discounts or deals Across the chest camera straps www CarrySpeed com or www blackrapid com Tripods ballheads camera plates Gitzo Slik ReallyRightStuff Kirk Acratech Markins Good lightweight emergency rain covers www optechusa com Water purifiers including SteriPEN www rei com and www campmor com Electrical adaptors http www magellans com store Adaptors Converters _ Plug__ Adaptors Pro level browser Does just about everything but edit images www camerabits com Foreign travel advice from the U S government http www state gov travel Centers for Disease Control advisories http wwwnc cdc gov travel2. as it s less expensive to put up cell towers than run landlines If you want to stay in touch back home and your cell phone provider doesn t offer overseas service or if it s outrageously expensive then consider buying a phone while there bought a local cell phone in Tanzania in 2010 for 31 For an added 8 got a SIM card that gave me nearly thirty minutes of talk time to the U S And can buy SIM cards for that same phone in other countries as well during future travels Good Digital Workflow on the Road In the days of film we d shoot pictures on our trips and then worry about getting the film home safely where you could get it processed and start looking at it Today if you take a computer and have a good workflow most of your organizational work should be done by the time you get home like to tell people that a good workflow is simply a system that makes sense to you is easy to follow and automates as many steps as possible For me that breaks down this way As soon as get to my room each evening plug my batteries into the charger then download the photos with a good browser that will re name them and add IPTX XMP data during the process usually start that before going to dinner My favorite program is Photo Mechanic www camerabits com but many of today s browsers can accomplish the same thing During the download they can add caption information copyright location and contact information a
3. normally need it is on my hands While the tops of your hands can take quite a lot of sun the skin between the fingers can get burned during a long day About the only time I ll put sunscreen on my face is if I m on a boat or on sand or snow In that case the sun s reflection can burn you and in particular get your neck and nostrils the light s coming from below A great way to stay cooler on a hot day is to wear a wet kerchief around your neck The evaporation of water in the cloth will provide a soothing balm on your neck and your whole head will feel cooler While don t like to shoot photos while wearing sunglasses they can change the look of scenes and make it harder to see clearly through the viewfinder they re good to have if you re going to spend a long day out in the Just remove them occasionally to see what the scene really looks like If you re in hot weather or even cool weather at higher altitudes 6000 ft or above you ll dehydrate quickly That can lead to headaches and other bad things To avoid this force yourself to drink plenty of water If you re not a fan of plain water then bring along some sugar free they ll be much lighter mixes to pour into it Remember that soda and alcoholic drinks aren t as good at replenishing fluids For cold weather try to think in layers That makes it easy to adjust the clothing for how warm or cold you are A thin set of long underwear as base layer pants
4. bouncing around in trucks buses and taxis However don t normally like to work out of a backpack Too much trouble taking it off to get to the equipment For that prefer a shoulder bag or waist pack Shoulder bags are great for having your gear easily accessible And if I m on a fairly short shoot still enjoy using them But after four decades of carrying bags my neck and shoulders get sore easily And know that can carry more weight more comfortably on my hips So if I m going to be out for a long period shooting prefer to use a belt system to carry that weight My preference is usually a waist pack and then add side pouches for extra equipment may need Again Thinktank has great options there as well as Lowepro My favorite combo the last few years is the Thinktank Speed Demon with two or three extra pouches one for a 70 200 one for a wide zoom and a net pouch that can hold a water bottle strobe or converter And there are options for carrying the cameras in addition to the common neck strap I ve really enjoyed using an across the shoulder strap like those by CarrySpeed or BlackRapid In addition to getting the camera off my neck there s no chance of the strap slipping off my shoulder and that also means it would be harder for a thief to grab it and run The CarrySpeed is my current favorite because can get it with an Arca Swiss plate the CarrySpeed FS model to easily use it on my tripods Clothing and
5. gt Js 2 See ork Harg D Fly Right How to have a successful photo trip by Reed Hoffmann copyright 2011 not to be shared without permission How can you get the most out of your photo trip Good trips begin with research planning and preparation What to take and how to get it there safely keeping your gear clean and working finding great pictures dealing with electrical systems or a lack thereof advantages and disadvantages of taking a computer netbook digital wallet or cards are all important And how do you develop and use a digital workflow optimized for travel I ve traveled the U S and the world for the last 15 years from the jungles of Borneo to the top of Mount Kilimanjaro both on assignment and leading photo trips Let me share my tips to making any photo trip a successful one Planning and Packing First on your list should be research Take advantage of your local library s vast resources on people and places around the world Seek out magazine articles guidebooks internet postings Use Flickr Google Earth and other online resources to do a virtual tour of the place without ever leaving home Read about the history and culture of the area Find out what s acceptable what s not That goes for clothing as well as gestures and greetings In conservative societies just plan on wearing long sleeved shirts and long pants No one is offended by that and shorts and sleeveless tops are often considered inapp
6. it somewhere out of sight or use a safe common in many rooms Stolen U S passports are worth hundreds of dollars in most countries Photography Behavior As always being out in the first and last light of the day are great times to shoot pictures Plan accordingly Try having breakfast after your morning shoot instead of before Schedule your dinner for early or late so you can be shooting in the evening light Perhaps use the lunch break for downloading and napping Plan your travel time as well so you can get in position before the light s right There s no worse feeling than getting to a spot and realizing that had you been there 15 minutes earlier you would have made a great picture Morning is also a great time to make photos with few if any people in them At Machu Picchu for example we took the first bus up at 4 30am to get shots of the ruins before they filled with tourists always tell people there will be plenty of time to sleep once they get home No one wants to live up to the stereotype of the ugly American When you travel always remember you re a visitor Have respect for the people and places you re visiting like to remind my groups that we re not visiting a zoo We re visiting cities and people s homes Treat them the way you d like to be treated If you were walking down your street at home and a bus of people drove by with half of them hanging out the window shooting your picture what woul
7. 011 Bots Best JPEGs 5 20110607 20110621 6_004 NEF Ld 2011 Botswana group E 20110609 20110621 6_005 NEF 2011 Galap Reed Sy 20110616 20110621 6_006 NEF 2011 Galapagos Best Ss 20110617 20110621 6_007 NEF LJ 2011 Gala s Best JPEG Sy 20110618 20110621 6_008 NEF Ld 2011 Tanzania Best 20110619 20110621 6_009 NEF 2011 Tanz lects JPEGs 20110620 20110621 6_010 NEF Bru gt G soi ane T 20110621 6_013 NEF E 20110623 7 gtr j a 20110621 014 NFF Once home I ll copy the Best of folder to my server and burn all the photos shot everything to DVD The advantages to this system are Photos are downloaded and backed up daily All photos have metadata text embedded in them during download Every photo has a unique name that has meaning oT aS Most of my organizational work is done by the time get home Closing Any time you go out to shoot pictures there s always the hope that you ll come away with a wonderful photo You can increase the odds of that happening and of being ready when it does happen by a little planning Knowing your gear will work when needed being dressed and ready for the weather and being physically and mentally prepared help make that possible The further you are from home the more important this becomes Follow the Boy Scout motto of Be Prepared and you ll be a happy photographer Have a great trip Reed Hoffmann reed reedhoffmann com
8. F of your user manual and keep it with you on that device Cameras and Lenses All purpose wide to tele zooms have become very popular the last few years but for an important photo trip still recommend multiple lenses At the very least a wide zoom and a tele zoom and one camera As a Nikon shooter my favorite small combination is the Nikkor 16 85mm 3 5 4 5 VR or 18 140mm and the 70 300mm 4 5 5 6 VR zooms paired with a DX body like the D5300 or D7100 Those two lenses give me great range very good sharpness and excellent VR in an affordable small size If I m going to carry one more lens with those two it would be either the Nikkor 12 24mm f 4 DX or the 10 5mm 2 8 DX fisheye That fisheye s a great travel lens because of its very compact size and fast aperture and paired with Nikon s Capture NX 2 software can serve the role of two lenses As is it s a 180 degree full frame fisheye with some field curvature at the edges But in Capture NX 2 you can turn on the Fisheye Correction option and it reduces the angle of view to 130 degrees while straightening out the curvature Very cool If m going to carry more than that I m leaning towards faster lenses both for their aperture and autofocus speed That s usually the Nikkor 17 55mm 2 8 DX and 70 200mm 2 8 Pro level zooms they re extremely sharp even wide open and designed to perform well for years If I m planning to shoot wildlife then l Il try to ad
9. Personal I ve never been accused of being fashionable For me comfort has always trumped looking good And here s why if I m hot tired cold wet or hungry then it s harder to concentrate on making good pictures So try to dress for the weather expect and be prepared for the unexpected I m an old Boy Scout live by the motto Be Prepared In hot weather you ll rarely find me in shorts and t shirts unless I m indoors Outside in the sun even in 100 degrees l Il be in long sleeves and long pants There s a reason desert peoples dress in robes they want to avoid the sun Long pants and shirts that are lightweight and breathable will be more comfortable than shorts And sunburn not only hurts it dehydrates you and can lead to skin cancer If you re in a buggy place those sleeves and pants mean you may only need bug dope on your hands and head Plus the synthetic fabrics often used in these clothes are easily hand washed and dry quickly meaning you can pack less clothes Keeping your skin out of the sun goes for your head as well Forget that baseball cap you love You need a wide brimmed hat that will shield not just your face but your ears and neck as well And make sure it has a neck strap it s no good to you if it blows off into the water or over the cliff Sunscreen is great but only carry a small bottle of it I m not a big fan of the sticky stuff but with a good hat and clothes the only place
10. an easy way to get money and worth finding out what the fee is to use one with your card s The hotels you re staying at will also usually change money for you without an added fee You may need local money right away for taxis or tips for porters For those tips find it easiest just to take a stack of 1 bills Otherwise you ll constantly be trying to get smaller bills and change in local currency which can be difficult Photographers love their bags Shoulder bags backpacks waist packs you name it we ve got them And each have their place For me a backpack s a great way to travel with camera gear Some companies like Thinktank Photo make backpacks specifically designed for flying and some of them fit the smaller overhead compartments on commuter planes My favorite the Thinktank Airport Essentials measures just 18 x 11 5 x 7 With the dividers removed and my gear padded by t shirts socks and underwear can carry my gear for a photo safari as well as a small laptop and the total is under 25lbs To keep weight down avoid backpacks with wheels My normal photo kit includes one DX and one FX body 16 35 f 4 50mm f 1 8 70 200 f 2 8 or if on a wildlife trip the 80 400mm f 4 5 5 6 or 24 120mm f 4 and 200 400 f 4 TC 14e teleconverter SB 700 batteries cards filters and chargers In other words if get there and my checked luggage doesn t can still shoot And the backpack is a great way to protect the gear while
11. and shirt wind or rain pants fleece vest or jacket then rain jacket As comfortable as cotton is leave it at home When cotton gets wet it takes a lot of heat to dry it In the cold a wet cotton shirt will suck body heat from you all day long Synthetics dry rapidly and things like fleece and wool though heavy maintain their ability to keep you warm even when wet A good or better yet great warm hat is essential And it needs to cover your ears or they ll be falling off A little wind on a moderate day can make forty degrees feel like twenty If you can t feel your fingers you ll have a hard time taking pictures Gloves that block the wind but are still supple enough to control your camera are a must In very cold conditions consider a B thin pair of gloves with a mitten or an overmitt on T top Your footwear is obviously important too On a warm weather trip a pair of sandals and a good set of walking shoes may be all you need If you re going off pavement then a pair of boots with good ankle support and protection are a must And make sure you re comfortable in them Just because they felt good in the store doesn t mean they ll feel good two hours down the trail Put in some mileage before the trip And remember that cotton socks are just like any other piece of cotton once wet they stay wet Get some good synthetic hiking socks With travel I ve found the less you have to carry around and keep track of th
12. archer in Borneo who told me that after two months he had fungus growing INSIDE his lenses Everything gets damp and stays damp If were spending more than a couple of days there I d bring a dry bag and some commercial silica gel packets www silicagelpackets com Every night the cameras and lenses would go into the bags with the packets and be sealed up dry bags are water and air tight That would help the silica packs to pull the moisture out of the gear In cold climates you have to be concerned with keeping your batteries functional They drain much faster in the cold Keep your spare batteries inside your coat kept warm by your body And when taking out a dead battery put it inside to warm up You may be able to get more life out of it later that day And remember that when going from a warm moist environment inside in winter to the cold and dry of outside frost may form on your gear Just like going from air conditioning in the summer out into hot and humid air seal your gear in a plastic bag and let the frost or condensation in warm weather form on the outside of the bag as the gear cools down or warms up Once your equipment is near the ambient temperature you can remove it from the bag Finally with all the features our cameras have today it s easy to forget what does what You can always bring your manual along but that takes added space and weight If you re bringing a laptop iPad or smartphone you can download a DP
13. ble laptops weighing about the same as a netbook but costing more and having more power And if weight isn t a big consideration then a more powerful though heavier laptop can be brought Don t forget to pack a fast card reader like USB 3 and since they re small bringing two isn t a bad idea If you want to erase and re use your cards then also bring a portable drive to use for your backup A nice solution that s even smaller than a drive is a high capacity memory stick use one made by SanDisk the UltraBackup stick and it can hold 64GB of images What I like best about this is that can keep a copy of everything I ve shot with me all the time and even have it in my pocket when go through security screenings All this digital gear needs power so batteries and recharging become very important Many countries outside the U S use power that s in the 220 240 volt range as opposed to the 115 volts we use here Fortunately most camera chargers and computer gear can handle both of those voltages Check the fine print on yours to make sure If that s the case then your only real concern will be whether you have the correct adapter for their wall plugs A Google or Bing search such as Tanzania Electrical Adapter will bring up a number of sites that show you exactly the plug type you need There are also a number of all in one adapters like the Kensington 33117 International that can be configured to any o
14. d a longer lens like the 80 400mm 300mm or even 200 400mm Having a second camera is pretty much a must if it s a big trip You always need to play the what if game What if your camera breaks or is stolen how will you make pictures then And my favorite two camera combination right now is pairing up a Nikon DX camera with one of their FX cameras currently the D610 is my favorite travel camera in that format due to its smaller size As long as none of my lenses are DX lenses then I m getting full resolution captures with both bodies but the angle of view changes based on the body put the lens on For instance on trips to Africa and the Galapagos recently this was my kit D610 and D7100 bodies Nikkor 16 35mm f 4 VR lens Nikkor 50mm f 1 8 lens Nikkor 70 200mm f 2 8 lens Nikkor 200 400mm f 4 VR lens Nikon TC 1 4E teleconverter making the 200 400 a 280mm to 560mm f 5 6 lens OR to go lighter took the new 80 400mm f 4 5 5 6 VR instead of the 70 200 and 200 400 On the D610 get exactly the field of view I m used to with those lenses However on the DX body due to the physically smaller sensor there s a multiplication factor of 1 5X so those lenses give me a field of view equivalent to 16 35mm now looks like a 24 52mm 50mm now looks like a 75mm 70 200mm now looks like a 105 300mm 80 400mm now looks like a 120 600mm 200 400 now looks like a 300 600mm And with the TC 1 4 the 200 400 now
15. d you think If you were at the park and some folks started taking pictures of you without asking what would your reaction be Whenever possible ask before shooting pictures You don t have to speak the language just point at your camera smile and pantomime shooting a picture They ll either agree or say no If they agree be courteous thank them perhaps show them the photos you ve taken with the camera s LCD In some places you ll be expected to pay for the privilege of taking someone s photo This is common in places frequented by tourists Think of it as a business since it s some of these people s livelihood Many of them dress the way they are and come to that place to earn money having their picture taken It s a simple business transaction If you don t want to pay don t take their picture If you are willing to pay it s sometimes best to pay first that way they re not worried you re going to shoot and run But also remember that not everywhere or everyone will expect to be paid Away from the busy tourist spots you can often ask to take someone s photo and they ll agree and not expect any payment Don t offer money if they don t ask that could offend them And in some countries the locals get angry if tourists are giving their kids money as they feel we re teaching them to beg Read some guidebooks and talk to your guide to find out what s expected Also remember that what may be a tourist attract
16. e happier you are Find ways to minimize the amount of clothing and personal items you need One tip picked up several years ago was to bring some old clothing on trips and throw them away as you use them In poorer countries this benefits not just you but the people who clean the rooms be sure and put any clothes you don t want in the trash can or they may try to find you to return them Sandals mean you ll need fewer socks Lightweight synthetic clothes are easily washed in a sink and dry quickly The other thing do to keep the amount of clothing down is to do my own laundry regularly in my room Most of my lightweight clothing is non cotton and made to dry quickly can take it in the shower with me wring it out then roll it in a towel and step on it some then hang it up overnight it s usually dry by morning If there s air conditioning in the room make sure to run it to help dry the clothes When packing your clothes and other items try having them sorted into different bags Large plastic bags work well or you can use stuff sacks sold at outdoors shops That makes finding things easier which is nice at the end of a long tiring day My two favorite personal items are inexpensive take up little space and wouldn t travel anywhere without them They re a pair of foam earplugs and a pair of eyeshades When tired anap can bea lifesaver Planes are noisy Roommates can snore streets outside can be loud and your hote
17. emember that everyone on the plane may need to do that too so get to the window or desk as quickly as possible Sometimes one person in the group can get everyone s visas That way one person can take care of that and the others can collect luggage And always always keep an eye on your gear had a friend who after a long flight to India arrived with his wife and baby bleary eyed In the process of collecting luggage dealing with Immigrations and Customs getting through the airport and finding a taxi it wasn t until they got to the hotel that he realized his camera bag was missing You don t want to start a photo trip by shopping for new camera equipment in a foreign country When it comes to money take more cash than you think you ll need Credit cards are good to have too but everyone accepts U S money However make sure and get new bills In some places they won t accept US dollars that are crumpled folded written on or even worse torn Large bills take less space than small bills often carry several hundred dollar bills as emergency money then fifties twenties and tens You ll usually get the best exchange rates at banks but it s often easier to f A ay ye 5 T just change some money at the airport when you arrive Sometimes shops are set up to do that inside baggage claim so you can change money while waiting for your bags Just be aware that they usually charge a per transaction fee ATM s are also
18. et it and fill it out for you Staying healthy traveling is important and one way to help insure that is to be healthy when you start That includes being in good physical shape At the very least start a walking program a few weeks before departure Not only will you prepare yourself for long days during the trip you ll also make sure your footwear doesn t rub and create blisters If possible add some stretching and at least light weight lifting to your routine These will help minimize muscle strains and pulls And if you ve gotten any new camera bags for the trip soend some time wearing carrying them around to make sure they re comfortable An advantage to traveling south Central and South America for instance is that you ll experience little in the way of time change When you go very far east or west jet lag can be a problem It s your body trying to deal with the fact that you re up when it s used to sleeping and trying to sleep when it s used to being up There are a few things you can do to help ease those changes If possible start adjusting your bedtime before you ever leave to shift towards the hours you ll be moving to Drink plenty of liquids on the plane as dehydration makes jetlag worse Avoid much alcohol as that dehydrates you Try to get some sleep on the flight so you don t arrive completely exhausted And when you get there avoid the temptation to go straight to bed unless it s night If you can get out
19. gher and only require muscle power Consult with your doctor but you ll probably want to take some medicine along in case of problems Of course any prescription drugs that you need should be in your carry on so they re with you all the time If they re in your checked luggage and it gets lost you ve got problems Make sure you have something to help with P Hoa ik ee headaches or sore muscles Sleeping pills can Mer Seve 30 Ht liad tala oy TOA G ESA DA ago germ Origi ea KS Psom ras ma t z a TAB NOR p 3 K 12 30 2011 0 See Kills D RISH OrgRx 42 30 99 99 of germs t 7 Must Authorize thoy 44i gt Sunday y help fight jet lag Immodium can be a good first defense against traveler s diarrhea but it s smart to bring along an antibiotic recommended by your doctor like Cipro Doctors that specialize in travel and the CDC now recommend taking Cipro only until your symptoms stop instead of the entire course of the antibiotic If you ve got a travel clinic in your area they re a great resource to help make sure you ve gotten the right vaccinations and medicine and can help answer questions about the proper ways to use them If you re visiting an area where malaria exists you should strongly consider some medicine to prevent it When traveling overseas where vaccinations or immunizations are required for entry you may need need to bring your Yellow Card A travel clinic can help you g
20. gives me a field of view of 420 840 This means that simply by switching lenses and bodies I ve got a range of 16mm to 780mm to work with And of course both cameras are still capturing at full resolution the D610 at 24MP and the D7100 also 24MP Technology Power As a digital photographer you re able to check your work as you shoot on the back of the camera and back up your images every day But that requires more equipment If you have to travel extremely light you could simply take plenty of memory cards and hope that nothing happens to them For backup you could visit an internet caf occasionally and have the images burned to CD or If you ve got room for a little more weight there are some digital wallets still available that are battery powered and will download your cards to an internal hard drive By not erasing the cards as you download and keeping your cards and the wallet or CD DVDs in two different locations you now have multiple copies of your images Weighing a bit more you could bring along an iPad or a netbook Low on power and performance they have great battery life and are capable of downloading your Plus since they re computers you can also start sorting your images and even do some editing although very limited with the iPad But keep in mind the amount of storage space they have For a tablet make sure you have enough space for the pictures you plan on shooting There are also ultraporta
21. hotographers like to use beanbags small bags filled with rice or beans to lie across a vehicle s frame to rest the camera on A cable release is a great accessory for making long exposures but there are other solutions to that as well Try using the self timer to avoid jarring the camera when the shutter fires Many Nikon cameras offer an Exposure Delay Mode in their menus which delays firing the shutter until a moment after the mirror is up to help reduce the chance of that vibration creating blur If you need to shoot an exposure longer than thirty seconds and don t have a release to do that put the camera on Bulb and tape a pebble down on the shutter button to keep the shutter open as long as you need We may not use as many filters as in the past but a few are still essential always want to have a polarizer circular not linear with me as well as one or two Graduated Neutral Density filters If I think may be doing slow exposures to show blur then l Il bring a heavy Neutral Density 4 to 8 stops as well Most lenses or cameras today have some sort of image stabilization technology built in Do you know how the different modes vary on yours A lot of Nikon lenses offer both Normal and Active Normal is to try to reduce any movement you introduce when taking the picture Active is for when what you re on is moving car plane boat etc Canon s Mode is for standard movement Mode II is for
22. ion to you could be a holy place to the people living there Most churches cathedrals synagogues or mosques you ll visit are operating religious facilities Be respectful of the people worshipping there be quiet and follow local customs such as removing shoes before entering Show a genuine interest in the culture and traditions Think of yourself as an ambassador from your country to the world If you re not sure of where to go for good photo opportunities start asking around guides hotel staff at restaurants Check the postcard stands If you find something you want to see buy that card and get a taxi Ask them to take you there Some of my best experiences as a photographer traveling have been when asked the local guide if he could find a family we could visit I ve offered to pay them for their time so they could show us a bit about their lives their homes etc Not only can this make for some great photos but you ll have a real experience with real people as opposed to what s found at most tourist spots Gear On any trip you want to make sure that all of your equipment is in good working condition With todays digital cameras and all the electronics they have it probably makes sense to send your camera s in to the manufacturer about once a year for what s called a clean and check This is doubly important if you re going out of the country as trying to get a repair or replacement overseas can be diffic
23. l could be by an airport A tired photographer isn t a good photographer keep a couple of sets of these with me at all times Staying healthy while traveling can be a challenge but a little planning and cautious attitude helps In developing countries the standard rule of only eating things that have been cooked or peeled is solid advice Avoid food from street vendors If you don t trust the water don t trust the ice either Bottled water soda and beer are staples for any traveler in those countries The downside to bottled water is not only the cost but perhaps more importantly the waste Most countries have enough problems without adding millions of empty plastic bottles For the last few years I ve chosen to travel with a water purifier Not a filter but a purifier There s a difference and a water filter won t protect you from everything The advantage is that don t have to buy and throw away water bottles But what like best is that can have safe water whenever need it have a couple of pumps I ve bought for this over the years but now usually take something called a SteriPEN which was developed for the U S military It s more compact than the pumps but runs on batteries bought the one that uses AA batteries You stick it into the water push the button and let it do its job So prefer that now when possible but if I m going into serious backcountry still take the pump Pumps are tou
24. n bags up and down stairs and long distances If you try to keep the weight around 40 lbs or less you ll have fewer problems with weight restrictions and save your back as well The kit above is what took for 12 day trips to the Galapagos Islands and Tanzania The roller bag was 40 Ibs checked the backpack 25 Ibs carried and waist pack 6lbs carried Make sure your passport is up to date with at least six months before expiration some countries require that before entry Have several copies of your passport s main page and keep them in different places in your luggage If your passport is lost or stolen having that copy can expedite getting it replaced You can t get home without one Think about how you ll carry your passport Pants pocket or purse is not the best place nor your camera bag It s too easy for those to get lost or stolen Better to use a document wallet you can wear around your neck under your shirt or a money belt You ll find some travel shirts Ex Officio for one have zippered chest pockets in some of their shirts just for this Many hotels now have small safes in the room and that s a good place to keep it while there Find out if a visa is required to enter the country If so do you need to get it in advance or can it be purchased upon entry If it has to be done in advance you ll normally need to send your passport to one of that country s embassies well ahead of your trip If you buy one upon entry r
25. ropriate for religious places Learn about the customs such as removing shoes when entering homes or sacred places Learn how to say a few words in the local language Just being able to say Hello and Thank you will show some respect for the people there There are always limits on how much luggage you can take with you and how large the bins are on the different planes you ll be flying in Know that what the airline lets you check and carry on in the states may not extend to air travel outside the U S And when taking local flights in country there may be tighter restrictions For instance travel to places like the Galapagos Islands of Ecuador and around Africa is often limited to about 40 lbs for checked luggage and perhaps just a small bag for carry on And when flying home the regulations at the departure airport could be different than when you flew in A little research into this beforehand can save a headaches and money later If possible try to make do with one piece of checked luggage Rolling duffel bags are great for this sort of thing They re easy to handle and pull along and can usually accommodate a collapsed tripod Plus soft sided luggage is lighter than hard sided If you re limited on weight don t bring a bag that weighs 15 lbs empty And you ll find that the less baggage you have the easier your travel will be Not all places have porters and elevators so realize you may have to haul your ow
26. s well as many other fields And at the same time they can re name files from the meaningless DSC_6395 etc to a more useful 20130618 AfricaDay2_ 381 This name tells me the image was shot on June 18 2013 during the third day of a trip to Africa and is the 381 photo shot that day always copy them to the same location which for me is a folder in the Pictures folder titled to Archive That way when I get home from a trip all the photos that need to be archived are in the same place And the browser is set to automatically create a folder for each day I doa download using that day s date for the folder name Then take a quick look through the photos marking tagging in Photo Mechanic flaggin in Lightroom all the ones like or may have a need for in the future Next copy those marked photos to a separate folder in this case it would be titled 2013 Africa Best of Finally back up that Best of folder to a second drive or a high capacity USB stick Onthe trip home at airports and on the plane l Il go through that Best of folder to select images for a slideshow and to mark those that are truly the very best from the shoot E 2011 All Gi m amp Africa Day 6 E 20110621 6_001 NEF _ J 20110601 z 2011 Best of Sy 20110605 Africa Day 6 movies B 20110621 6_002 NEF gt LJ 2011 Botswana Best 5 20110606 20110621 6_003 NEF 2
27. side Your body needs help making the change and daylight is one of the triggers it uses If you re going to be at altitude anything around 6000 ft or higher then you need to remember your body will need to adjust to the reduced oxygen Take it easy the first couple of days drink a LOT of water you dehydrate quicker at altitude and expect you ll have some headaches and difficulty sleeping at first Tylenol or Advil helps me with the headaches If you re worried the altitude may have a larger impact on you then ask your doctor about something like Diamox It s a medication used by climbers to help them acclimate and needs to be started before you reach altitude and then continued Finally avoid the urge to take a sleeping pill Your body s already struggling with the reduced oxygen anda sleeping pill will reduce your respiration at night Everyone experiences altitude differently and the symptoms usually pass in a couple of days In some places you need to keep personal safety in mind too Stay in groups ask the hotel whether it s safe to walk in the area around it don t make a big show of having lots of camera gear If you re going to be in a crowded market it s probably best not to be carrying all your stuff Pickpockets are common in some places so keep your valuables tucked safely away I m a fan of zippered pockets in my travel clothes Don t leave your passport or wallet lying around even at night in your room Put
28. ult if not impossible That s another good reason to travel with two camera bodies in case one stops working Always have lens cleaner and tissue with you Nikon and some other manufacturers offer a Dust off feature that can make it easier to remove sensor dust from images In a dirty environment it s not a bad idea to shoot one of those dust reference photos each night then use a blower bulb to clean the sensor Keeping sensors and lenses clean can save a lot of trouble later and prevent ruined photos So get in the habit of cleaning lenses and bodies and blowing off the sensor in your room every night As photographers we all understand the importance of holding the camera still while shooting pictures And that s why most of us have tripods But adding a tripod to everything else you re taking on a trip adds more weight and bulk to your luggage Lightweight tripods especially carbon fiber models can make that less of a burden And some ballheads like those by Acratech are designed to be lighter than most If you can t bring a tripod and need help with a big lens then a monopod or small tabletop tripod is an option And there are other ways to help steady the camera when none of those is available Tables chairs the Ae ground a boulder a windowsill all make good places to set a camera for a slow exposure A towel napkin or some clothes balled up underneath will help you get the framing you want Some p
29. utlet type in use around the world To avoid having to buy a bunch of adapters simply use a one to three plug that you can plug into the adapter and then plug three U S devices into Rooms overseas often have fewer power outlets than we re used to here Just remember that you can t use U S power strips that have built in surge suppressors with higher voltage systems overseas That suppressor will be blown the first time you plug it in If you re staying in a camp such as in the jungle or savannah it s quite common to only have power during the day with the generators being turned off at night to save fuel Check on arrival so you can make sure you get your batteries charged while it s on And some places simply don t have power I ve taken raft trips and climbed mountains where had no electricity for over a week In those cases I ve always chosen to carry several extra batteries for my cameras rather than go to the trouble and expense and extra weight and bulk of a solar charging system Bottom line on those are they it takes a lot of time and large panels to charge camera batteries For back up on those trips I ve relied on digital wallets with a couple of extra batteries or netbooks which can run for 5 10 hours on one charge Internet access seems ubiquitous these days but the further afield you go the less likely you ll have it On the other hand many developing countries have excellent cell phone service
30. when you want to shoot a slow shutter speed pan Either of Nikon s modes will work for panning Weather can be a challenge for any photographer I m a big fan of umbrellas both the large collapsible golf umbrellas if think it s going to rain more coverage withstand wind better and the very small compact ones for insurance if don t think rain is imminent also carry protection for the camera s and lenses That can be as simple as a few plastic bags with rubber bands I tear a hole for the lens poke it through and use the rubber band as a seal on the lens hood or as complex as one of the excellent rain coats made for photography use and like the Hydrophobia models by Thinktank AquaTech makes ones that are also good In dusty or sandy conditions try to minimize changing lenses to reduce the odds of dirt getting into the body also try to keep the camera s and lenses covered with a plastic bag or in a camera bag to cut down on the amount of grit that gets into the cracks and rings An unprotected day in blowing sand can mean grinding in your lens barrels from the grit that gets in On African safaris usually bring a large pillowcase or a large cotton bag used for storing sleeping bags from an outdoors store so can cover my gear while riding around in the trucks At the end of the day it s easy to shake the dust from them Jungles tend to be humid places and can wreak havoc on camera gear met a rese
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