We begin our series of Pro Travel Photo Tips courtesy with thanks to our dear friend Tom Dowling, pro photographer and world traveler. Tom was kind enough to share his wealth of knowledge and tips to easily give our travel photos a real "wow factor"!
The Wanderlust Blog features our favorite camera gear, guides and tips. This series will include pointers for you to effectively "size up" photo opportunities when traveling, basic and advanced photography concepts and tips for shooting various subjects under different lighting and weather conditions, all selected to help you get the very most out of your next Total Excursion.
We begin with a short primer covering some of the basics for taking along your DSLR (handy for point-and-shoot photography, too!):
- "The best camera is the one you have with you" - this adage, and the title of a great book on iPhone photography from renowned pro shooter Chase Jarvis, merits thought. You can't get great photos if you haven't got your camera with you, so for starters, be sure to bring along something you will actually bring along.
- With the advancement of lenses in modern cell phone cameras, most travelers can save the hassle of a pro-body and capture amazing images with their mobile phones!
If you are traveling with a pro camera:
- Don't carry too much gear (accessories, lenses, cases, etc.). Not only is this cumbersome, but you become a theft target, and can miss that special shot fumbling through cases and bags.
- Remove the manufacturer's strap from your expensive DSLR camera - it is not only minimally useful, but the huge logo "advertises" to thieves, who are known to prowl tourist areas for a quick mark
- Use a Black Rapid camera strap. They have separate models tailored to fit men and women and come in sizes to fit snugly. Black Rapid straps can be comfortably worn all day and will keep your camera safely by your side - ready nearby whenever you need to shoot and out of the way when you don't!
- To keep your camera "grab and go" ready - bring along a good all-purpose lens:
- For crop-factor DSLR's an 18-200mm
- For full-frame sensor models, a 28-300mm
- Each of the above lenses will afford you a good range of nice wide shots while letting you zoom
- Tape a small swatch of black electrical tape over the logo on your camera - again, there is simply no reason to advertise that expensive camera
Thanks to Tom for giving us great practical advice! Now that you have your DSL outfitted, we will move on to using that camera in future Wanderlust articles!
We know how exciting it is to experience a new destination, and your Professional Travel Counselors remind you to travel safely and travel smart, so you can get the most out of your next Total Excursion!