Travel Photo Equipment part 2
Oh You're back - good !OK - you'll have your own ideas about digital and 35mm cameras -
I happen to have been a Nikon fan so it made sense to use the lenses,flash etc that I already own.
You really need 2 camera bodies when shooting travel photos - Cameras have a habit of breaking down at critical moments - even the best ones.
With Digital Cameras there's always the problem of dust - unless you actually ENJOY retouching each picture. Some cameras are more prone to dust than others.
The reason I take a film camera is really just a belt and braces job.. It's getting harder to find good film processors and I suggest you only get film processed in your native town.
Never use a new processor abroad ,,... I saw a so-called pro lab in Paris drying transparency fim with a hairdryer in the front office !
The way I work is to make a list of the shots I want to take from research on the internet
and in books/magazines.
I do NOT slavishly copy the photos from those pictures - I know other people do but thos are not always the best viewpoints.
Always carry a camera with you - even a pocket digital 5Mp - one day you will be really glad you did... Great shots turn up at the least expected times.
I then group the pictures in areas of the town/city that I can cover in a day.
Some towns are easy and have very few saleable viewpoints - others like Berlin take days and days to cover properly.
Markets are usually very colourful - especially fruit & veg markets and stallholders will be flattered to be photographed. Secondhand markets though are often selling stolen goods and I'd generally avoid photographing these.
If you work in any other way you will get confused you will also get very tired criss-crossing a city - often in hot weather. By the way always have a Sports bottle of water with you whne shooting - dehydration has very unpleasant side effects.
It also makes you careless and prone to mistakes and takes the edge off your concentration.
If you need to shoot a view at another time of day write that down in your notebook - with the time you should return !
Also write down the number of places under scaffolding or renovation - saves a return trip.
In fact it's a Great Idea to keep a daily log of each location and the time you photograph it as this will help you in the future when you come back to reshoot another time.
I shoot a low resolution picture first on the Digital then view it and then reshoot in High Res. A screen shade may help in very sunny positions but they can get in the way sometimes (Especially if you have - like me ! - a large nose !!)
If it looks like a great shot then I back it up with a film shot.
Check the High Res version is OK . Then look around and shoot variations of the view/subject.
When you get back to your hotel, download the digital photos to your iPod.
Depending on how many shots you have taken, have a cd/dvd made daily of your shots at an internet cafe - THEN CHECK THEM before you delete them from the camera.
And DO write on the dvd what they are !
Use a proper dvd pen.This gives you instant backup to the iPod and the cd/dvd and film.
(Essential if your iPod gets stolen ... make sure its insured for foreign travel !)
Keep the dvd/cd in your suitcase at the hotel with the exposed film.
I chain my suitcase to a radiator or bed with a cycle chain and lock .
Hotels notice if thieves take their furniture or fittings away !
I carry the iPod with me as they are very stealable.
What's the baseball cap for ? - to keep the Sun off of course !
article continues in my ebook ...
This article is part of my new ebook on Stock Photography and is Copyright (C) 2006
It may NOT be reproduced or copied in any form.
Please visit my advice site at http://www.goldenyearscash.com/
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