How to Take and Save Money on a Photographic Vacation

How to Take and Save Money on a Photographic Vacation

Photographic Vacation - Which equipment should I take with me on vacation is a common question. The simple answer is what are you going on vacation to try to photograph. For example, if you go on a safari, you need a long telephoto lens, this ensures that you keep a distance from a number of potentially dangerous wild animals, this helps you to get up close while staying at a distance.

A 24-70 mm can be used for a multitude of situations, they are also handy and normally lightweight to not add too much luggage and to cover almost any situation that you encounter. A teleconverter can be useful and not as expensive as a telephoto lens.

If you do not yet have a battery grip, this can save time and problems, especially in those isolated areas. Most current battery grips naturally use normal batteries, you will have to check the instructions for your grip. Because weight will play a crucial role while traveling because you are limited by airlines.

Make sure your camera bag is aviation-friendly and that you can take it with you on the plane. The last thing you want is to check in your camera bag, go to your destination to find that your camera bag is somewhere else in the world. Make sure you pack an international travel plug adapter so that you can charge your laptop or simply charge the iPod.

Since most of us don't have small laptops, it might be worth taking a portable hard drive or one with a viewer such as Multimedia Storage Viewers, but these can be quite expensive. A circular polarizing filter can be useful when photographing skies and help reduce reflections on glass or water. These are lightweight and do not add too much to your final weight. Don't forget a light tripod, such as a gorillapod, you need this for sharp images when shooting in low light, such as sunrise or sunset or even in the dark.

It can be worthwhile to use the bath scale to check the weight of your bag. Check your limits on the airline's websites, because you do not want to pay excess baggage, as this can be quite expensive.

One of the most important things to remember is to pack only what you need. Read more about the location where you are traveling to see how you can get to places that are difficult to reach and which time is most suitable for photography. Google Earth before you go is great for viewing routes and finding good vantage points. Once at your destination, you view the local postcards that often show the normal tourist locations, but often locations from lesser known places.

Home exchange is becoming more and more popular, it is a good way to stay cheap somewhere, if you have a house in a good location.

The most important thing is that you have fun and enjoy the rest. Remember that you do not have to take work with you unless you are a professional photographer.

John Hutchison has been a professional photographer on and off since 1981, he obtained an LBIPP in 1990 from the British Institute of Professional Photographers, so he has first-hand experience! He has worked for a newspaper for over 12 years on flat copies and digital images.