The weather is finally getting nice and many of us will start our travel planning for this summer. If you are like me, you probably love to take photos while on vacation; but how much can you learn about your craft while you are on a ‘vacation?’. This blog post on Travel Photography Tips, has a lot more do to with what type of trip you should plan rather than what equipment to bring and what techniques to use.
You basically have three choices for pleasure travel:
- go by yourself (not very much fun)
- travel with a group of non-photographers
- travel with a group of photographers
The best choice in my opinion is Door #3. Although many tours will include a guide and a group, how much time do you actually have for photography when on a whirlwind type of vacation unless it is a photography group? In this category, others may not share the same passion you have and may not have the patience to photograph the same scene for hours. Don’t get me wrong, most people do like to take snapshots while on vacation, but the level of detail and time is usually not the same.
I recently met someone who toured a very popular tourist destination but was disappointed there was not enough time to explore all the photo opportunities. She saw “more” than the non-photographer and came back a little disappointed.
While family vacations are important, I always set aside sometime to venture to new places with a group of photographers. I love the camaraderie of being with a group of like-minded individuals. Many opportunities exist for photography travel where you can learn as you travel. I prefer the smaller, more intimate groups where you share and critique images at night. Some of the best travel groups I have found are;
Photography Adventure Vacations
Equipment for Travel Photography
Equipment can range from DSLR cameras to the newer mirrorless cameras. I own both and have found the Sony Mirrorless a6000 or the newer a6300 to be an excellent alternative to the heavy, bulky SLR camera. Pack light, but bring a good range of focal length lenses (18-300mm), a good prime lens, polarizing filter, ND filter, tripod or monopod, SD cards, batteries and charger and a protective covering for your camera in case of rain. A backpack camera bag is a great choice for travel.
I am so ready for my next photography journey to be Cuba? Anyone want to join me?
