© Giselle Behrens 2018 – Copacabana, Brazil
When traveling, my biggest temptation is to take my big professional camera with me, but then I think about walking around with 7 lbs all day, and the idea is not as exciting any more. This is why, after trying several different compact cameras, I settled with my new Canon Gx1 mark iii, you can read more aboub it on my other blog post here. So:
Tip # 1: take a camera you are comfortable with, that is not too heavy nor bulky, and takes good quality photos that you are pleased with.
Tip # 2: make sure the camera you selected has the best capabilities for the type of trip you’ll be taking, for example if you are going to a Safari in Africa, you’ll want a camera with insane massive zoom, if you are going to the Caribbean, perhaps a waterproof camera like the gopro will do the trick.
Tip # 3: checklist to pack:
- USB cables
- Charger for the camera
- AC adaptors dependent on the country you are traveling to
- At least two extra batteries
- SD card with enough storage (I would say dependent on your needs 16GB – 32 GB is OK), an extra SD card is also a good idea in case anything happens to your main one
- SD adaptor to transfer photos
- Adaptors (if needed, my computer only has USB C port)
- Neck strap for the camera so you can always have the camera around your neck. Easy access.
- Small computer with enough free space to transfer all the photos
- Charger for the computer
- External hard drive if more space is needed
- A cool pouch to keep everything in one place.
- Any other gadgets or stuff you usually use to take photos.
Tip # 4: charge all your batteries prior to the trip to have enough juice for the day, this way you’ll never worry about running out of power.
Tip # 5: set up your camera to create folder per day, its usually in settings – folder – create new folder per day. This will help your workflow and save you time as the photographs will automatically be saved in a different folder per day.
Tip # 6: leave your camera handy in your backpack or carry on, in case you see a cool photo in an unexpected place, the journey is part of the trip! I usually like to start taking photos at the airport and during the flight, through the window. The sky and clouds talk to me.
Tip # 7: once at your destination, hang your awesome camera around your neck, get excited and inspired with the place and culture.
Tip # 8: Transfer the photos daily to your computer and format (directly through the camera, always!) the card if you are running low on space, as well as to the external drive if you want a back up. At the end of the day when you are back at your hotel, make an effort and take the time to sit down and transfer the photos to your computer / external hard drive. I like to name the folder by “yearmonthday_location_description” (for example today would be 20180110_NY_blogpost) then I create another folder within named “capture” and transfer each dated folder with the photos to this one.
Tip # 9: Editing – if you want to be even more efficient, as soon as you transfer the photos, use your favorite photo software (I particularly use Adobe Lightroom since many years ago and love it) to select the photos you like, this way it won’t be such a daunting task at the end of the trip when you get back home!
Tip # 10: Above all, have fun and be trigger happy shooting your pics! Nothing like immortalizing your memories.
Bon voyage!
xox
Giselle
PS: Have an opinion? Share it below!
2 Comments
Hi Giselle,
Very cool blog post, I’m actually about to start a Safari trip in Africa so this was very relevant! I’m not a pro so reading these tips were really useful to me, especially #6 and #8. I have a couple of questions about them.
For #6 I’m not able to find this setting in my Nikon Coolpix B700, do you know if could go by another setting name?
For #8, I have an old 16GB SD card that I never used but was full of old pictures… I didn’t know I could format it through the camera. But why should I always only do it through the camera and not my computer?
Hi Jean-Paul, thanks for your questions, they are good ones. I use a Canon, so did a bit of research on your Nikon camera, and it looks like you do have the ability to create new folders, only that you have to do it manually. Check out this link page 21 Let me know if this works.
In regards to formatting directly from your camera, you should ALWAYS format the card in your camera prior to shooting, as the camera will save and store needed folders and information in the card that are particular to your specific camera, so it will be ready to go and run as smoothly and quickly as possible. Say you are using a Sony with this same card, and then use your Nikon without formatting the card, you will still have sony folders stored within the camera that may cause the card to run slower or even get damaged. So remember, always format your card from your comera, not from your computer.
Hope this helps, and happy trip! what a wonderful timing for this blog post for you!