Preparing For A Long Road Trip 2016; Part II

Mt. Rainier, Washington State, U.S.A. (click to enlarge)
Nikon D200, Nikon 18-200mm f/3.5-5.6 lens @ 27mm; 1/200th sec. @ f/9; ISO 100
Sometimes images just present themselves right along the roadway.

...Continuing our discussion on preparing for a photographically oriented road trip, I believe you can make the process can be easy or hard.  I prefer easy and stress-free.

There are really a couple of types of travel photography--the serious kind by the photo enthusiast and the casual vacationer who wants to make some nice photographs for memories.  Today, let's tackle some things for the casual photographer to think about before leaving.

If you are a casual photographer and just want to improve your chances of bringing home your memories, there are only really a couple of things to think about.  First, does the camera (usually a point-and-shoot pocket camera or mobile phone) have the capability to take the kind of photos you think you will be making (the previous mentioned research should give you a clue as to what to expect.)  Will the lens capture wide-angle views in crowded cityscapes without cutting off important subject matter?  Does your lens have enough telephoto capability to bring something that is far away close enough so it is not just a speck on your computer screen?  Will you want to make really close-up photographs--sometimes called macro photographs?  If you use your mobile phone as a camera, does the app you use provide you with a variety of options to make panoramas, close-ups?  My suggestion is to take your camera or mobile phone out and simulate a couple of typical scenes you might encounter during your travels.  In other words, make a dry run.

If your current camera won't do what you need, do a little research and find a good quality camera that will meet your needs.  A site, such as www.dpreview.com, has tons of camera specs and reviews as well as comments by owners.  Look at www.Amazon.com, www.bhphotovideo.com and www.Adorama.com.  Those sites are the big ones for sales and feedback.  They have lots of information from previous buyers.  I  have used all these sites myself.  The best option might be to find a local retailer whose employees really undertand photography and look at cameras, have them explain features and pick up the cameras so you can actually get a feel for its size and how complicated the controls may be.  High quality digital cameras are relatively inexpensive when compared to the price/value/quality test, so don't hesitate to invest in one that will last you several years.  You won't regret it.

I have some good friends who are enthusiast photographers.  Three of them went to Africa a couple of years ago for a once-in-a-lifetime photo safari.  Guess what?  Two of the three took a Nikon P510 point-and-shoot camera along with their sophisticated equipment!  Why?  Because it has a lens equivalent to 24mm-1000mm lens on a 35mm system.  Wow!  Unheard of just a couple of years ago.  Small, inexpensive, high quality.  It did the job.  They were able to record things that were very far away from them.  To take a DSLR lens with that reach would be cost prohibitive and really bulky.  The point-and-shoot solved a problem their high priced equipment couldn't.  Back to tdday, the small super-zoom cameras are even better.

Will you be somewhere where you can charge the camera battery every night?  Do you need to buy an additional battery just in case?  I always travel with 4 to 5 spare batteries and an extra charger.  (What if my charger fails?) Contingencies.  Remember, I'm a planner.

How about the weather?  You can normally put a small camera into a purse or pocket to get it out of the rain or dust.  What about humidity?  When you are in an air conditioned building and go out into a very hot and humid environment, the cold surface of your camera and lens will cause moisture to condense upon them.  Not good.  Same if you are outside on a hot, humid day then go in to a cool inside environment.  Moisture is not the friend of electronics.  I suggest carrying a heavier duty plastic bag that zips shut and seals tightly.  Take an extra just in case.  Then you can put your camera in it before going out or coming in.  The camera and the air inside can warm/cool slowly so as not to condense moisture.  After a while when the air/camera inside the bag reaches the temperature of you new environment, you can take it out without worry.  You can also put the camera in the bag to protect from dust.

Take a quick ride over to friendly reatail store and buy several small, mirco-fiber lens cleaning cloths.  Before you clean your lens, blow it off with a small blower (I use Giottos Small Rocket Blower) to remove any grit, which you don't want to get rubbed into the front of the lens.  I wouldn't worry about cleaning it too often, but try to not touch it and keep it smudge-free.  A could of pieces of dust or so on the lens, in reality, won't make any difference.  A smudge from a finger might.

Memory cards.  Take extra.  You might not think you will use entire memory cards, but if you do, you will have more in your pocket.  Also, what if your card fails?  They do sometimes.  Buy only name brand.  I only use SanDisk and Lexar.  Some others may be excellent also, but I only use those two brands and I have never had a failure.

Other than those things, I suggest taking your user's manual (you should read it first, of course), as well as think about taking a small travel tripod.  Often times, it is nice to put your camera on a tripod to a) take photos when the light is really low and, b) set the camera on self-timer to take photographs of yourself.  Best advice, buy a good small tripod.  Don't waste your money on one that will not be sturdy and get the job done now and for many years into the future.

One other thing...  I suggest you set your camera on RAW plus high quality JPEG recording mode.  RAW files, of course, give you the most versatility and most enthusiasts use the RAW recording mode.  If you are never going to make a print and only look at your images on a computer screen, you might be able to get away with a lower quality, but if you might think you may want to make prints or even an enlargement of one of your photographs for your desk or wall, go with the higher quality.   If you have any, any, desire to make larger prints, always go for the highest quality image your camera can make.  You can always reduce the size of the image, but not very successfully enlarge it if the information and detail in that file is not captured in the first place.

See.  Easy.  Not a lot to do for the casual shooter.  More next post.

Thanks for looking. Enjoy! 

Dennis A. Mook 

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