Photography - When You Travel

chillibreeze writer — Nipun Srivastava

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Often when we travel, there’s an urge to capture the moment somehow and unfortunately find that we are unprepared. We are able to bring the moment back with us but somewhere inside, we know that the moment deserved a lot more.

Not every one of us has a Digital SLR camera. Some of us just have to make do with portable Digicams. Although the DSLR gives the photographer an edge over Digicams, when it comes to downright portability, a Digicam is a prudent option. When armed with a Digicam, make sure that you have the carry case as well as the manual/warranty card. If you’re in a foreign land and you need some technical assistance, your warranty card will save the day. It is fairly easy to keep this possession safe and protected. Carry a sturdy with you at all times, especially if you have a fad for trekking because rain, stream, humidity, and dust are only some of the elements your Digicam needs protection from.

I strongly advise that the camera should not be belted to the waist, though it seems convenient and handy but the consequences of a mishap while taking out the camera in a hurry or when you’re not paying full attention can be really tragic.

Your Digicam probably won’t let you play with the settings as much as a DSLR, so here are some ways to get that picture you want. In the day or when there is adequate light for your camera to shoot without engaging the flash, use the auto mode. It is simple, straightforward, and saves time. Another fundamental mistake we make is that the moment the lens is out we press the shutter button. Patience is the key to a good photo, half press the shutter button and wait for your camera to tell you that the focus is right and then go ahead and click. You will be surprised how many shots blur out when one is in a hurry.

The night mode is a strict no-no. 95% of the time you will not get the desired result and will have wasted time. Instead, use the flash if that works or try and better the light around your subject. You can only do so much with a Digicam.

Choosing a Digicam
Any camera with upwards of 7 Mega Pixel and 3x or more optical zoom is good enough for starters, digital zoom figures may vary. My advice is that if this is your first ever camera, do not invest a lot of money. If it’s features you want, a DSLR is the way to go, there is no real midway camera or device which bridges the gap between the SLR and the Digicam, yet.

The DSLR
There are many in the market, and for travel you need the best combination of lightness, features, compatibility and price. Often people ask me ‘Cannon or Nikon?’ Well it’s a personal choice, I use Nikon personally, I find the interface a little friendlier than the Cannon. So, once you have your camera, for starters – a Nikon D60 or a D5000 is good enough. Again, make sure while going on a trip, keep the essentials for your camera protection.

The next important area is your lenses: what lenses do I carry while traveling? When you are travelling, the aim is to bring home the place you visited in your photographs. So your lenses should be an extension of that thought. A combination of three lenses at the maximum generally does great. A typical zoom lens like a 70-300 mm, a wide angle lens and a simple 50mm or an 85mm F1.4 for those with macro and portrait photography on their mind will make your Cam-Bag complete.

On the move, make sure your ISO is set to the lowest possible value as this, when there is good light, will give you the least grainy picture. When shooting a sunset or in the dark, make sure to use the tripod – it actually gives you more freedom while selecting your shutter speed and aperture.

The white balance is important. Avoid keeping it on auto, select the appropriate white balance from your camera menu so that you get a perfect picture every time. The shutter speed and aperture of your camera and lens depend on the type of lens you are using. Your aim is to judge what best combination of Lens, shutter speed and aperture is going to get you the best shot. Mostly a couple of test shots are highly advised and also, do check the preview of your clicked image once you’re done.

A great advantage of the SLR Camera is that one can use the manual focus option to play with the focus on various subjects in a particular scene, bringing out the absolute best in the frame. Decreasing the aperture also gets more depth into the frame.

Now you are almost ready. The horizon in your photograph must be level, use references in your scene to make sure that your photograph is level and so is the horizon. A tilted photograph is almost always a turnoff. Check and always recheck your focus!

Let’s get to the composition
By far the single most important aspect of taking photographs, whatever the situation may be is composition. Avoid keeping your subjects in the centre of the frame, use the rule of thirds as much as possible. If trying to take a full body photograph, take care that you do not subconsciously end up cutting the legs or hands of the subject(s) out of the frame. Suppose you are shooting a bird in flight, aim your camera at the subject and keep your pan as smooth as possible. Rules for every photographer, just before you release the shutter, hold your breath. A proper posture too is prudent.

Being prepared
When I move, I am usually on my motorbike and hence exposed to the elements almost all the time. So, for me keeping my gear water proof and dust free are two major requirements. All my camera bags have a waterproofing cover with them and I also carry a lot of soft cloth to keep the dust away. Simple plastic bags are the handiest when it comes to ease of use. Here’s a list of travel essentials:

For moving around – a good bag for your camera and lenses.
In low light – a tripod
Going in – macro extension pipes
Filter – UV filter, ND filter (in case of snow)
Keeping it clean - A good soft cloth for general cleaning. Ear buds (to get to those hard to reach curves on your camera body)
Storage - At least one extra memory card (DSLR shot images make for large files)
Be ready - Camera battery charger.

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Chillibreeze's disclaimer: This is a contributed article and was published on Chillibreeze in October, 2010. The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the author(s) and do not reflect the views of Chillibreeze as a company. Chillibreeze has a strict anti-plagiarism policy. Please contact us to report any copyright issues related to this article. The relevance of the facts and figures cited (if any) could change after a period of time.

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