Essential Tools in the Bag of a Professional Travel Photographer
There is more to a travel photographer’s kit than a camera body and multiple lenses. Here are the basic things that professionals always keep close at hand.
I recently made a trip to Cuba with some professional photographers, filmmakers and influencers to learn the ins and outs of shooting the world on (digital) film (full disclosure: this trip was paid for by Adobe). As we traveled through the colorful streets of Havana and the scenic countryside of Vinales, I asked the professionals to show me the inside of their bags in between shoots.
Renan Ozturk ( @renan_ozturk ), National Geographic photographer and filmmaker, Elizabeth Brentano ( @elisabethontheroad ), professional landscape photographer, and a few other seasoned travelers were kind enough to show me everything they took with them. Here’s a quick rundown:
- Blower (mini blimp or mini rocket) : A shiny little device that you squeeze to fire gusts of air. Ideal for cleaning dust and debris from lenses and sensitive electronics. You can get one of Giotto’s blasters for about $ 10 .
- Microfiber lens wipes : Microfiber wipes work well enough, but they absorb oils, dirty water, and collect all the dust you clean from your gear. Disposable microfiber wipes like Kimwipes ($ 10 280 pack) solve this problem. Alternatively, you can tear the pair off to your bag and put in your pocket.
- Etip Gloves : If you are shooting in a cold place and shooting with your phone or other touch screen devices, this is a must. They also provide pretty good finger articulation, which is handy when taking photos. You can buy a good pair at The North Face for about $ 30 .
- Pocket Hand Warmers : Yes, they keep your hands warm, but you can also use them to warm up extra camera batteries so they don’t run out of juice before you can use them. Also protects your phone well from death when it freezes. The popular Hot Hands look costs about $ 7 for 10 packs .
- Flip Flops : Sometimes you travel from land to water, so it is recommended that your socks and shoes are dry. Slim, easy to pack, and super cheap to load ( most pairs under $ 10 )
- Sunglasses : Oztürk says that sunglasses are like neutral density filters for your eyes. You invest in good camera glass, so why not do the same for your eyes? After all, you need them for photography.
- Lightweight Tripod : Oztürk’s preferred tripod is the carbon fiber model, while Brentano’s is the aluminum alloy model. Both are super lightweight, but can be quite expensive (starting at $ 200, for example). However, this ZOMEI aluminum portable tripod ($ 75) is not a bad option.
- Socks : Always wear nice socks, preferably synthetic or wool socks. In fact, Ozturk wears ski socks. They don’t stink as fast as cotton socks and last forever. You can buy a pair of Wigwam Performance ski socks for under $ 20 .
- Raincoat : A lightweight raincoat or raincoat ( $ 11 to $ 20 ) will keep you and your gear dry. It’s also a good idea to get a raincoat for your camera ($ 15) .
- Filters: filters neutral density pickup waterfalls and other aquatic beach scenery, and a polarizing filter for capturing brightly lit sky and lakes.
- Nice camera strap : I was shown this stylish strap from Peak Design ($ 60) and bought it as soon as I returned to the States. Heavy-duty, yet the cameras are easy to clip on and off your belt.
- Mini photo printer. The Fujifilm Instax Smartphone Printer ($ 160) is a great gadget, but Josh Haftel , mobile product manager for Adobe Photoshop Lightroom, showed me that it has a great hidden use for travel photography. You can give people recently taken photos in exchange for their photos instead of cash tips. This is especially handy for children when you want to give gifts.
- Tablet and SD Key : Ozturk loves to edit his photos on the go (bus, train, plane, hotel lobbies, at dinner) using Lightroom Mobile on iPad Pro. iPads are lighter than laptops, have as much power (or at least as much as you need for photo editing), are super slim, have more screen real estate than smartphones, and you can import RAW images for editing using SD card key. I was so impressed with its workflow that I bought a used iPad Pro and applied the same setup.
Of course, you expect many other essentials as well. Things like extra batteries for your camera, extra memory cards (stored in a plastic bag, not in a carry bag), snacks (jerky, energy bars, etc.), lotion, sunscreen, chapstick, a hat providing adequate shade, a portable charger (solar powered if you are in a sunny location), and possibly an extra camera body as a backup if you are traveling to a location where camera repair is not possible.
Whatever you put in your own photography travel bags, Ozturk and Brentano recommend keeping them as light as possible. Visiting the best places around the world often means a ton of walking, hiking, hiking, and maybe even rock climbing. They prefer mid-range camera bags that weigh about 25 pounds when filled. But if they need to get ultralight, they cut their bags down to 5-10 pounds, so keep that in mind as you start packing. In general, Ozturk recommends that you discard the original packaging and bulky cases such as memory cards or batteries whenever possible. Save money, wear less, and wear thin.