 |
Traveling
with Photographic Equipment
In the
Digital Era
Bob
Harvey and Diane Kelsay
Nature
Photography Adventures
Copyright ©
2011
Page 2 of 2
|
|
In the old days, one didn’t get to review
your images in the field – you had to wait until long after you
returned from a long trip for the lab to process those images
and then it was too late to correct anything that didn’t work
out.
Now, you can review every image you make as
you make it – and you should review enough to make sure you
“leave the scene” with the images you hope to take with you. If
your image review screen is hard to see in bright conditions,
you may want to bring along something to shade it.
Just as important, you should transfer your images to storage
devices frequently – and spot check them for issues. This is a
great way to catch a dust problem and take care of it so that
you don’t end up with thousands of images with an identical dust
spot. It’s also a way to find more major problems - like an
autofocus issue on a specific lens – and develop a strategy to
deal with them. |
 |
 |
We prefer to capture images in “RAW”
format. All DSLRs can do this, and most fixed-lens cameras can,
as well. This format takes more memory than JPEG capture, but
it gives you much more quality. It’s much easier to bring along
extra memory or storage to facilitate the larger files than it
is to finance a repeat trip because your images were inferior.
If your camera can be set to automatically clean the sensor on
startup and/or shutdown, that is a good feature to activate.
Cleaning the sensor frequently, especially in dusty or
static-filled zones, can save a lot of work in the digital
darkroom – and may save the time and cost of having the sensor
professionally cleaned between trips. |
|
Photographing people has always been a
tricky issue. Some people love to be photographed – others feel
it is an invasion of their privacy or have religious issues with
being photographed. We never intentionally photograph someone
who sends signals that they don’t want to be photographed –
period. That would be a serious breach of courtesy and a
violation of the unspoken partnership between the host
destination and its visitors. Please, respect that.
In some countries, it has become common to
tip someone you photograph. If that is the norm, respect it.
You may want your guide to negotiate before making images
(sometimes the subject feels they should be paid for each
“click”, so be clear what the arrangement is).
If tipping is not the norm, don’t start
it. In the end, the practice is not beneficial to the visitor
or the host. Find other ways to reward those who cooperate with
your photography.
We like to show our images (on the camera
preview screen) to the people in them – when that’s practical.
Some people have never seen themselves in a photo – and it is
wonderful experience for them. In general, sharing that view
brings visitor and resident into a conversation (even with
language barriers) that changes the relationship for the
better. It also sometimes opens the door for more and better
photographic opportunities. |
 |
 |
In a marketplace, we often make a small
purchase, to open the door for photography. Someone reluctant
to be photographed may change their tune after you buy a small
item – or even discuss a fruit or weaving they have for sale.
Build the relationship first – then use it reasonably – make it
a win-win!
We carry (when we can) a small portable
battery-powered printer on our adventures. It’s an amazing
experience to sit in a village without electricity and have a
group of people gathered around as an image of one of them (or a
group) comes out of a printer. Then we give them the image –
another amazing step in the relationship between visitor and
host.
When we return to a place, we’ll often carry images from our
past groups back to share with people we are likely to see
again. The world is full of tales about visitors who promised
to send images back. Most of the time, those images don’t show
up. Please, don’t promise or even suggest, unless you are
committed to making that happen. Check with your guide to make
sure you have the means to accomplish that if you’d like to do
reward your hosts with images.
|
|
Wildlife is another special issue for
photographers. These days, we are so used to seeing animals up
close in publications, on the web, and on TV – and many
photographers expect to replicate that sense of closeness in
their images. Listen to your guide about how close you can get
to each animal without disturbing it. A rule of thumb is that
once an animal starts interacting with you (like stopping
feeding or moving away) you have changed its life – and it’s
time to back up.
When in the presence of wildlife, minimize
noise (especially talking), move slowly and quietly, and don’t
present a profile (crouch or blend in with a tree or your
vehicle). Often, if you wait patiently, animals will go about
their lives in ways that present great photographic
opportunities.
|
 |
|
Don’t do something to make them perform the
way you want to see them. Cats sleep a lot – don’t throw a rock
in hopes that they’ll snarl for your photo (yes, that happens a
lot). Don’t clap your hands to make nesting birds fly for
photos – they’ll expose young or eggs to predators. Don’t
approach an unoccupied nest or touch a young animal – the
parents are very likely to abandon them to predators if you do.
None of us wants to think that we captured
a great image at the expense of the animal. But, resource
managers around the world tell us that photographers’ behaviors
are among the biggest concerns of mixing visitors and wildlife. |
 |
 |
There are special “rules” related to
photography in some places. Museums and zoos and some protected
areas (like the Galapagos) don’t want you to use a flash – and
some enforce that aggressively. You could find yourself out the
door – or without your gear if you don’t respect that.
Similarly, flash can blind tree frogs and use of flash at night
can both disturb roosting birds and prevent them from seeing
where they are going once you disturb them and they become
airborne. Use common sense and good judgment.
Some places want to charge “serious” and
professional photographers extra fees to make images – or
prevent them from making images. Unfortunately they usually
don’t have good ways to decide who is a professional and who
just has nice equipment. In a recent trip to Buenos Aires, one
of our group was asked to cease photography while others were
allowed to continue photographing the tango performance. The
only difference was his longer zoom lens.
Sometimes, it’s the tripod or the long lens
that triggers an extra charge at a gate. That’s a good time to
have the guide step in and explain the nature of your trip – and
that your photography is not intended to be sold.
If, on the other hand, you have aspirations
of selling your trip photos – do the rest of us a favor and pay
for the permit. It’s only right! |
|
Carrying your camera and making images can
greatly enhance your travel experience.
If you try to take along every piece of
photo gear you own, it can become such a burden that it
diminishes your experience and lowers the rewards for others
traveling with you.
Similarly, if photography is an important
goal, choose a trip that has time built in for photography.
It’s frustrating for the photographer and irritating for
everyone else when that time is not in the calendar. You don’t
get the shots you want – and the rest of the group grows
impatient waiting for you.
Think it through in advance – and you’ll
have great images and the stories that go with them to share
when you return. |
 |
|