Probably the most popular type of photography today is travel photography and millions of people take photos during their holidays around the world, in the most beautiful travel destinations. But not every tourist with a camera can be truthfully called a photographer and not all images captured during our travels can truly be called photographs.
Nevertheless, many people that like to travel have also become photographers along the years, either as a secondary hobby, or just to keep beautiful memories from the places they visited. The majority of people though, still do not know the difference between a picture and a photograph.
If you are planning a trip and need to know a few basic tips and advice about what to take in your baggage in terms of camera gear, below you might find some valuable information in that matter. Travel photography is all about the ability to take good photos on the go.
While traveling, you need to be prepared all the time to seize the perfect moment, you need to be able to get around fast and easy and that means reducing the size and weight of your equipment to the minimum.
Unless you are serious photographer, traveling to a destination on an assignment, you should try to take with you just the strictly necessary camera gear. You cannot enjoy a trip carrying a huge backpack with several camera bodies, half a dozen lenses, tripods and so on.
Camera body - If you have a compact or bridge camera, then just take that with you, but if you are serious about photography, you should own one or more DSLR camera bodies. Just take one of them, the most versatile and lightweight you have, the one that you love the most and offers good results in all situations.
Almost all camera manufacturers have a huge lineup of models available, some of them better suited for travel photography. Depending on your personal preferences, try to also consider the size and weight of the equipment.
Lenses - In terms of lenses, things are not as simple as it might seem. There is a huge variety of models that vary in terms of several characteristics. The basic recommendations would be to just take one or maximum two lenses in your travels.
Either choose an all around lens with excellent quality, or a wide lens and a short telephoto lens in order to cover all your angles. Also, try to take good quality lenses, that give good results in most lighting conditions and also consider the weight of these lenses.
Accessories - Although hard to believe, most people forget these accessories when packing for a trip. They usually pack their cameras and forget the charger or the memory cards. You might not be able to find the right accessories at your destination, so try to make a list with the basic accessories you will need. First of all, pack your charger and spare batteries, as many as you can.
Also, take more than enough memory cards with you. These are extremely small and light and also easy to carry. If you think you need a tripod and you have the space for it, try to find a smaller one. Lastly, try to pack some cleaning kit for your camera, as while you travel, the equipment will surely get pretty dirty.