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Traveling Today
With our heightened airport security, which seems to be different in every airport in the country, the way we are traveling today has changed. It is now necessary to arrive at the airport at least two hours ahead of flight time and three hours during holiday and other busy times. It is best to check with your individual airlines before leaving home.
We are definitely now limited to one carry on bag and a purse or briefcase. As photographers, we are confronted with the problem of how to carry our gear and film/laptop on board. FOR FILM USERS ONLY: I remind you, that ALL your film MUST BE CARRIED ABOARD THE AIRCRAFT. Do not put it in your checked baggage.
If you do the super strength X-ray machines they use to check the baggage will fog your film, whether it has been exposed or not. Leaded film bags in your checked baggage will not work either, as they will only turn up the intensity to see through it.
I recommend taking your film out of the plastic cans and putting it in individual zip lock plastic bags. Take about 10 empty cans with you in checked baggage so that when you arrive, you can take each day's film that you will use and put it into the cans to protect it while you are shooting. At the end of the day, empty the film canisters that you have shot into another
plastic zip lock bag marked "used film" and reuse the cans the next day. This will save you some room.
If you usually label your cans beforehand, I suggest bringing labels with you or applying small labels to the canister instead of the plastic can. Just remember not to cover the bar coding or your camera will not be able to read the ASA of your film.
I suggest two ways to carry your film on board. Ladies can carry a large satchel type bag/purse that will accommodate your film and essentials. The other idea, for both and women, is to buy a soft sided expandable briefcase to hold your film, travel documents and reading material etc.
I do not ask for hand inspection of my film for a number of reasons. Hand inspection can take a lot of time, plus some security points simply will not do it. I carry black and white Infrared film which cannot be opened. During a hand inspection, security will open all closed cans. I find hand inspection unnecessary since I have had as may as 16 passes through security checkpoints
on one trip with no visible fogging of film. I put 400 ASA and higher speeds in a leaded bag which I carry on board. Until they beef up the machines at security, don't worry about it.
CARRY ON
Your gear should fit into a backpack or shoulder camera bag. If your camera bag is small enough, it can be placed inside a carry on wheeled bag, along with your other essentials. I carry my laptop and other essentials in a soft sided expandable briefcase.
If you have a large lens, you can put it in a protective case and wrap it with your clothes in your checked baggage. Remember, you are taking a risk with anything that you put in checked luggage. Your tripod, with ball head removed, will also go into your checked baggage and cannot be carried aboard.
I have experienced a new policy where airlines not only are they weighing your checked baggage which must be under 50 pounds or you will
pay overweight charges, but are now weighing your carry on bag as well. This has resulted in a few clients having to check their camera gear. What I am doing to avoid this is going to a smaller camera back pack (or bag) which fits into my
wheeled carry on bag. If I am over the weight limit, I will take the back pack out and carry it on along with my expandable briefcase. Or, I will take the other items out of my carry on wheeled bag and transfer them to my checked bag to get the weight down.
You may have to put some of your lenses in a well padded pouch in your checked bag (or space allowing in your briefcase). I have been doing this regularly for larger lenses and it has worked out fine. When I travel with film, it fits into my briefcase as well.
In the matter of foreign currency, specifically the Euro, many people like to travel with traveler's checks. Please be adivsed that traveler's checks now have to be cashed at a bank and you will pay another service fee to do this. Not only does it cost you more,
but it is not convenient to look for an open bank and many have erratic hours. During our tours, we take turns using a credit card to pay for a group meal and then pay that person in cash. That way, we are keeping the cash circulating within the group and not running out. Selecting a tripod
Aside from your camera a tripod is the second most important investment you can make. You simply cannot take great tack sharp pictures without being able to take the time to compose your shot and really watch the edges of your frame. This can't be done as well by hand holding. The tripod must also be sturdy enough to securely hold your
camera and heavier lenses without any wobbling or slippage. It needs to be sturdy enough to withstand wind so that your images are as sharp as they can be. That means it has to have some weight to it. Most of our photography doesn't involve long hikes where weight becomes a serious issue.
It is really important to have a tripod that is tall enough to meet your eye with your camera on it when fully extended. You do not want to be continually bending over as that quickly results in back and neck pain. Raising the center column doesn't work either, as it defeats the purpose of having the camera as stable as it can be.
One whose legs can be adjusted individually (not connected to each other) is also important for getting down very low or needing support in tight quarters.
Carbon fiber tripods are very popular now due to their strength and being very light weight. They are also expensive. Hakuba (Velbon) makes a good one that is a few hundred dollars cheaper than the popular Gitzo models. I have been reading good reports about the Fiesol tripod from Taiwan. Check out www.feisol.com. Other tripod manufacturers are Bogen, Slik, Manfrotto and Benbo.
I have purchased inexpensive tripods over the years out of necessity i.e. mine broke, got lost etc., and they wind up sitting in a closet unused. It is better to do it right the first time and not waste money on a cheap non-functional "light-weight" model. My experience is that if you haven't spent at least $250 for any type of tripod, you probably won't be satisfied.
Once you have the tripod, then you must decide how you wish to attach it to the camera. Some tripods come with pan and tilt levers (up to 3) plus knobs that must be individually adjusted to take a shot. I find them very time consuming and hard to get used to. Another option is a pistol grip which rotates on a ball.
My experience with them is that they tend to slip (especially with a bigger lens) when trying to tightly compose which can be a real annoyance and time waster. The easiest and fastest system is to have a ball head with quick release plate. Ball heads come in many different flavors too. It all boils down to how much you can afford. Some names are Arca Swiss (the Rolls Royce and most popular model and very pricey), Acratech,
Giotto, Foba, and Graf. They come in different sizes depending on the weight of your camera and lenses. I like the quick release plates that are attached by sliding it on the mount and tightening it in place. The models that snap into the mount and have a lever to hold them in place have been known to pop off the mount.
Along with your new tripod and ball head, you must purchase a shutter release cable or a remote device. The inexpensive ones that screw into the shutter button tend to break easily, fall off the camera and get lost. Most newer cameras have a dedicated cable release or remote avaibable from the manufacturer. It is a good idea to have more than one with you in case you lose it. Electronic releases made by your camera manufacturer (if they offer one for your model camera) are the preferable way to go.
There are many, many choices out there for equipment. I have 3 suggestions: 1) go to a good camera store (or two) in your area, and see what they have and see what works for you. If you find a tripod and ball head that you want, either support your local retailer or order it from B & H in NY or other wholesale photographic companies so you don't pay retail. 2) Go on line to the different tripod manufacturers and see what they have or request a catalogue (look closely at the specifications regarding height without the center column being raised, weight and how much weight your ball head will support, or go to http://www.bhphotovideo.com and see what they offer. 3) If you're looking to upgrade, pay attention to what everyone else is using during a tour and get their opinions about their gear, which is a good way to see a lot of different models.
Photo tip: When you think you're close enough, get closer!
Photo tip: What you leave out of your image can be as important as what you leave in. Keep it simple.
Photo tip: Ask yourself "Why am I taking this picture?" If you can't answer it, walk away.
Photo tip: Before you press the shutter, check all your edges to make sure you are not cutting anything off, nothing is protruding into the frame and nothing is leading your eye out of the frame.
Photo tip: Remember to always compose, not record.
Photo tip: Loop your cable release through your camera strap and tie it in a knot. That way if it pops out of the socket you won't lose it.
Photo tip: To make your landscape images more dynamic remember one word - foreground, foreground, foreground! Use your wide angle lens to add foreground interest and greater depth of field, not to make the distant horizon wider.
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