Going On A Photo Road Trip

Be ready for anything by packing for a journey with the essentials

By Mike Stensvold And Dave Willis

Labels: Gear, How To

This Article Features Photo Zoom

Getting off the beaten path can inspire your photography with new subjects, unexplored environments and pictorial challenges. The farther you travel, the more secluded the locations, the more scenic the vistas and the more unspoiled nature can be. The difficulty with extended expeditions is that you’re often far removed from your home base, and that can be limiting.

Prepare in advance, however, and these challenges can be easily overcome. From navigating a safe course to carrying all of your gear to making sure you have steady support for sharp shots, bringing along these indispensable tools of the trade will keep your load light while filling your photo adventure with remarkable experiences and wonderful imagery.

Storage
On an extended road trip, your vehicle will carry your gear between parking areas. From the parking area to the shooting location, however, you’ll have to carry the equipment yourself. When a minimal amount of gear is needed, Tamrac’s compact Expedition 3 photo backpack (9x6.25x13 inches, two pounds) will hold a D-SLR with up to a seven-inch lens and three to four additional lenses, plus accessories. The pack is fully padded and has a giant rain flap to protect the main compartment in case you get caught in bad weather. Other features include a QuickClip tripod attachment system, Tamrac’s signature Memory & Battery Pack Management System and a padded backpack harness for enhanced comfort. Estimated Street Price: $60.

Pelican 0500

Lowepro’s Primus Minimus AW backpack can hold a D-SLR with a medium-zoom lens, one to two additional lenses, a tripod, a variety of accessories and personal gear, yet it measures just 14.4x11.5x23.5 inches. Its dual-compartment design features a protective camera section with adjustable dividers and an upper area with organizational pockets. An outside “hatch” provides space for a jacket or hydration system, while an eight-point harness system distributes weight evenly. The All Weather Cover also provides protection from the elements. Estimated Street Price: $179.

Lowepro Primus Minimus AW

Tamrac Expedition 3

You don’t want your expensive gear rolling around loosely in your vehicle, so you’ll want a good transport case, too. The Pelican 0500 is water-, crush- and dustproof, and the interior dimensions are a generous 34.95x18.45x22.85 inches. The lid is completely removable for easy access. Double wide-grip, fold-down handles make lifting easy. Estimated Street Price: $549 (with foam).

Gitzo GH2781QR Center Ballhead

Support
Thanks to new manufacturing processes and materials, tripods are lighter than ever before, so there’s no excuse to leave yours at home. Perfect exposures require perfect sharpness, and you just can’t get sharpness without a good tripod. Gitzo’s great-looking GT2840C basalt tripod is a compact, four-section model that can support a D-SLR with up to a 300mm lens (up to 22 pounds), but only weighs three pounds itself. Its radical aerospace-technology, basalt-fiber tubes provide strength, high thermal and dimensional stability, and good vibration absorption. The G-Lock legs also allow for ground-level shooting at a mere 8.3 inches. Estimated Street Price: TBA.

An ideal mate for the GT2840C basalt-fiber tripod is the Gitzo GH2781QR center ballhead. The head features Gitzo’s Bubble Ball technology. A leveling bubble is included for framing shots evenly, and the double quick-release safety system keeps your camera secure while also being easily accessible. Estimated Street Price: TBA.

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David Pease makes this comment

Saturday, 14 November 2009

I looked around for a good monopod cum walking stick and finally just bought a threaded screw and screwed it into my walking stick. I have a capped nut that is on the threaded end to protect my hand when walking. Works well but I should really have an extra nut in case I loose the one I have.
Russell James makes this comment

Wednesday, 21 October 2009

This is an answer to Rick question on portable storage. Sony makes what called the dvdirect recorder No PC needed. It can be used to transfer video & digital photos to dvd it also takes memory cards and I believe the also takes jump drives. You purchase it through either sony or sky mall if you want a new I found skymall the cheapest. You can them used on E Bay. I've tried bidding I never seam to win. So you may just want to want to go the buy it now if you go for a used one.
Karen makes this comment

Wednesday, 21 October 2009

I use the Cotton Carrier as it keeps my cameras with lenses attached on me and ready to shoot at a moments notice. I move around hands free and no annoying neck straps. Just a turn and pull and my cameras are ready to fire. A great deal and well worth the $140!
Betty4240 makes this comment

Monday, 07 September 2009

I have found the Epson P-6000 or the P-7000 multi-media storage unit is great for downloading your files. There's no need to travel with a laptop so cutting down on weight. The viewer has a 4" wide screen to view your images, and to share if you want to. When you get home, just download to your computer, and leave a backup copy on your Epson. Betty Shelton
Rick makes this comment

Monday, 07 September 2009

I've heard that the TSA can grab your laptop when you re-enter the U.S. and keep it for months. Does anyone know of a portable storage device that I can dump my cards to each evening without using a laptop? Thank you.
Professional makes this comment

Saturday, 05 September 2009

I wish if i live in some of those beautiful terrific places then i will fill the websites with photos and articles, but my bad luck is to live in a place lacking of beautiful nature and also bad weather and only by traveling once for up to 3 weeks per year is the only opportunity of that, this website [OP], is a great place to see all those outdoor landscapes and nature photos around the world, so easy for people there to get winning photos, so lucky they are.
Rich Tourville makes this comment

Saturday, 05 September 2009

I agree with Bob and Steve. However you must also remember your other gear such as the proper clothing and footwear. It may be obvious to some but I've seen too many people without the proper gear have their trips ruined by inadequate footwear or outerwear. Sore feet and wet clothes can ruin a trip quickly.
Steve McHale makes this comment

Thursday, 03 September 2009

Bob's right, the key is having the right equipment to hand when it's needed.You might find, for a quick shoot, instead of setting up the tripod and finding your subject long gone, that using a monopod is useful as it can act as a quick support and as a great walking stick on uneven ground.
Bob Walker makes this comment

Thursday, 03 September 2009

What I have found is that carrying all the best photo equipment is just a start. Knowing how toi use it is number one and number two is having it ready at all times. Searching through camera bags and storage devices when a rare opportunity presents it's self can lose you the image of a life time. In most circumstances you need to have that camera and mounted with a lens right next to you with a couple of lens on the side or better yet two camera bodies with two different focal length lens mounted on each to cover a larger range of focal lengths. Don't forget the bean bag either encase there is no time to setup your tripod or doing so would scare off your subject. Just my 2ç from quite a few years in the field. Good luck to all with your photography. Bob Walker

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Going On A Photo Road Trip

Be ready for anything by packing for a journey with the essentials

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