Tips for a photography trip. Part 1: The camera bag

Wednesday 9 November 2022, 10:00 by Nando Harmsen | 6,815 views | 5 comments

This article was translated from Dutch with the help of AI. Read the original.

To go on a photography trip without any worries, I have a number of tips to help you photograph with a group without concern. I draw on the experience I have gained from the many situations I have encountered as a photography tour leader.

This is the first part in a series of tips for when you go on a photography trip. This part covers the camera bag. You use it to carry your equipment to the beautiful locations you visit during the trip. So it is important to handle it with some care. Something that is easily forgotten in the excitement.

On a photography trip with a group. Make sure you have the right camera bag with you.

Choose the right bag

A backpack seems like the best choice for a photography trip. But this is not always the case, it depends on the type of photography trip. For a city trip, a shoulder bag can sometimes be a better choice, as it makes your equipment easier to reach. Read more in my article about the best camera bag.

If you are going to cover long distances on foot at your destination, a backpack is naturally the better choice. But make sure your backpack is a good one, with good shoulder straps and a supportive hip belt. This makes carrying your equipment much more comfortable.

A good backpack has good shoulder straps and a hip belt. This is especially important if you are going hiking.

Make sure you have a sturdy bag, with sufficient protection for your equipment. A cheap bag often offers too little protection. Remember, there may be thousands of euros' worth of equipment in your camera bag. You should not try to save a few euros by choosing a cheap camera bag.

The bag - What do you put in it?

Make things easy for yourself and organise your bag properly. Give your camera, lenses and filters their own compartments in the main compartment of your camera bag or backpack. Do not put too much in it, less is more. This also helps prevent damage if the camera bag falls over or even falls out of the car when the boot is opened. This can certainly happen on group trips.

Do not overfill your camera bag, and give each item its own compartment. In this example, damage to your equipment is almost certain. I regularly see a camera bag packed like this.

Ask yourself what you need. A camera and two or three lenses are often enough. Organise things logically, so you can quickly grab what you need. The last thing you want is to stuff your bag full. Keep it organised and well balanced.

Do you have loose items? Extra batteries, a rain cover, a microfibre cloth, a tea towel, a remote control and extra memory cards, put them in a separate compartment and not with your camera and lenses. If you do not have an extra compartment, buy a separate accessory pouch, so everything stays neatly together. That way, you will not lose anything.

It is best to carry small items in a separate pouch. This helps you stay organised, so you will not easily lose anything.

Anything you do not need in your camera bag can stay in a separate pouch in your hotel room or in your luggage. You do not need a card reader or a battery charger while photographing. Take them out of your bag, do not carry them with you on your day trip.

Extra space in your camera bag

A camera bag tailored specifically to the equipment you have at that moment seems ideal. But it is not. Extra space always comes in handy, and not just for your photography equipment.

You are often out for longer. Then you may want to bring a raincoat or a cardigan. Perhaps it is too warm and you want to take off a tie or scarf. Or your gloves. Extra space in your bag for these clothes makes a big difference. Also think about your lunch, and a piece of fruit or a bottle of something to drink.

Sometimes you are out for longer. Make sure you have space in your camera bag for lunch, a snack, a bottle of water, and a cardigan or rain jacket.

A camera bag is more than just a bag for your camera and a set of lenses. Especially when you are going on a photography trip. If you do not have that space, consider getting a new bag to avoid ending up with an extra pouch on your trip because it does not fit in your camera bag.

The bag - How do you handle it?

You are not going to walk around with your camera in your camera bag. You want to take photographs, so you take the camera with a lens out of your bag. Do this in a safe place, far from waves breaking on the beach, or on a flat section in mountainous terrain.

Make sure you have a good system for carrying your camera around your neck. I have previously written about how I carry my camera, but there are of course other methods too. However, when you have to climb, make sure your camera does not hit the rocks. If necessary, put it back in the bag for a while.

If you have difficult paths to navigate, consider carrying your camera in the camera bag for a while.

Do not leave your bag all alone

Keep your bag with you. That may sound strange, but in their excitement many people leave a bag out in the open while taking photographs. After all, they are in a group. But the group spreads out, and everyone keeps walking further. Eventually, your bag is left all alone, often still open with all the equipment within easy reach. Most people are honest, except for that one...

Do not simply leave your bag on the ground when you go to take photographs. Carry the bag on your shoulder. This is very important on the beach.

Do not leave your bag on the beach either, and certainly not open. The sea has a will of its own, and the waves breaking on the shore always reach further than you think. You would not be the first person to end up with a camera bag full of seawater.

Do not let your photography trip turn into a nightmare

A photography trip is fantastic. Going out together with like-minded people is also educational, because you get to see how others take photographs. It is inspiring, and you reach the most beautiful places easily.

By handling your bag properly, you prevent anything happening to your equipment and the trip turning into a nightmare. Still, you should not let yourself be scared by thinking about everything that could go wrong with your equipment.

You should be able to enjoy a photography trip without any worries. A good camera bag certainly helps with that.

Treat your bag sensibly. The tips in this article are not difficult, and are simply 'good practice.' Remember that they are actually not just for a photography trip, but apply all the time. Even when you are 10 kilometres from home. The only difference is that during a photography trip you cannot simply go home if something goes wrong.

Dit artikel is voor het laatst bijgewerkt op 9 november 2022.
De eerste publicatiedatum is maandag 18 juli 2022, 20:10.

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About the author

Nando Harmsen has been photographing for more than 40 years. He specialises in wedding photography and landscape photography. Nando also gives talks, workshops, masterclasses and photo trips, and regularly reviews new and interesting equipment.

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Tips for a photo trip. Part 4: storing photos safely
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5 comments

Lauran wrote on Tuesday 19 July 2022 at 11:07 | reply
Sorry Nando maar ik haat fotoreizen. Ik ga altijd het liefst alléén. Behalve als ik modellen shoot. Uiteraard heb je dan één of meerdere modellen mee en een muah. Maar ná het shooten wil ik graag altijd even alleen zijn en genieten van het moment.
This comment was written in another language and has not been translated yet.

Nando wrote on Tuesday 19 July 2022 at 11:37 | reply
@Lauran:
Fotoreizen zijn niet voor iedereen geschikt. Jij bent dus iemand die dit niet zou doen. Ik begrijp dit uitstekend, en ik ga zelf ook altijd alleen. Je hebt dan alle tijd aan jezelf.
Maar anderen vinden het fantastisch, meegenomen worden naar de mooiste plekjes en bovendien begeleiding hebben met het fotograferen zelf.
This comment was written in another language and has not been translated yet.

Lauran wrote on Tuesday 19 July 2022 at 12:23 | reply
@Nando, ik begrijp dat heel goed. Veel mensen gaan vaak samen. Het kuddegedrag wat de mens toch heeft. En daar is niets mis mee verder. Trouwens wel een leuk en prettig geschreven artikel.
This comment was written in another language and has not been translated yet.

Peter wrote on Tuesday 19 July 2022 at 15:25 | reply
@Lauran. Daar ging het hier in het artikel van Nando helemaal niet om. Als je op reis gaat zijn tips, vooral voor beginners, heel waardevol. En als mensen hert plezierig vinden om met elkaar op stap te gaan is dat hun zaak. Dat als kuddegedrag te betitelen klinkt niet erg respectvol.
This comment was written in another language and has not been translated yet.

Donald Willemsen wrote on Friday 22 July 2022 at 01:15 | reply
@Peter, trek het je niet aan. Er zijn altijd mensen met een afwijkende mening en daarmee anderen tegen de schenen schoppen.

Het gaat om het verhaal van Nando en zijn tips. In dit verhaal van Nando staan goede tips. Fotoreizen hoef je niet persé in een groep te maken. Je kan ze ook alleen maken eventueel vergezeld van een plaatselijke gids.

Waar ik altijd tegenaan loop dat er met 99% van de fotoreizen, die meestal door beroepsfotografen georganiseerd worden, geen enkele rekening wordt gehouden dat er ook (amateur)fotografen zijn met een lichamelijke beperking. Zij krijgen vrijwel nooit de kans eens mee te doen met een fotoreis omwille van de plaatsen en landen die worden bezocht. Georganiseerde fotoreizen zijn voor 99% enkel geschikt voor mensen die goed ter been zijn.
In Nederland leven 2,3 miljoen!!! mensen met een lichamelijke beperking. Onder deze groep zijn er vast ook mensen die zich graag met fotografie bezighouden.
Ondanks allerlei internationale en europese verdragen die ook door nederland zijn onderschreven, wordt er nog steeds geen of onvoldoende rekening gehouden met mensen met een beperking. Daarnaast is er natuurlijk een financiële drempel omdat een persoon met een beperking mogelijk moet voorzien in assistentie door een zorgverlener wat de kosten voor een extra persoon doet verhogen.
Ik stel dan ook voor dat fotografen die fotoreizen organiseren, in de landen waar deze reizen plaatsvinden, in hoeverre er mogelijkheden zijn voor mensen met een beperking om deel te nemen aan zo'n reis.
In de beschrijving van zo'n reis kan dan aangegeven worden of de reis ook geschikt is voor mensen met een beperking waaronder ook rolstoelgebruikers.
This comment was written in another language and has not been translated yet.

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