Tips for a photography trip. Part 3: know your camera

Wednesday 9 November 2022, 10:03 by Nando Harmsen | 4,561 views | 0 comments

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

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

The first part covered the camera bag and how to handle it during your trip, the second part covered the tripod. This third part is about knowing your camera. Learn how this little device works, what it can do, and what its limitations are. That way, you can be sure you come home with the best photos.

Iceland summer 2022. With good preparation, you can fully enjoy the trip and taking photos. For example, know how to set a good exposure, so that what you photograph looks its best in the image.
Did you know that some photographers buy a camera just before a trip? Although the temptation can be great when you are going on the trip of a lifetime, it is better to take a camera with you that you have already been using for a while, a camera you know well.

If you want a new camera, buy it six months before you go on your trip. This gives you time to get used to the controls, the possibilities, and even the limitations. The last thing you want is to have to search through the manual on location because something is not working.

Do you have a new camera? Try everything out and discover what your camera can do. Do this well before you go on your trip, not just before it or even during the trip.

Get familiar with your camera's controls

As a photographer, you naturally know about the three settings that make a correct exposure possible. But do you know how to use them properly on your camera? Do you know which button sets the ISO, how to use auto ISO and how far you can safely raise the ISO?

Do you know how to set the shutter speed quickly and easily? How far can the shutter speed go before you have to switch to bulb? Do you know where to find bulb, or perhaps your camera has a time (T) setting?

Know where you can change each setting. That way, you will not face any surprises during the trip.
Besides that, know where to find bracketing and the self-timer. Know the options for burst shooting, or perhaps even a timelapse. Know your camera's AF options and how to set them.

This all sounds logical, but finding and setting these things on a trip is different from doing so while sitting comfortably on the sofa at home. Do you know what to do or check when some buttons suddenly no longer seem to work, or when no photos can be written to a memory card?

Modern cameras offer many settings. Make sure you know where to find the most important ones.
To quickly answer the two cases above, check whether you have activated a lock, a button marked lock. Or check the write-protection tab on your SD card. Sometimes the solution is obvious, but you need to know where to look.

Know the limitations

No camera can do everything. Anyone who thinks otherwise believes the advertising stories told by manufacturers, or the obsessive fans of a particular brand. It is true, though, that some cameras can do more than others.

If you have a bridge camera, for example, you will soon run into a limit when it comes to ISO options. Also bear in mind that not every camera has lightning-fast autofocus, which can make it difficult to photograph fast-moving subjects.

A trip where you photograph flying birds places very different demands on your camera than a city break. A landscape photo is different from going on safari for the Big Five. Know your camera's limit and you can avoid disappointment when something does not work on location.

Every camera has its own limitations. Make sure you know them, so you are not faced with unpleasant surprises.
This of course also applies to the lenses you own. Not everyone has a super telephoto lens with a focal length of up to 500mm, so those seals will not appear as large in the frame as you would like.

Or a lens without such a wide maximum aperture, making it more difficult to capture the northern lights.

The manual is only a reference book

Do not think that taking a manual with you is the solution to knowing a camera. Looking something up takes time, and that time is not always available during a group photography trip. Working out an option with the manual takes time away from taking photos, which is a shame.

A manual is really a reference book. You can take a booklet with you, but whether you will have time to browse through it is another question. You could take the manual with you digitally on your smartphone.
Even so, taking a manual with you can be useful. It is a reference book that lets you look something up when you have forgotten it. Put a digital version on your smartphone, so you do not have such a thick and heavy booklet in your camera bag.

Do not turn your photography trip into a nightmare

A photography trip is fantastic. You head out with like-minded people, and it is also educational because you see how others take photos. It is inspiring, and it gives you an easy way to visit the most beautiful places.

Taking photos on location without a care is great. Make sure you know the camera you are using, so you do not have to struggle with the settings.
Knowing your camera well prevents you from getting stuck and being unable to photograph certain things. Or unable to photograph them in the way you would like. So learn to know your camera, and you can devote all your attention to the enjoyable things during your photography trip.

Are you travelling with a group, and do you unexpectedly get stuck with your camera? You can always ask one of your fellow travellers or the trip leader for help. That is another advantage of travelling with a group.

Dit artikel is voor het laatst bijgewerkt op 9 november 2022.
De eerste publicatiedatum is maandag 1 augustus 2022, 20:02.

You might also like

• 

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

  by Nando Harmsen

• 

  Tips for a photo trip. Part 2: the tripod

  by Nando Harmsen

• 

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

  by Nando Harmsen

• 

  How do you deal with photos on a photography trip

  by Nando Harmsen

• 

  5 tips for better travel photography

  by Elja Trum

• 

  Locations on holiday and day trips

  by Nando Harmsen

0 comments

Have your say

Please note: Articles older than a week can only be commented on by signed-in visitors.
Would you still like to comment? sign in or create a free account.