5 tips for taking your camera on holiday with peace of mind

Monday 8 July 2024, 20:02 by Nando Harmsen | 4,329 views | 6 comments

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

Going on holiday is always enjoyable. Away from home and the daily hassles around the house. No alarm clock, no obligations, and hopefully lovely weather. If you take a camera with you, make sure you do so with peace of mind.

Despite what the title suggests, you don't actually go on holiday with the camera. The camera goes on holiday with you. That way, you can capture memories to look back on later in a beautiful photobook or an online slideshow.

Although photography shouldn't be the main purpose of going on holiday, it is important to come home with some lovely photos. You are a photographer, after all. That's why you photograph in raw, so you can recover those brightly sunlit areas with deep shadows.

Avoid ending up with photos like this. Shooting in raw gives you the chance to correct this afterwards.
With that in mind, you take an extra lens with you to make a better crop and composition possible. However, don't take all your equipment with you, so it doesn't secretly turn into a photo trip after all. Unless that's what you want, of course.

All that equipment is vulnerable to theft. You would rather not think about that. Take a few precautions so you can go on holiday with peace of mind.

Tip 1: Take what you really need

Lenses, flashes, filters and a spare camera. As a photographer, you may have a lot of equipment. You don't need all of it on holiday. Perhaps you do on a photo trip (although...?), but otherwise you don't. Choose what you think you need.

A small bag with a camera and an extra lens. Sometimes, that's all you need.
I recommend a camera with a standard zoom lens, and perhaps an extra (small) telephoto lens. You could take a flash with you if you know you will often be visiting places indoors, but otherwise don't.

A small travel tripod or tabletop tripod can be useful, but don't choose a large, heavy tripod. Leave filters at home, and take no more than a polarising filter.

Tip 2: Choose an inconspicuous camera bag

A beautiful LowePro backpack screams CAMERA EQUIPMENT. It attracts the attention of thieves. An inconspicuous backpack is better. You could use an old 'non-camera backpack' with a camera insert inside.

A proper camera bag, or another bag that attracts much less attention?
A shoulder bag can work very well too. Especially because you only have one camera with a lens, and at most one extra lens. Since you don't keep the camera in the bag all the time, that shoulder bag is hardly a hindrance.

Tip 3: Don't take risks for a photo

These days, you regularly hear about holidaymakers having accidents because they wanted to take a photo in dangerous places. Put your own safety and that of your fellow travellers first. Putting yourself in danger is not worth any photo.

On the edge? Or not really. In reality, absolutely not. No photo is worth putting yourself in danger.

Tip 4: Leave nothing unattended

Leaving a camera on a table because you need to go to the toilet for a moment, or in plain sight on the seat of the car. Putting down a camera bag, whether conspicuous or not, and not keeping an eye on it. It can happen in a fraction of a second, and your bag or camera is gone.

Don't leave anything unattended, not even for a moment.
Keep your belongings with you so there is no opportunity for theft. Of course, this applies to more than just camera equipment.

Tip 5: Get insurance

Travel insurance is always sensible. You hope nothing happens, but if something does happen, you want to be sure everything is properly arranged. Check that your expensive camera and lenses are covered by the insurance.

There are of course other insurance options, but apparatuurverzekering.nl from DSV is a good one that also covers you while travelling.
A standard travel insurance policy often covers only a limited amount for camera equipment. Depreciation is often deducted as well, which means you may get back much less than you hoped.

So check carefully what your insurance covers when it comes to camera equipment, and make sure you take out extra cover for your equipment if necessary. This is often not a specific travel insurance policy.

It's important to go on holiday with peace of mind. Only then can you really enjoy yourself, knowing that you don't have to worry. Take great photos, and let your fellow travellers take photos with your camera too. That way, you get to be in the photos as well and are less of a reportage photographer.

Do you have any other tips? Let us know in a comment below this post.

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