Equipment

The choice of photographic equipment is a personal matter and is based on individual preferences; experience and brand loyalties and this checklist should serve only as a guide.

Whether you are working digitally or with film, a workshop or tour will be relevant to both mediums, however photographers working digitally are likely to benefit more from the accelerated learning that the technology has enabled. The ability to preview images in real time and have instant feedback and to participate in evening critique sessions are some of the advantages of working in a digital environment.

Cameras – one body or two? On a tour it makes sense to have some sort of backup should your main camera fail. Your backup camera may be a film body where your primary camera is digital.

Lenses – wide-angle, telephoto, macro? Depending on the tour and intended subject matter, it’s good to have your bases covered by carrying a range of zoom lenses such as a 24-70mm, 70-200mm and perhaps a 100mm Macro lens. These three lenses could cover the vast majority of photographic subjects encountered on a tour and if wildlife photography were envisaged, something a bit longer between 300mm-500mm would be recommended.

Exposure meter – if you have a manual camera such as a Fuji GX617 or a view camera, make sure to pack an exposure meter together with a spare battery.

Filters – polarising or graduated neutral density if appropriate.

Flash unit – a flash is invaluable for ‘fill-in’ of foreground shadow areas.

Film – bring adequate film along on your trip, as there will be no opportunities to source it locally and because of the remote nature of our locations we have no access to film processing.

Storage – ensure that you have adequate memory cards or a larger storage device to down load and backup images such as a Multimedia Storage Viewer or portable hard drives.

Laptop – it is recommended that you bring your own personal laptop which will facilitate the ease with which the day’s images can critiqued and will allow images to be processed and archived.

Storage Viewer Device – an increasing number of photographers are traveling with these devices rather than carrying a laptop which offer an alternative way to extend storage capacity and display images and whilst away from their computers.

Camera bag – a suitable camera bag capable of carrying your equipment over rugged terrain for short distances. A rucksack type is most desirable such as the Lowepro Nature or Photo-Trekker, which distributes the weight between your shoulders and hips and is designed for use in wild places. These bags feature an all weather cover giving protection against rain and snow.

Tripod – as important as your camera, a tripod is essential equipment for all photographers. The model is a personal choice, which needs to be robust enough to give solid support whilst being light enough to carry. Whilst carbon fibre tripods by Gitzo and Manfrotto are expensive they offer the best stability in a lightweight construction. Equally important is the tripod head, which needs to be fit for purpose – I often see photographers struggling with tripods and heads, which are not fit for purpose.

Cable release – again essential equipment - either manual of electronic to eradicate camera shake on long exposures.

Spare batteries – rechargeable batteries can be ‘topped-up’ at our accommodation, however it is recommended that photographers bring a spare camera battery or an adequate supply of AA batteries for flashguns.

Chamois cloth - a chamois or lens cloth is invaluable for removing rain or sea spray if it finds its way onto a lens.

Any other accessories, which you normally depend on when working.

This list is intended solely for guidance and as an equipment checklist.

Some items are common sense whilst others are optional accessories and not mandatory and it is ultimately for you to decide what to bring.

Remember, packing for every eventuality is not the answer either. Less is often more and if your camera bag contains lenses and accessories, which you seldom use, your experience may be overwhelmed by the effort required to carry the excessive weight.