Travel Photography: What to Pack

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Page 3

May 19, 2001

Pack the film in plastic zipper bags, sorted by type of film. This allows you to see what is in the bag. You'll know exactly how many rolls of film you have left and of what types. When you need a roll of film, you won't have to rummage around in a suitcase and fumble with boxes and plastic containers. Just grab a roll and pop it into the camera. It saves a ton of time and takes up less space. Professional photographers do this for another reason as well. With the film packed in see through bags, the photographer can request a hand inspection of their film at the airports instead of having it x-rayed. They can just hand the bag to the official with its contents clearly visible.

Travel Log:

Small pocket notebook
Pencil
Rubber band

Keep a small pocket notebook with you to write down and record notes about the images. Jot down the film number, place, date, subject, etc. Not only will this serve as an excellent reference when the film comes back, it also becomes a record of your trip. The notebook should be small enough to slip into a pocket for easy access. Many cameras have a time and date stamp feature. This will make it easy to check back through the notebook.

Many people over look this simple little tool in helping to drastically improve their image taking abilities. Jot down things like; used a tripod, used a polarizing filter, fire lit shot, and nighttime street scenes, compensated for reciprocity, etc. It is also a great place to record the names and addresses of people you meet on your trip. When the pictures come back, you can send that copy you promised because you will have a record.

The notebook is not meant to be cumbersome nor time consuming. Keep it small and keep it handy. Slip a rubberband around the front cover to hold the filled pages. That way it is a breeze to flip it open to a new page each time.

Final Notes

Xray Machines:

Never pack your camera and film into suitcases that are to be checked baggage at the airport. Make sure that you place the film and camera into a small case that will travel with you at all times. The film in checked baggage can be exposed to much higher doses of x-rays that can ruin the film. Some airports are using the new x-ray machines and some aren't, for obvious security reasons the FAA does not disclose at which airports these machines are in use.

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