PACKING IT UP
With packing, the challenge is initially the same as with conventional photography–you need to balance equipment needs against size and weight considerations, and pack carefully enough so that bumps and thumps on the road don’t turn your high-tech equipment into useless junk. Some items you pack will be familiar from traditional photography, such as filters (polarizing, neutral density, and UV, most likely), a portable tripod or monopod, lens cleaning equipment, perhaps an external flash unless your digital camera’s onboard strobe has proven to be all you need.
From here on out, in the digital world, the mix changes. Instead of film, you’ll need to make sure you have enough camera memory cards on hand. The exact amount will depend on the resolution of your digital camera, the file format you save your images in, and whether or not you are bringing a way to back up data. Make sure you do the math before you leave, so you don’t end up erasing images on the road that you might have liked to keep. Pros strongly suggest some kind of external data backup device (more on this later). And of course you’ll need extra batteries and a battery charger (multi-voltage if you’re leaving the United States.)
When packing, be sure there is adequate padding between items. Many camera bags come with padded compartments and are extremely rugged, but that extra padding adds bulk and weight. To maximize your mobility, consider a lighter weight bag and wrap each piece of your equipment individually with soft cloth.
KEEPING IT SAFE
With traditional cameras, you most likely finish a roll of film, then store it somewhere away from your camera. That way, if your camera is lost or stolen, you still have most of your images. But what if your digital camera is lost or stolen–and it contains a single memory card that holds a hundred or more shots? Not only that, but memory cards can also become corrupted or damaged, making all your images suddenly inaccessible–especially during rough travel. That’s why many traveling digital photographers regularly make external backups of their work-in-progress. As with your home computer, if you religiously back it up, nothing ever seems to go wrong. Become neglectful, and suddenly there’s trouble. Fortunately there are numerous easy–and increasingly inexpensive–ways to back up your digital images. The main choices:
Digital “wallets” are small storage devices that either accept data from the digital camera via a USB connection or accept media cards directly. The Delkin eFilm PicturePAD, for example, holds an enormous 20 gigabytes of data.
You can always take a lightweight laptop, which can record data directly from your camera via a cable, card reader, or PCMCIA card slot with a memory card adapter. Ideally, the laptop should be equipped with a recordable CD-ROM drive to make yet another copy of your images.
There are also so-called “disc” digital cameras–most notably, the Sony Mavica CD series–that burn digital data directly to mini-CDs. (One drawback to this type of camera is their often-slow recording speed.)
Some digital cameras, most notably Olympus and Fuji models, have two slots so you can actually transfer data from one card to a second. You can make multiple copies of your images, keeping one with you and sending the other via the mail.
Another option for ensuring that your images are safe is to send them home by e-mail. Even if you’re not carrying a laptop, cyber cafes around the world are adding digital camera memory card readers to their computers. You can pop into a cyber cafe in Kona, Hawaii, put your memory card into a reader, and send your digital images anywhere you’d like, including your own e-mail address. Most cruise ships also offer this capability as well.
As the digital infrastructure continues to improve around the world, it will become even easier to upload digital images to online photo services such as Ofoto, Shutterfly or Sony ImageStation, where they are both safely stored and available for viewing or printing by anyone you designate. The only caveat: “online backup” is limited by available bandwidth, and it takes time to send large image files. You may want to edit your selection to a few “keepers”–those images that deserve extra protection.
OUT IN THE COLD
Shooting digital in cold weather is a little different from traditional photography. Here are a few tips for this winter’s ski slopes:
Cold sucks the energy from your batteries and can hinder the performance of some memory storage devices. It helps to the camera warm inside your jacket, with the lens covered, until you are ready to shoot.
If you thought it was difficult to change film outside in icy-cold weather, try changing one of those tiny memory cards. To make those delicate cards easier to handle, try wearing two pairs of gloves, with the fingertips of the inner glove cut off. Thin, high-tech gloves also work and are available in most winter sport shops. And avoid prolonged contact between frozen metal parts and bare fingers, noses and cheeks. Prying flesh from frozen metal is no fun.
Keep falling snow off your camera by putting it into a zip-lock bag with holes cut out for the lens and viewfinder. And to prevent fogging, don’t breath on the lens or viewfinder.
Avoid condensation by letting your camera warm incrementally when you go indoors, and make sure to brush snow off all the equipment before entering a heated room. You can also seal your camera in a plastic bag, which prevents condensation from forming.
WHEN IT’S 110 IN THE SHADE
Hot and humid conditions, which can plague film photographers, aren’t as big an issue for digital shooters. In tropical conditions, conventional film rapidly deteriorates, but as long as your digital camera is exposed to heat and humidity for only a few days, there shouldn’t be a problem.
Still, in extreme heat, many digital cameras actually shut down automatically to protect sensitive electronic circuitry. Usually, once the temperature drops, the digital camera resumes working with no lasting effects. (Sometimes it’s not the camera that shuts down, but the rechargeable batteries that may also have built-in heat protection.)
Digital equipment should not be left in the direct sun and should be protected from the dust that often accompanies heat. And, as with cold weather, condensation can wreck delicate circuits. Take extra care when you leave the heat of the day for the cool air of a restaurant or hotel.
If your trip will take you on or near the water, whether it’s the beach or a high mountain river, you may want to think about one of the new waterproof digital cameras that are now coming on the market, such as the Sony DSC-U60. A simpler solution is an inexpensive waterproof casing like the Aquapac Digital Camera Case.
This advice should get you going–although there’s one final word on airport security. The good news is that while airport x-rays can sometimes damage film, digital cameras are safe. Still, keep in mind that at security checkpoints you may be asked to power up your camera for inspection–same goes for your laptop computer. Make sure batteries are charged: you don’t want to miss your flight while you’re looking for a place to plug in your power supply.
