A springtime trip to Sweden and Greece for a wedding, relaxation and stock footage opportunities! Gear tips for maximizing your photography and videography when traveling with family.
A family wedding has taken Alex abroad to the wonderful country of Sweden. Since he will be so close to Greece, why not take the opportunity to visit the island of Crete!
The Family Factor – traveling ain’t what it used to be
This was a mixed trip. Part business, part pleasure. Alex is traveling with his family. Along with his wife and two young children, he’s traveling with his sister’s family, his mother and step-father. In total it’s a group of 10! Nine individuals with expectations, needs and priorities that aren’t getting sweet shots.
Have you traveled with young kids? If not, let’s just say it’s no vacation, well not compared to what vacationing use to mean. Two extra very important little people you’re responsible for. All of their luggage, a stroller, sound machine, whatever other family paraphernalia you just can’t survive without. Luggage gets very serious, very fast. So when it comes to your needs, the camera gear, there’s not much room left.
Travel Gear – what to think about
Scrap anything big and bulky. The key is to be as light and adaptable as possible.
Camera Bag
Start with your camera bag. You’re going to want something light, water resistant which will carry a days worth of gear. Battery, lenses, camera body, cards, cleaning tools, all the important stuff. But just remember, you will be on family duty when suddenly, boom, the opportunity to escape presents itself. Quick, grab the bag and go! Don’t rely on having you camera in hand or on a shoulder strap. There maybe places you want to be discrete about the expensive gear you have on you. Make sure you leave room in your bag for everything you’re taking with you.
Tripod
You’re going to want a tripod but pick something that is light and small. Most tourist areas won’t allow you to set one up anyhow. So don’t allot space for a medium to large tripod. The smaller the better. One argument against tripods is that they are dangerous for other people as they pose a tripping factor. What tourist authorities allow are selfie sticks. Go figure.
Camera Body
Camera wise, shooting video or taking stills, you’ll have the most success handheld off a shoulder strap or body mount. Use the shoulder strap to help stabilize your movements when shooting video. Pick a camera that has a great in body image stabilization system. If you can pair that stability system with lenses that also have image stabilization, you’re smart.
Lenses
Camera lenses are a huge weight factor. They can also be quite large. Unless you can find room and your luggage is not already overweight, try finding lenses that are compact. You may have to drop down in quality from what you’re used to. However, some more contemporary lines are quite good. If your zoom lenses are bigger than your primes, take your primes or vice versa.
Cards, Batteries, Power Adapters, Etc…
Make sure you have a system for identifying your shot cards. You don’t want to accidentally format a card before you have a chance to transfer your content. Also, make sure you have the correct power adaptors for the country you are traveling to. Shop around before you leave. Buying missing items at the airport or in touristy areas tend to be quite pricy.
Follow these gear tips when traveling with your family and you should have some success. If you can’t escape as much as you’d like, look for the opportunities that are near by your accommodations or while you’re moving from one place to the next. Most importantly, don’t forget to have fun!
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