Category: Preparations

These are a few of my favorite things….

Posted on Posted in EcoTravel, Photography, Preparations, Travel

When spending extended time away from home, sometimes it is the little things that can make a difference in your comfort.  I often travel for 3-4 weeks at a time. These are a few things that I have learned make life on the road just a little easier.

  • Bandana- I won’t leave home without it.  I wear it as a head band, or tie it onto my day pack.  On the plane, I pull it down over my eyes when I want to sleep.  It’s like hanging a “do not disturb” sign.   After an overnight flight, I can then use it as a wash cloth.  Washing my face and brushing my teeth after an overnight flight, makes it much easier to face a new day in a new country.  It also serves as a napkin, or “table cloth” for a quick picnic.
  • Waterbottle– one that will fit in your daypack, so that you will take it with you everywhere.  It is so important to stay hydrated when traveling and little bottles of water are expensive.  If tap water is not safe, then I  go to a grocery store and buy the biggest bottles of water available and use those to refill my small bottle. Make sure it is empty before going through security.
  • Earplugs- great for sleeping on an airplane and in a noisy hotel.   A good nights sleep makes all travel much more pleasant.  Earplugs are especially helpful if sharing a room or sleeping with an open window.
  • White noise – I’m addicted to white noise because I sleep with an airfilter in my room at home.  It does wonders for drowning out the little exterior noises that wake you up, especially if you are in an unfamiliar environment.  I used to travel with a radio, alarm, white noise combo, but now I just have a white noise app on my iPhone that does the trick.  I guess you’ve figured out that I value my sleep.  It helps keep me healthy, both physically and mentally!
  • Flashlight– I keep a little one clipped to my camera bag.  I also love headlamps, because they free my hands.  They work great for reading in bed, if your hotel doesn’t have a small lamp by the bed, or if you’re sharing a room.  It’s also helpful for getting things out of your suitcase at night, without disturbing your roommates.
  • Multi-tool and/or Swiss Army Knife–  You never know when you’ll need to fix a piece of gear, or open a bottle of wine!  If you pack one,  be sure to pack it in your checked luggage, so it doesn’t get confiscated by security. 
  • Duct Tape- You can repair all sorts of things with duct tape: rips, tears, shoe soles… you name it, it’s been “fixed” with duct tape.   I wrap a few feet of it around a pen, and keep it in my camera bag.  If you need any more ideas for the possibilities for duct tape, check out this blog.
  • First-Aid Kit– stuff for blisters, indigestion, diarrhea, motion sickness, pain, cuts, bites, etc.  I don’t take an entire pharmacy, just enough of these item to prevent an inconvenient emergency trip to a drugstore.  You can get little sample packs at most pharmacies that have 2 pills of each, just enough to get you through until you can go to a pharmacy. Make sure you are aware of any restrictions that may be in place.  Japan, has some pretty strict guidelines for what they allow in to the country.  Always pack prescriptions in their original container, and bring a copy of your prescription.

Remember, pack light.  Carefully consider each item in your suitcase.  Is it necessary?  How much does it improve your quality of travel?  Can I buy it in country?  I’ve decided that for me, each of these items are worth the little bit of space they take up, even if it means I have to take one less book, or one less pair of shoes.  The good news is that for this year’s trip, Japan is known for being the land of convenience, with 7-11 stores on just about every block, and even vending machines filled with an assortment of items.  So don’t feel like you have to pack everything but the kitchen sink. Going to the store and figuring out which bottle is shampoo, and which is laundry detergent is an adventure in itself.  Allow yourself that experience!

 

I’d love more suggestions for the “little things” that makes a big difference when traveling.

 

 

Updated and reposted from 5/15/12

So you’ve got a new camera, now what?

Posted on Posted in LearnPhotography, Photography, Preparations, Travel
Photography students learning about all the features on their cameras. (Emily Naff)
Photography students learning about the features on their new cameras.

You’ve done your research and decided on a camera, then as you start to unpack the box, a little panic sets in.  Now what?  What in the world are all these buttons and symbols on the lcd screen?   You could put it in auto mode and start clicking away, but which is auto mode?  How do you turn the flash on, or off?  How do you focus?  Why are the pictures blurry, or too dark, or too light?

All of these questions and more will be answered in the Basic Photography Class that I’m teaching in Japan this summer. This next series of articles is geared toward the new photographer who wants to learn how to take control of the image making process to make more creative photographs.

So let’s start from the beginning. Make sure your battery is charged and you’ve got a memory card inserted into the camera.

 

 

A few ground rules to help you get started:

  • Never insert or remove a memory card with the camera powered on. Doing so, could corrupt the data on the card, making the images unusable.
  • Do not remove or change lenses with the camera powered on. This can increase the amount of dust inside the camera. It’s a good idea to the hold the camera with the lens opening pointing down, to prevent dust or debris from falling into the camera while changing lenses.
  • Format your memory card before you start to shoot.  This will ensure that the card will work best with your new camera. You will also want to reformat your card once the images are downloaded and backed up. Reformatting will erase all the data on the card, but it will also prevent corruption. This is better than simply deleting all images, or deleting images one by one. You may need to refer to your manual to find where the format option is found. It is usually buried in a menu.
  • For your first day or two of shooting, go ahead and set it to Auto or Program Mode.
  • Auto mode will make all exposure setting decisions for you, including f/stop, shutter speed and probably ISO.
  • Program mode will allow you cycle through different combinations of aperture and shutter speed settings. On most cameras this is accomplished by turning the rear dial. With this setting you want to avoid shutter speeds lower than 1/125 of a second, to avoid images being blurred by camera shake, or use a tripod.
  • Make sure your lens is set to Auto Focus (AF)  If the auto focus is not focusing on what you want, then you may want to switch it to manual focus (MF) or learn how to adjust the focus points in your camera.
  • Turn on IS or VR on your lens, if it’s an option. Camera shake is a result of camera movement during a slow shutter speed, some lenses will have VR (vibration reduction) or IS (Image Stabilization) to help prevent camera shake. With these lenses you can usually use slightly slower shutter speeds.
  • Don’t worry, I’ll explain shutter speeds and aperture settings in a future blog post.
  • Keep that manual handy!   You’ll need to refer to a lot in the beginning. I’ll use this blog post as a way to help explain some of the concepts that will help you decipher the manual.

Top Apps for Travel

Posted on Posted in Equipment, EyeTravel Blog, Photography, Preparations, Travel

Smartphones have definitely made some aspects of travel much easier, and there are tons of great ones out there. This list is a few of some favorite apps for international travel.  These are all available on the iTunes Store for Apple devices, and most of them have an Android equivalent. These are all free, unless otherwise noted. It is important to note that many apps will only work with a data or wifi connection, so you want to sort that out before you leave home.  You can check with your cell phone carrier to see if they offer international plans, or you can purchase a sim card in your destination country.

  • Screen capture of Iphone
    Travel apps can make life on the road a little bit easier.

    Google Maps:  Where am I?  Google maps can help you figure out where you are and where you’re going.  It gives walking, driving and even includes public transportation routes for many major cities.  Does require a data connection.

  • MapsWithMe: Allows you to use maps even while offline.  Maps can be downloaded, bookmarked and shared with other. ($4.99)
  • GuideWithMe: Offers destination guides that can be viewed offline.
  • Google Translate: You do need to have access to a data or wifi network for this to work, but you can save recent translations. I’ve had conversations by typing in what I want to say and passing the phone back and forth.  Of course, it’s not always accurate, but the funny translations can add levity to a conversation.
  • White Noise:  It’s amazing how much a little white noise can help to drown out noise from roommates, hotel doors, traffic outside, etc… I like this app because you can set it turn off at a certain time.  I set it to fade out about 10 minutes before my alarm goes off, that way I wake up a little more gently. You can also set it to have a continuous clock readout, when you want to glance at time without have to handle the phone.  The Lite version is free.
  • FlightBoard:  Got a tight connection, and need to find out the gate for your connecting flight?  With this app, I’ve figured out my gate, even when the airline attendant doesn’t announce it.   I’ve also made friends on the tram, by helping fellow passengers find their gate info.
  • Airline Apps:  Whether it’s American, United, Delta or Southwest, by downloading the airline app, I can stay informed about my flight information.
  • GlobeConvert:  Need to convert miles to kilometers or pounds to kilograms, or Dollars to Yen?  There are several apps that will do this for you in an instant. I use GlobeConvert.
  • Yelp:  Has helped me find a restaurant, coffee shop or hotel on more than one occasion.
  • Skype:  Great for communicating with the folks back home.
  • Shazam: Uses your microphone to identify music you may here in a cafe, shop or on the street, and lets you save the tag so you can purchase the music later.
  • Camera+:  The best camera is the one that you have with you.  So why not make your smartphone camera better.  Camera+ has some great features that allow you to adjust exposure, and focus points.

Japan Specific Apps:

  • Hyperdia:  A must have for figuring out the Tokyo Metro system.  You can type in your location and destination, and it will tell you exactly which trains to take.  This is one case where the Android app is better than the iPhone app, but at least it’s available for both platforms.
  • FotopediaJapan: A photographic Journey through Japan.
  • Gurunavi: Japan Restaurant Guide.  Apps for both iPhone and Android.  Website is also a great resource.
  • Japan Goggles:  The idea behind it is great, you can point your camera phone at Japanese word in Kanji, and it will give you an English Translation.  However, reviews on it are mixed, so don’t count on it working for everything.  I hope it will keep me from inadvertently going into the Men’s room.

Sleep Button:   The convenience that our smart phones provide can prevent a lot of headaches, but don’t let them get in the way of actually experiencing the destination.  Use them as tools, not as crutches or constant companions.   Technology can be addicting, and it can be a barrier to REAL experiences and connections, so don’t be afraid to put the smartphone to sleep, and put it away!

Travel Preparations: Getting Ready for a Photography Adventure

Posted on Posted in Photography, Preparations, Travel

 

Research is vital when preparing to travel abroad. After checking out several books from the public library, I was able to decide on one to purchase and take with me. (Emily Naff)
Research is vital when preparing to travel abroad. After checking out several books from the public library, I was able to decide on the travel guide I wanted to purchase and take with me.

Get ready for the adventure of a lifetime!  Count down to departure is officially underway, and I’ve got Tokyo on the brain! I find myself spending most of my free time looking at guidebooks and websites dedicated to Tokyo. As we get closer to departure, I thought I’d share a few general travel preparation tips,  these apply no matter where you are headed.

Note… this blog series is geared toward the students who will be traveling to Japan with me this summer, but the advice could be helpful to anyone planning a photography trip abroad and wanting to learn more about photography.

Learn a little language: There are tons of great resources online for language learning. There are apps, websites, podcasts etc. A quick google search and you’ll have a ton of resources at your fingertips.  If you’re going to have a smart phone, be sure to download the Google Translate App.

Get a Guidebook and Phrasebook: Go ahead and start looking through them now. You don’t want to spend your time in Tokyo “figuring out” what to do.  Do your research before you leave, the public library is a great source for travel books.  I always check out several, so that I can decide which one is worth buying to take with me.  I personally like a paper back travel book, but e-books are a great option to help travel light.

Get your Photography Gear together: Practice shooting a few images, and downloading them onto your laptop. This way you can make sure you have all the cables, cords and connectors you need. Make sure you have plenty of memory cards, battery charger and if possible an extra battery. Also, start to familiarize yourself with whatever software you’ll be using to edit and organize images. You don’t want to waste time in Tokyo struggling with this detail. I recommend either Adobe Photoshop, Adobe Lightroom or Google Picassa (Free)  Don’t forget that you also need a way to back up your images to an external hard drive or high capacity thumb drive.  Japan outlets are only two pronged, so if your electronics have the 3rd grounding prong, then be sure to pack a 2-3 prong adaptor.

Kick up your workouts and break in your walking shoes:  The best way to see a city is to walk. I estimate that I average at least 3-4 miles a day when I travel.  So you want to have comfortable shoes for pounding the pavement. You also want to be sure that you’re fit enough to carry your suitcase and camera gear… up train station stairs if you need to!  I’ve been lifting extra weights, doing core exercises and spending some time on the stair master.

Plan what you’re going to pack:  Get your suitcase out (remember, the smallest one possible!) Find a corner of a room where you can start to lay out the things you want to take.  Plan your outfits carefully,  its a good idea to stick to one color palette for all your clothes, that way you can mix and match. Pick clothes that you know are comfortable, if something about an article of clothing always bothers you when you wear, it, then don’t pack it.  Choose clothes that are made of material that packs small, dries quickly and is versatile.  Space is at a premium in Japan, so don’t be “that person” with the extra big suitcase taking up all the space in the hostel.  Pack light! Pack light! Pack light!

 

Travel Preparations: It’s the Little Things

Posted on Posted in Equipment, Preparations, TravelTagged , ,

When spending extended time away from home, sometimes it is the little things that can make a difference in your comfort.  I often travel for 3-4 weeks at a time. These are a few things that I have learned make life on the road just a little easier.

  • Bandana- I won’t leave home without it.  I wear it as a head band, or tie it onto my day pack.  On the plane, I pull it down over my eyes when I want to sleep.  It’s like hanging a “do not disturb” sign.   After an overnight flight, I can then use it as a wash cloth.  Washing my face and brushing my teeth after an overnight flight, makes it much easier to face a new day in a new country.  It also serves as a napkin, or “table cloth” for a quick picnic.
  • Waterbottle– one that will fit in your daypack, so that you will take it with you everywhere.  It is so important to stay hydrated when traveling and little bottles of water are expensive.  If tap water is not safe, then I  go to a grocery store and buy the biggest bottles of water available and use those to refill my small bottle. Make sure it is empty before going through security.
  • Earplugs- great for sleeping on an airplane and in a noisy hotel.   A good nights sleep makes all travel much more pleasant.  Earplugs are especially helpful if sharing a room or sleeping with an open window.
  • White noise – I’m addicted to white noise because I sleep with an airfilter in my room at home.  It does wonders for drowning out the little exterior noises that wake you up, especially if you are in an unfamiliar environment.  I used to travel with a radio, alarm, white noise combo, but now I just have a white noise app on my iPhone that does the trick.  I guess you’ve figured out that I value my sleep.  It helps keep me healthy, both physically and mentally!
  • Flashlight– I keep a little one clipped to my camera bag.  I also love headlamps, because they free my hands.  They work great for reading in bed, if your hotel doesn’t have a small lamp by the bed, or if you’re sharing a room.  It’s also helpful for getting things out of your suitcase at night, without disturbing your roommates.
  • Multi-tool and/or Swiss Army Knife–  You never know when you’ll need to fix a piece of gear, or open a bottle of wine!  Just be sure to pack it in your checked luggage, so it doesn’t get confiscated by security.
  • Duct Tape- You can repair all sorts of things with duct tape: rips, tears, shoe soles… you name it, it’s been “fixed” with duct tape.   I wrap a few feet of it around a pen, and keep it in my camera bag.  If you need any more ideas for the possibilities for duct tape, check out this blog.
  • First-Aid Kit– stuff for blisters, indigestion, diarrhea, motion sickness, pain, cuts, bites, etc.  I don’t take an entire pharmacy, just enough of these item to prevent an inconvenient emergency trip to a drugstore.

Remember, pack light.  Carefully consider each item in your suitcase.  Is it necessary?  How much does it improve your quality of travel?  Can I buy it in country?  I’ve decided that for me, each of these items are worth the little bit of space they take up, even if it means I have to take one less book, or one less pair of shoes.

General Travel Preparations- 2 Week Countdown.

Posted on Posted in Preparations, TravelTagged , 2 Comments

Less than two weeks before departure:  

As the countdown continues, there are a lot of general travel preparations that can be done.   Anyone preparing to travel overseas may find these reminders helpful.

Contact your credit card company and bank.  If you don’t let them know that you are traveling internationally, then your card may be declined.  I’ve had this happen.  It’s a real hassle!

Preparing to pack.  Set aside a spot in your house where you start putting the things that you are thinking about packing.  As you think of something you want to pack, place it in that area.   That will it make much easier when you start putting everything in the suitcase.

I’m a big fan of packing light.  So I don’t actually pack everything that I put in the packing area.  At this point it just helps to have all the maybes in one location, so it easier to decide what I really need.   You might also notice that you have too much of one item, and not enough of another, or you might discover that all your clothes are purple (it has happened) or crazy patterns that won’t match.

Shop:  Don’t wait until the way to the airport to pick up sunscreen or deodorant.  Do all your shopping this week.  I’ve already been doing this little by little as I run my regular errands, a few things I’ve picked up are:

  • Sunscreen (critical for Brazil – and expensive in Brazil)
  • Bug spray
  • Plastic bags – A travel essential!  Pack any liquids, lotions, soaps inside a resealable plastic bag.  Bring extra bags, you’ll be amazed at the things you use them for.  Newspaper bags work great for shoes.
  • Small Laundry Detergent:  I love these little packets of Woolite for washing in the hotel sink. But I’m going to skip the packets this year, and put some in a 3oz travel container.
  • 2-1 Shampoo and Conditioner.  While I love my conditioner, it takes up a lot of room.  I’ll buy a few sample conditioners to use every few days, or better yet shop for it there.  Call me weird, but I LOVE shopping in foreign countries.  It’s fun to figure out what things are.  Ie.  I know it’s soap because there are bubbles on the bottle, but is it for dishes, laundry or the body?  Plus, it’s a fun reminder of your trip when you use toothpaste with a foreign label at home.
  • Feminine Products: We’ll be gone for month.  It’s going to happen.
  • Immodium – you know what that’s for.  Hope I don’t need to use it!

As you come back from the store with the items you plan on packing, put them in the packing spot, so you don’t have to search for it later.

Preparations for Photographers

Posted on Posted in Equipment, Preparations, TravelTagged , , , , 1 Comment

Two weeks until departure, and I’ve got tons of tasks popping up in my head that I need to do before I leave.  That’s why I’m a big believer in “to do lists.”   I can get the idea out of my head and onto paper.  And more importantly, eventually I will get the satisfaction of crossing it off my list.  Below are a few items that can be done this week, before the week before crazies set in.  This is the to do list that deals specifically with camera equipment and camera gear.


Shop for Gear:  There are a few extra things I that I want to get.  For example, I need a new remote for my camera, and a UV filter for the new lens that I got for my birthday.  This will just be a quick trip down to Dury’s, where I’m sure I’ll find something else that I “need.”

Prep my Gear:

  • Clear extra files off my laptop, to make sure I have plenty of storage space for the thousands of photos that I will take.
  • Prep my external hard drive.  I’ll clear it off completely, and reformat it.  I’ll reformat it as a “start up disk.”  This is helpful in case the hard drive on laptop hard drive crashes, I’d be able to boot up and run programs off of the external drive.
  • Clear and reformat all of my memory cards, maybe buy a few more.
  • Check out and clean the camera and lenses.
  • Clean out my camera bag.  Since my camera bag acts like a purse when I travel, I always find odds and ends from the previous trip when I clean it out.  Maybe I’ll find some Jamaican dollars, I’ll definitely find some Jamaican sand.
  • Set aside a clear  place to lay out all the gear.  Place the appropriate cords, cables and adapters with each piece of equipment.

My Philosophy on Gear

Posted on Posted in Equipment, Preparations, TravelTagged , , ,

I am not a gear head!  I know my last two postings have been about equipment choices, but you might have noticed that I have been purposefully vague about the specifics of the gear that I shoot with.  If you were to ask me what camera to buy, I’ll be equally vague.   I’ll talk about gear in the general sense.  There are plenty of resources out there that give very detailed equipment reviews.   I’m more interested in the images that you can create with the gear you have.  While I do believe that professional photographers should have professional quality gear, it is not the camera that makes the image, but the vision behind the viewfinder that creates compelling images.

We’re approximately 2 weeks from departure to Brazil, so NOW is the time to purchase any gear that you want to bring on the trip.

The minimum requirements for my class are a Digital SLR with lens, tripod, laptop and external hard drive.   A few extra things I recommend are: external flash, extra battery, extra memory cards, and if at all possible, at least one fast, prime lens.  Then of course, there is the camera bag dilemma.

If you look in my office closet, you’ll see the equivalent of Imelda Marcos’ shoe closet.  I have more camera bags than the law should allow.  How I transport the gear matters on so many levels.  1st is comfort, 2nd is what can I carry, 3rd is how does it look.

For comfort, I prefer a sling bag or backpack.  I use a backpack for the big travel days when I really just need to transport the gear safely and easily, but don’t expect to be doing a lot of shooting.  I like one that will hold my laptop, but is small enough to fit under the airplane seat or in the small overhead compartments.  I’ve had to pull out my laptop and camera at the runway, when the airline forced me to gate check a large bag.

When walking around and shooting, I prefer a sling bag.  The sling bag style makes it easier to get to the gear quickly.  I prefer one with a waste strap to help distribute the weight.  The other things that are important are a place (on the outside of the bag) for a water bottle, and a pocket large enough to hold a small guidebook,  map and a small snack.  The bag I use has a hidden pocket for a emergency stash of cash, and a pocket that will hold an emergency poncho and a shower cap for unexpected rain.  No, I don’t wear the shower cap, I put it on my camera!  I also always keep a few blister band aids tucked away in the inside pocket.

How does it look?  Why does that matter? I’m no fashionista.  I dress down when shooting because I don’t want to call attention to myself, I want to fade into the background.  I also don’t want to call attention to my gear, so the less your camera bag looks like a camera bag, the better.  Don’t advertise the camera brand, thieves know which brands are the most expensive.  Switch out the strap that came with the camera that has the brand all over it.  You can also put a small piece of black tape on the camera to block out the make and model.

If you have some last minute shopping to do, here are a few places to start.

dpreview:  The go to source for learning about different camera models.  I especially like the feature that allows you to compare camera models side by side.  They keep up with the newest equipment, and are always releasing new reviews of gear.

B&H:  Source for all things photographic, things you don’t even know you want or need.  They also care equipment for video and audio.  I’ve always been happy with the service when I’ve purchased from them.

KEH: A very reputable source for buying used equipment.  They have a great rating system for letting the buyer know the condition of the equipment before purchasing.

DURY’S:  Dury’s is the local pro shop in Nashville.  I like to shop there because nothing beats being able to walk into a store, talk to knowledgeable sales people and really get a feel for the equipment.  I buy from them, because I want to support the local options to be sure they are always there!

Camera Choice- Compact Cameras

Posted on Posted in Equipment, EyeTravel Blog, Photography, Preparations, TravelTagged , , , 3 Comments

Compact/Point and Shoot cameras have come a long way in the digital era.  There are a wide range of point and shoot cameras on the market, so this means there is a wide range of quality that is available.  There are many very good compact cameras on the market, and many of them have functions that elevate them from being a simple “point and shoot” camera.  These compact cameras are easy to use and many have very useful features and functions.  Some of these features are easy to understand, and there are also often functions that can be taken advantage of by more experienced shooters.

Amsterdam: Sometimes you just want to go out for a drink, and then your beverage looks good enough to photograph. Glad I had my little camera with me, cheers!

“The best camera is the one that you have with you.”  The advantage of point and shoot cameras is clearly it’s small size and convenience.  I’m more likely to carry a camera with me all the time, if it is compact.  There are definitely times when I want to have the ability to take pictures, but don’t want to worry about keeping up with my SLR camera.  So, I usually pack both for a trip, and make sure those times that I don’t want to take the big camera, that I at least have my Point and Shoot.

There have also been times, when I have had both cameras with me, and I used the point and shoot for safety and security reasons, maybe I was in area where petty crime was a problem, and I didn’t want to attract the wrong kind of attention.  Or, I was in a situation where I wanted to be more discreet with my camera, and didn’t want to stand out in the crowd.

Siena, Italy Picture taken with my compact camera. This is a situation where I wanted to quickly take a picture while being discreet. I did not want the women to notice that I was taking their picture, as that might have changed their positions and or expressions.

Image quality can vary widely in the huge range of compact cameras that are available.  I finally broke down and bought a compact camera when they started making some models that shoot 12 megapixel RAW files.  I’m so glad I did, I love my little compact camera, because I can, and do, take it anywhere and everywhere.  There are a few other features to look for if shopping for a compact camera that goes beyond point and shoot.  The first would be exposure controls, preferably manual control.  I recommend having at least shutter and aperture priority shooting modes, and exposure compensation.  This gives you some control over motion and depth of field.  Sure, there might be times when you set it to auto and forget about it, but there are other times where you really need the control over those settings to get the picture you want.

The Netherlands: This picture was taken with my compact camera while riding a rental bike in the Waterlands area outside of Amsterdam. I did have my SLR camera with me, but it was tied down so securely to the back of my bike that I got tired of taking the time to unsecure and resecure it. So, I rode with my compact camera around my neck, which allowed me to easily stop, shoot a few frames, and then be on my way.