Wetlands in Southern NSW

More wetlands in southern NSW
Phase One XF 150MP, 80mm Schneider Krueznach, f3.2 @ 1/2000 second, ISO 125

Most of us take a computer with us when we travel. Not always, of course. Walking and camping treks might mean we don’t have the opportunity to wrangle our files while on location, but if we’re working out of a vehicle, vessel or hotel room, a laptop is usually somewhere nearby. How do you store your files?

Everyone is different, but I find I’m capturing imagery with a range of devices – my Phase One medium format, my Fujifilm system for wildlife, my DJI Pocket for location video and my DJI Mavic Pro 2 for drones. And there are the photos and videos taken on my iPhone – where do you save them all?

My solution is to create a folder on my laptop for the trip or travel location. If I’m in Antarctica and South Georgia for two voyages, then that will be a separate folder for each. If I’m down the south coast of NSW for a weekend, that’s another folder. And I name the folder something like: 230115-Antarctica or 230428-Bermagui.

Into this folder I place everything to do with the trip. In Lightroom, I make a new catalogue and store it in this folder. In Capture One, I store the session and all the raw files. And I manually transfer all the other files in as well.

Inside this folder, I currently have a sub-folder called ‘Capture’ and into this are a series of sub-folders which contain my raw files. I have a folder for each day, or sometimes two or three folders a day if I have visited multiple locations. The only rule is that all the raw files end up in a folder that sits inside the Capture folder, which In turn is inside the trip folder (I hope that makes sense).

Capture One actually creates this folder structure for you when you create a new session and one of the other folders it includes is Output. When doing preliminary edits on the trip, I use this folder to hold all my working files.

I’m sure there are many variations on this theme, but what I like is having that one folder with everything else inside. Then when I return home, it is a simple matter to copy the whole folder across to my studio computer and archive system, knowing I have everything in hand.

Lone tree, Arkaroola

Lone tree, Arkaroola. Although I had a tripod with me, this was hand-held!
Fujifilm X-H2, 150-600mm Fujinon lens, f6.4 @ 1/500 second, ISO 1250

As a landscape photographer, there’s a strong argument for using a tripod, but when it comes to travel, the case is not clear cut. Sure, travel photographers shoot landscapes and probably to get the best possible landscape exposure, a tripod would be useful. However, if carrying a tripod restricts your movement for capturing other aspects of your trip – such as portraits, interiors, documentary – then maybe your tripod is best left at home.

In a travel context, you can often leave a tripod behind in the hotel or vehicle, so taking one with you on the trip is easy enough. I have a small, lightweight tripod which isn’t as stable or as functional as I’d like for landscape photography, but it’s much easier to work with when travelling. Maybe the answer is a compromise tripod for your travel work, too.

The other option is to say no tripod. If tripods serve two main purposes, to keep the camera stable and to slow yourself down so you can frame carefully considered compositions, perhaps these purposes are incompatible with travel photography. Certainly you don’t want to be slowing yourself down when shooting in the street and if you’re worried about camera shake, use different camera settings. If you’re unwilling to change your aperture, you can usually increase your ISO setting without any significant compromise. When you think about it, if you set a fast enough shutter speed, there’s no need for a tripod at all.

So, what about shooting landscapes and wildlife with telephoto lenses? When it comes to landscape, just ramp up the ISO setting so you’re shooting at 1/1000 second or more and, along with image stabilisation, you should have perfectly sharp images. For wildlife, tripods and gimbals are generally used for the large super-telephotos because they're too heavy to hand-hold for long periods – perhaps you need to compromise with a monopod or take a lighter telephoto zoom instead?

When it comes to equipment, travel photographers often find themselves making the most of what they have brought with them, comfortable in the knowledge that if they had brought everything, they wouldn’t be able to carry it!

Salt Lake, Victoria

Salt Lake, Victoria
Phase One XF, 80mm Schneider Kreuznach lens, f8 @ 1/2000 second, ISO 160

I see a lot of different approaches to camera skills on the many photo tours I do, so if you’re comfortable with your approach, there’s no need to change. If it’s not broken, you don’t need to fix it.

Having said that, current cameras offer us many options that make capturing a great exposure that much easier. Personally, I generally use aperture priority exposure control because I want to control depth-of-field as much as possible. This means the camera sets the shutter speed and, by selecting Auto ISO, the sensitivity as well. In the Auto ISO controls, you can usually set a minimum shutter speed and, depending on what I am shooting, this will vary from 1/30 second to 1/500 second. For a lot of street and documentary work, I find a little subject or camera movement adds to the emotional content of the image, so I’m not looking for absolute sharpness. However, if I am (for instance, for wildlife or sport), then I can set a faster shutter speed.

Most cameras have image stabilisation and I keep this turned on. It won’t freeze the action of a moving subject, but it will keep your camera still and reduce camera shake. Auto ISO and image stabilisation have really transformed how we shoot indoor and low light travel situations.

For autofocus, I’m usually set to continuous as my subjects are generally moving (or I am) and face-recognition can be really useful. I’m not afraid to set a high frame rate as well if I think it will help capture the absolute best nuance of expression or gesture. Sure, it means I have more photos to edit at the end of the shoot, but that’s a positive for me if it gets me the result.

Finally, no matter how you have your camera set, chances are something will happen and you want a different set up – quickly! Most cameras have custom function settings. For instance, on my Fujifilm X-H2, have C1 set for animals, C2 for birds, C3 for general travel and humans, C4 for landscape. If something arises, I can quickly reset the camera with the turn of the command dial. Chances are your camera can be set up in a similar fashion.

The Pinnacles, Arkaroola

Grease ice surrounds the Astrolabe Islands, Antarctica

Grease ice surrounds the Astrolabe Islands, Antarctica
Canon EOS 5DSR, f7.1 @ 1/160 second, ISO 100

There’s not much point keeping your camera tucked safely away in your camera bag or backpack as a travel photographer (unless you’re in transit or visiting a place where you’re certainly not going to be taking photographs – one can’t be too absolute in these days of social media commentary)! If something interesting happens, there’s a good chance you’ll miss it while you’re fumbling around with a zipper and turning the power on.

Assuming as a travel photographer our desire is to capture the best moments that reflect a location’s culture and customs, we need to respond quickly while walking the streets, wandering through a market or visiting a landmark. First thoughts are to have our camera around our neck or over our shoulder. In practice, we’re often anticipating action before it happens, so the camera could already be in our hands with the power turned on. The point is, a comfortable camera strap is a good investment.

There are other options, too. A wrist strap for a small and light camera might be even quicker and easier to use, allowing you to keep the camera in your hand all the time. (And a comfortable camera grip assists here as well). If you have two cameras, a double camera strap or camera harness system can evenly distribute the weight and keep both cameras ready. And there are belt and camera bag quick-release systems that let you keep your camera out of your camera bag and attached to your person, ready for action.

The point to consider when shooting travel, is that the photos that matter are usually very fleeting and if you’re not ready, you’ll miss the key point of the moment. Keep your camera ready at all times and a comfortable camera strap is a good place to start.

Cold Water Stream, Middlehurst Station, NZ

Cold Water Stream, Middlehurst Station, NZ
Phase One XF 150MP, 110mm Schneider Krueznach, f5.6 @ 1/500 second, ISO 50

When travelling, it can be tempting to photograph street life and the people who live there. There’s probably no trouble photographing someone shopping in a market, but what about a homeless person or a beggar? Photographs of homeless people have historically been very popular, so much so they are almost cliché today. Invariably the attraction for the photographer is the well-worn clothing or the character lines in the face. Even so, I would find it difficult to photograph someone on the street where I live without first asking permission. I’d feel like I was taking advantage of them if I stole a sneaky shot – but that is a purely personal viewpoint.

Of course, it’s not just about asking permission – there are also issues of trust and exploitation to consider. Are you genuinely starting a conversation because you’re interested, or do you just want to take a photo? And if so, does it really matter, given most social interactions are invariably shallow (have a nice day)?

So why is it different when we’re overseas in a less wealthy country? As tourists (or travellers), we’re looking at the creased clothes and lined faces as photographic subjects, but often we’re oblivious (or choose to be) to the social issues these scenes represent. Does this mean we shouldn’t photograph people in the street?

My experience is that some people are happy to be photographed, others are not. That’s your first clue. And when I have engaged with a positive subject, they have no expectations of a lifelong relationship, but seem genuinely happy to receive the attention and have a conversation.

The ‘thought police’ will criticise me for exploiting my subjects – a nosey Westerner who is (comparatively) wealthy pretending to engage with a poor local struggling to exist from day to day. I can’t argue that fact, but I think that is the case whether or not I take the photograph.

Years ago I was invited to photograph in a small community. I was given strict instructions by the ‘minders’ of what I could and couldn’t do, but once I was there, what I discovered was that these people were no different to me and if I just used the manners my parents taught me, which includes respecting others, the interaction became fairly straightforward.

 I find this a good approach for photographing people everywhere. And no matter who you photograph, there will always be someone on social media saying you shouldn’t!

Early morning, Inland Kaikoura Ranges, Middlehurst, NZ

Early morning, Inland Kaikoura Ranges, Middlehurst, NZ
Phase One XF 150MP, 240mm Schneider Kreuznach, f11 @ 1/20 second, ISO 50

Whenever I take a rain cover for my camera, it doesn’t rain. But if I travel to a desert region, where it hasn’t rained for 50 years and I leave my rain cover behind, it pours!

Okay, so maybe I’m exaggerating a little. And maybe we don’t need a rain cover to save our cameras from a sprinkle of rain. Most modern cameras have a plethora of dust and moisture seals, as do the lenses, so a little rain is probably more of an inconvenience than a problem. The main thing to remember is to wipe the water droplets off the front lens element (although if you’re using a lens hood, you’re probably pretty safe).

For more persistent rain, or if you’re on a trek or a walk with no chance to dry out a damp camera between shoots, then prevention is indeed better than attempting a cure. A rain cover is a great accessory for travel photography – which invariably includes landscape and wildlife work from time to time. And it should be light and compact, so not an issue in terms of additional weight.

A look on photo retailer websites will reveal a range of different rain cover designs and sizes. Some of the more elaborate units will certainly do a great job, but as a travel photographer we’re probably looking for a small, simple affair. A tube of plastic material with a tie or two will do the job, assuming it is large enough. And you don’t even have to buy a camera cover when a plastic bag (assuming you can still find them) is probably good enough.

Friend Mike Langford put me onto the best free accessory in the universe: the shower cap found in most hotel bathrooms. While both Mike and I might struggle to explain to hotel management why we need a shower cap at all, there’s no doubting one makes a great camera cover and I always keep one or two in my camera bag.

Trees, Middlehurst Station, NZ

Trees, Middlehurst Station, NZ
Phase One XF 150MP, 110mm Schneider Kreuznach, f2.8 @ 1/1250 second, ISO 100

Camera technology has advanced so much over the last two decades that all cameras can shoot at ISO 100 (or their native setting) up to at least ISO 800 without there being any discernible difference. And in many cases, you can shoot at ISO 102,000 and still get great shots. Should you?

At the risk of over-simplying the issue, ISO doesn’t matter. The only thing you need to worry about is capturing the moment and keeping the subject suitably sharp.

Some travel photographers are after a perfect landscape, so ISO is important. Their optimum result will be captured at ISO 100 (or their native setting), but if they are travelling light without a tripod and the light is low, there may be no option but to choose a higher ISO setting. In my opinion, it’s better to capture a sharp landscape at ISO 1600 than a blurred one at ISO 100.

The same theory applies to any subject you’re photographing where sharp subjects are required, but when it comes to travel, a little movement in your subject might be quite acceptable. You may find yourself turning auto ISO off so you can force a slightly slower shutter speed. But just as a little movement in a travel photograph can add, rather than detract, so can a little ISO noise add to the patina of a travel location.

I photographed Bhutan 10 years ago at ISO 6400. When you looked at the files at 100%, there was lots of noise to behold, but I can’t remember a single person telling me the noise was unacceptable. Strong subject matter and modern cameras has essentially made the ISO question obsolete. Use auto ISO and concentrate on the aperture and shutter speed settings as these will have a more substantial impact on your travel shots.