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I’ll start off first of all by saying that I’m not an expert traveller by any means.  In fact, you may have tips for me and I’d love to hear them in the comments below.  I feel fortunate to have had many opportunities to travel in the past.  I have learned a lot from each and every trip and I feel like I’m at a good spot with my packing etc.

Two months in Europe as a photographer is a very exciting concept.  The closer I look into each place I want to see and what else is around, the more I realise that I just don’t have enough time to see it all.  So I have to make decisions.  Generally I like to visit 5-6 places well and get a good feeling of each one individually.  I tend to avoid big tours and generic tourist traps.  Having said that, everyone travels differently and there really is no CORRECT way to do it.  They’re all correct if you enjoy it.

 

EQUIPMENT

 

For the first time in my professional career I am ditching my DSLR’s for something a LOT more compact.  It will provide me with challenges for sure, and push me to accomodate for the fixed lens and slightly smaller sensor size.  But the tradeoff in practicality is going to be drastic.  For one I don’t need a stand alone camera bag which takes down my generic travel space for a day/carry-on option.
Enter the FujiFilm X70 (pictured above).
Very similar in product type to the Ricoh GRII, this little camera is build for street and travel photography. It’s got a 28mm lens equivalent and a beefy-for-the-size APS-C sensor.  Actually the same X-Trans CMOS II that you’ll find on some of FujiFilms pro series cameras.

So far I’ve found this little camera to be a little gem to shoot on.  I miss the viewfinder a little but the touchscreen makes for some interesting shooting options.  I shoot primarily on my Nikon D750 which also has an articulating screen that I use to get alternate angles quite often.

The Fuji tones are really nice and Lightroom supports all of the film modes if you’re shooting RAW which I will be mainly.

I’ve taken a few shots around Sydney which happened to be in the middle of the VIVID festival so got an opportunity to test the ISO performance and familiarise myself with the camera itself.  Stay tuned for more street/travel photography trips in future posts.  Please see below for some samples using just the “Monochrome” and “Provia” Calibrations and some minor exposure tweaks.  These are all the first time using the camera but will give a bit of a guide to the quality to expect.

LaCie Rugged external hard drive.  There are a lot of variables when you travel and I like to be prepared and have some backups of my system.  I have a 2tb version and have 1.5tb partitioned to be my time machine backup (I use Mac but you can find good backup options with PC also) and the remaining 500gb I have partitioned to store regular data.

Macbook Pro 13″.  I’ve decided to be a laptop traveller for this trip.  I’ve done it before and I really do enjoy the convenience as a traveller but more so as a photographer/blogger.  It also allows me to only need one outlet and I can still charge my phone and camera at the same time.  Not essential but a great time/space saver.

 

TRAVEL TIPS

 

Each blog I’ll add a few little tips and tricks that work for me and some of the things I learn along the way.

Medication.  If you need something to keep you healthy or alive, take it and make sure you have enough.  This is not a stress you need abroad and your Australian prescriptions won’t be valid in most countries.

Travel plans.  Try to tell a few of your family and friends of your plans (even if they’re loose plans) and keep them updated as you get around.  I also register my trips with Smart Traveller so that in an emergency my country knows where I am!

Insurance.  You know why, just do it.  It’s cheap and it’s easy to organise.

Have fun!  At the end of the day, travel is about enjoyment and personal growth.  Even if things go wrong, enjoy the process and remember that the worse it gets, the better the stories!  They say life begins at the end of your comfort zone and I couldn’t agree more.  I still get some nerves before a big trip and feel like a fish out of water during the first few days, but once that subsides, those feelings are replaced by excitement and liberation.  Just remember, “But did you die?”  If the answer is no, then you’re richer for the experience!  Win, lose or draw, travelling will enrich you and you’ll be glad you did it.

 

 

 

To see more regular updates keep an eye on my facebook, instagram and twitter (links on the contact page).  If you like what I’m doing here feel free to give this a like and a share.  If you’d like any more info on what I’ve touched on above let me know in the comments below or shoot me an email.

Thanks very much for the support so far and I look forward to keeping you posted!

Russ