Another most frequent question I get about my travels is around travel photography. The questions range from who takes your pictures to what gear do you use to take pictures. This post covers all my travel photography gear and what equipment I use and when.
Note: This post contains affiliate links. When you make a purchase using one of these affiliate links, I get paid a small commission at no extra cost to you.
Smart Phone
My number one travel photography gear is my smart phone. I’m a long time Android user. I believe I first started taking travel photography with a Samsung S3 way back in the day. I’ve also been using an iPhone from about 3 years ago, and honestly, you can’t beat an Android. Today, I have an iPhone 13 pro and a Samsung S20 ultra and the Samsung in my opinion is better. The only advantage from a photography point in an iPhone is the portrait mode feature. While Samsung also has this, it’s a little more complex to use, where as the iPhone portrait mode is an easy point and shoot. However, since I like taking more pictures of my surroundings and less of me, this doesn’t really bother me.
Mirrorless Camera
I had a DSLR that I had got from my dad but it was way too bulky for me. I found mirrorless cameras when I was searching for a smaller camera that still had all the DSLR functionality. Not only is this camera small and lightweight, the lenses are too (even the long range), which makes it super convenient to carry around. I just throw both the camera and the long range lens into my purse.
If I’m being honest, I rarely use it these days. My smart phone seriously takes amazing pictures that having both can be redundant. While the mirrorless camera I use has built-in wifi, where I can transfer pictures taken from the camera to my smart phone for easy uploading to Instagram etc, it’s still an extra step than taking a picture from a phone and uploading it. The rare occasions I use it for these days is to take long distance shots or super zoomed in shots. I find these are better quality than from my smart phone. I try to think about what places I may be visiting ahead of time and only take it if I think I’ll need it.
Tripod with Carrying Case
This is my secret travel photography gear to taking solo pictures. Not to say, I haven’t asked favors from strangers when I’m traveling along (with explicit instructions on the shot of course), but having a tripod has been a life saver. The tripod I have is lightweight and can be folded to a smaller size making it convenient to pack. I also have a lightweight tripod case with a shoulder strap, that makes it easy to just throw it over my shoulder when I’m out walking about.
GoPro
I purchased a GoPro recently just prior to my trip to Egypt. I knew I was going snorkeling in the Red Sea, which is said to be one of the best spots for snorkeling in the world and I decided to make the investment. Prior to using a GoPro, I used a much cheaper alternative I bought off Amazon. It was ok but the GoPro definitely is a much better upgrade. Although I also bought a casing for the GoPro, I found that it fogged up under water and using it without the casing yielded the best quality pictures.
SD Cards
I carry 2 kinds. One for the mirrorless camera and the micro type for the phone and GoPro. You can get them from Amazon.
Spare Batteries
I also have fully charged spare batteries for my mirrorless camera and my GoPro as well.
External Batteries
These are a must have not only as a part of my travel photography gear but they are also in my everyday packing list. They are small enough to throw in your purse or bag and can be a lifesaver when your batteries are dying and you don’t have spares. HERE is a link.
Charges
I pack charges for all of the above listed equipment. I have checked to see which charges are common and therefore can be used for more than one type of device.
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See all my tips on how to take photographs with your smart phone HERE or below!
