6 Tips for Traveling With Your Camera

The holidays are quickly arriving and that means that everyone is making travel plans. With two major festivals to celebrate -- Thanksgiving and Christmas -- families who live on different sides of the country or even overseas are getting together. That makes this a great time for some portrait and candid photography. Smartphones can't replace a camera as they lose battery power too quickly when snapping away and have issues with optical zoom. That means that anyone planning on traveling with their camera needs to make preparations to ensure that their camera arrives safely. To help with that, we have a few tips on packing for your trip below. 1) Get a good camera bag -- Depending on the type of camera you have and any additional lenses or other gear you have, you may need a larger or smaller camera bag. Pick one that has padded compartments for each of your items. Don't try to store lenses in the same compartment -- that's a good way to ruin them. The bag itself should also have good padding on the exterior and be fitted with fabric that can take a good bit of abuse. 2) Find all of your camera covers -- If you have multiple lenses, make certain that any that are unattached to the camera have their covers on both ends and are stored snugly. The lens on your camera should be capped with a cover as well to prevent scratching. 3) Use bread-ties or zip-cords for cables -- One of the biggest hassles in carrying baggage is the power cable knot. For reasons unbeknownst to any, cables have the power to tangle themselves up when packed away. You can prevent this by looping the cables carefully and securing them with bread-ties or zip-cords. 4) Consider making your camera a carry-on -- If you're flying, you may want to take your camera bag with you as one of your carry-on items. However, don't try to take photos in the secure areas of the airport or in any place where photography is forbidden. 5) Get insurance -- If you have a high-end camera and a lot of gear to go with it, ensure it against damage, loss, or theft. That way, if it gets lost in the luggage or broken in transit, you can get new gear without losing your shirt. 6) Beware of dust -- Make certain that you have a lens on the camera while in transit. If dust gets inside the camera body, it can wreak havoc with the internal sensors. Also, carry several dust cloths with you to help keep your lenses and camera clean while you're on holiday. Traveling is always a bit of a hassle whether you're flying, driving, taking a train, or backpacking. If you're traveling with a camera, it can be even worse. But, if you follow our suggestions, both you and your camera can arrive at your destination ready to capture memories of this holiday season. -- da Bird