Search Results for: food

What To Carry In Your Camera Bag for Travel Photography

July 18, 2014

My husband Nick is a great self-taught photographer and he’s been able to capture some really incredible travel photography over the years of us traveling around the world. He often gets asked what’s in his travel bag, how much gear does he take and how does he pack it for travel. Traveling with photo gear adds a bit of complication to your trip, so having a plan for your gear will make a big difference and today he’s sharing his thoughts and strategy below for what to carry in your camera bag for travel photography!

All of Nick’s Tips for What To Carry In Your Camera Bag for Travel Photography

First off, I will be the first person to tell you I pack a little too much gear. I like to prepare myself for anything and there have been many times I’ve gone to a location planning to use one lens (see his favorite lenses here!) and ended up using an entirely different one. How do I handle all this gear? I use what I like to call the 2-Bag system. One bag is the kitchen sink full of gear and accessories and another much smaller bag with only the essentials for a day of shooting.

Bag 1:
My main bag is full of all the gear for the trip, usually a backpack but sometimes I use a medium sized messenger bag. Everything goes in this bag: camera, laptop, lenses, accessories, etc… The main bag stays in the hotel or rental car and only comes out with me when I’m doing photo specific outings where the sole purpose is to take photos. When I’m not leaving the main bag at the hotel I lock it up to prevent people from walking away with it.

Bag 2:
I have a small shoulder bag that I can fit a couple of lenses in and a few accessories. This is the bag I take out during a day of exploring. It only fits a few items that I will need during the day and no extras. Being that it’s light, it’s easy on my back, I can move through crowds easily and doesn’t look inconspicuous for pick pockets. This is great when we are shooting on the streets, exploring attractions like museums or out for an evening stroll.

Below are all the items I use and travel with for great travel photography!

1. Thinktank Airport Essentials. I love this bag because it fits a ton of gear but still can fit under the seat on most airplanes.

2. Lowpro shoulder bag. This bag is great for a day’s worth of gear and is easy to carry around.

3. Canon 5D Mark III. This is my workhorse camera that I use on most shoots.

4. Sigma 35mm Lens. This is my favorite lens right now. It’s really versatile on the street and crazy sharp.

5. Canon 70-200 f/4. I love the 70-200, it’s great for portraits and taking close up shots on the street. I prefer the f/4 for travel because it’s quite a bit smaller and cheaper than its f/2.8 cousin but still really sharp. I’m testing out the rubber lens hood in the picture. Because it’s rubber it can collapse down to a small size and takes up a lot less room in my bag then the normal plastic lens hood.

6. Canon 17-40 F/4. I have a love/hate relationship with this lens. Some of my favorite images have come out of this wide angle lens but the corners are really soft which drives me crazy!

7. 50mm F/1.8. This is a great lens to keep around because it’s so small and cheap. Sometimes when I just want to be really light and mobile, I’ll just take my camera with this lens.

8. Lumix Gx8. This is one of my favorites cameras that Casey and I share but that she usually carries around when traveling. It’s mirrorless, so it’s quite a bit smaller than my Canon. Mostly on trips Casey is using this camera but at home I take it out for errands and or quick outings. My favorite thing about this camera is the wifi: when we are traveling I can connect my phone and post images taken on this camera on Instagram. While they don’t make the GX8 anymore, here is something similar that’s new!

9. Godox Wireless Master/Slaver Flash & Receiver with Remote Trigger. I don’t do a ton of flash photography on our trips but there are the few occasions that it’s nice to have. I love these because they are really rugged for travel.

10. Cord Tacos. These are my new favorite obsession and I love being organized with these leather cord holders to keep my cords from getting tangled and knotted and easy to access.

11. Accessory Pouches. I use these pouches to keep all sorts of things organized: batteries, chargers, cables, etc… I have one pouch dedicated to my flash accessories and one pouch with all the rest of my items.

12. Lens Cloth. It’s always a good idea to have a microfiber cloth for your lenses. I bought a bulk pack from Amazon and throw them in the pockets of all of my bags.

13. Small Reflector Dish. I use this a lot for food photos but it’s also great for portraits. It unfolds into a 12” dish and is great to add a little bit of light to a plate of food or to a person’s face.

14. Filters. I use two different filters with my photography: I will sometimes use a circular polarizer to cut through the glare and saturate the colors in my landscape images and I also use a 10+ neutral density filter. This is great for waterfalls, streams, etc… when you want to keep the shutter open for longer amounts of time.

15. Garmin GPS. I like to try and geotag my images with the GPS location and this works great for that. It’s just a fun way to keep track of all the places I’ve shot images.

16. Gorilla pod. I love my Joby Gorilla Pod. It can roll up and fit in my gray shoulder bag when we are walking around. It’s nice to have in case something comes up that I wasn’t expecting. I have attached it too all sorts of things to take images like fences, branches, walls, fire hydrants, poles, etc.

17. Induro Tripod. When I really want to take serious images, nothing beats a good tripod. For travel I will take the head off, which make it easier to fit in my carry on bag.

18. Gaffers tape. You never know when it will come in handy. I roll about 2 feet of gaffers tape around a small golf pencil so I always have a little bit handy.

19. Ziplock bags. I keep a couple of ziplock bags with me in case it rains, I can throw my camera into the bag and protect it a little better. When I shoot in the rain, I will sometimes cut a hole in the bag and poke the lens out to be able to keep shooting.

20. Business cards. It’s always a good ideas to have a few handy to give out.

21. Memory Card Wallet. I love this memory card wallet by Think Tank I got a few years ago to hold all of my memory cards while on the go.

22. iPad. I love my iPad, it’s great for flights and getting work done on the go. I use services like Evernote and Dropbox to keep my information available on my iPad no matter where I am.

See other posts on Travel Photography here!

Off the Beaten Path in the USA

July 8, 2014

Many of our travels have been to major cities within our own country of the USA, but often it’s the lesser known places that have a different impact on you when you travel. Many times, it’s the smaller, less known locations that truly show off the best qualities of my country. It’s something I’d like to do more of this in the future as well, to trek outside of the major cities and see more of the rest of the country. But so far, here are some of my favorite places we’ve visited in America, places that are a bit off the beaten path and might not be as well known. They are places that I think are totally worth a visit, even if you might have to drive out of the cities to find them. So here in no particular order are some of my favorite off the beaten path locations in the USA.

We first ventured up to Eastern Washington in April of this year and I was blown away by the intense scenic views, the never ending changes in landscape and everything this area has to offer. The drive through the countryside here is both breath-taking and surreal and you feel transported to another place; it doesn’t feel like the Pacific North West. This area is also filled with up and coming wineries, so stop and enjoy a glass of wine or two and take in the beauty of this area.

My suggestion for Eastern Washington : Stay the night at Desert Wind Winery and indulge in the gorgeous scenery of the area.

Newport still reigns as one of my all time favorite places we’ve visited in the US and I really want to make a trip back there again to stay and take it all in. Rhode Island in general was so beautiful, but little Newport is just a gem of a town along the East Coast of the US. Lined with lighthouse and scenic coastlines, old houses and picturesque expanses of open water, Newport is one of those places that transports you back in time. I’d love to go back and spend a weekend just taking in the scenery and views over the ocean.

New Mexico in general is sort of like stepping into a different land, with the never ending deserts and Native American reservations every few miles. And that is the same with Santa Fe, just a short drive from Albuquerque, you are transported back in time with Santa Fe’s historic downtown. The pueblo style buildings and bright oranges make you feel like you’re visiting what this area must have looked like hundreds of years ago. Explore the shops and restaurants and indulge in the amazing food.

Tip for Santa Fe : Research the weather before you go, we went in April and were expecting it to be warm but because of the high elevation of Santa Fe, it was snowing!

We just got back from a trip up to the San Juan Islands in Washington State this past 4th of July weekend and we fell in love with the area. This area of Washington is one of the most naturally beautiful landscapes I’ve ever seen, lined with coastlines and forests, gorgeous homes perched on remote islands and scenic little coast towns. The San Juan Islands are only accessible by ferry and the ferry ride itself is gorgeous as you weave in and out of the islands there, some not even inhabited. Orcas play in the waters here (we got to see them!) and the greens are so vibrant, it’s intoxicating.

Charming Santa Barbara was the place that made me like California again. I’ve never been a huge fan of the State for various reasons, mostly Southern California, but our time in Santa Barbara may just have changed my mind. This town is what California should be in my book, charming walkable streets, beautiful beaches, gorgeous architecture and bright flowers everywhere. Santa Barbara will be a place we return to and the energy here, the stunning views and the Spanish style buildings made me fall in love with this California beach town.

5 Reasons to Visit France

July 3, 2014

As I mentioned yesterday, we’re heading back to my favorite city in the world, Paris, in just a few months and I can’t get my mind off our upcoming trip lately! So today, we’re reveling in France just a little bit more. I loved doing my post a couple weeks ago on the 5 Reasons to Visit Morocco so I thought we’d make this more a regular occurrence and talk about reasons to visit specific places all over the world.

Today, here’s why you should book that ticket to France!
And be sure to make it to the bottom of the post for a giveaway to go with this post!

France is home to some of the most beautiful architecture I’ve ever laid eyes on. From the Haussmann facades of Paris to the red washed roofs of the Riviera, France is a country out of a storybook in terms of architecture. I love the different styles depending on which part of the country you’re in, but I can always count on gorgeous building-scapes no matter what part of France you visit.

The café culture in Europe is one of my favorite things about the continent, but France does it oh so well! The café is an experience, not one to be rushed through, but one to be enjoyed and the French know that you’ll feel so much better if you take the time to enjoy your café au lait and baguette, instead of rushing through. Take a seat, take your time and enjoy.

France has some of the best food in the world. From baguettes straight out of the oven, to macarons to croissants, you will never go hungry here. I’ve had some of the best meals of my life France and I get so excited for each trip because of it. Food often makes a place and while French food is truly incredible, it’s just one of the things I love about the country!

France has hands down some of the most breath-taking museums in all of Europe. From the Louvre to the Orangerie to the Museé d’Orsay in Paris, to the archives at Versailles and all the rest all over the country, you’ll never want for a display of art work quite like in France. Not only are the works of art showcased here gorgeous, but the museums themselves are breath-taking.

You really can’t complain about the lack of charm in France or any French town or city. Charm seems to ooze out of this country from cobblestone streets to colorful buildings to town squares built in checkerboard tile. France will leave you wondering if you’re in a storybook and I always leave wanting more!

Headed to France?

Find more information in our archives.

5 Reasons to Visit Morocco

June 16, 2014

Morocco is such a unique destination, with so many amazing things to offer and experiences to enjoy. So here, in no particular order are 5 reasons why you should put Morocco on your travel list!

The food we enjoyed in Morocco was some of the best we’ve had while traveling. To be honest, we hardly ventured out for meals from our Riad because the food there was so amazing. Every morning, the cook would go to the markets and buy the food to make for dinner at the Riad that night, we had no choices, no menus, but at the end of the day, we never wanted to leave and the food was incredible. We did venture out for lunches though and had a chicken bastilla that we’re still thinking about to this day at a little cafe near the Koutubia Mosque. If you’ve never heard of chicken bastilla, you need to! It’s of those foods that really shouldn’t work, ground chicken inside a crisp thin dough shell mixed with nuts and other ingredients and then topped with cinnamon and sugar. It is one of the most amazing things we’ve ever tasted and in fact, we ate it for lunch that day and went back to get it again for dinner the same day, it was that good!

The Middle East is famed for its sweets and mint teas, but Morocco takes the cake on this one. The cookies (which I’m still thinking about) and the mint tea were truly out of this world. We made an effort to come back to the Riad every day during mid-afternoon just to have our tea time with Moroccan sweets.

Mint tea is also served everywhere you go. We wandered into a rug shop while out and about in the souks and immediately were offered mint tea upon walking in. It’s meant to show friendship and acceptance of guests and it’s really impolite to refuse. So take a glass and enjoy the moment!

One thing that Morocco is famous for are their Riads. These old world guest houses have been turned into bed and breakfast style inns for travelers. With gorgeous suites and home cooked meals, you just have to have this experience in Morocco. Our Riad, Riad 72, was fabulous and we felt like we were in a palace the whole time. Our room had Moroccan tile floors, wood beam ceilings and carved wooden doors. Our bathroom was all marble and Moroccan tile with a huge bathtub and Moroccan lanterns hanging at every corner. The Riad experience is fantastic and takes you back in time!

One of the famous things about Middle Eastern cultures are their souks. Morocco (while in Africa, tends to lean more Middle Eastern culturally) has a plenty of amazing souks to wander and lovely things to buy. We brought home a silver tea pot, jewelry and scarves but we still to this day wish we would have brought home some of these incredible lanterns we saw all over. Take an afternoon and just wander the souks, but be sure to have a map to be able to get back to where you started, as you’ll get disoriented and lost in the labyrinths of souks throughout the city. Bargain your way through and you’ll be sure to come home with some amazing finds.

Perhaps my favorite part of our trip through Marrakech was wandering the incredible spice markets. We brought home cinnamon and saffron. The cinnamon was so fragrant and I used it for months afterwards, offering everything such an exotic flavor. The aromas walking through these markets is pure intoxication, the smells of exotic flavors and spices is just divine and such a cool experience!

Traveling to Morocco?

See all of my posts on the country!

Travel Tips : How to Get Around Asia

June 12, 2014

In the post I did a month or so ago about how to get around Europe, I loved hearing from everyone about their experiences with traveling around the continent. Many of you offered other options from I talked about too, which I love as well, getting to hear from other travelers what works for them. So today, we’re back with a similar post about options to get around Asia, which is a lot different than traveling around Europe.

First off, Asia is huge and incorporates so many large and small countries. It’s much further to travel between countries than it is in Europe and also has many more language barriers and cultural differences to traveling in the West. And while I know there are so many more options than what I’m outlining below, these are just my experiences while traveling around Asia, so I can’t wait to hear about more options from all of you guys that have traveled through the continent as well and what your experiences were!

Just like Europe, Asia has budget airline options as well that can be really affordable. We flew Air Asia between Bangkok and Cambodia and back again and loved it. It’s basically Asia’s Easy Jet, with clean and new planes, good food options for purchase and a modern approach to airlines. It was pretty cheap for us to fly to Siem Reap on Air Asia from Bangkok and we really enjoyed it as a great option to travel inexpensively between countries in SE Asia.

In certain spots in Asia, it’s often logistically realistic to hire a private car and driver. We did this in India between Delhi and Agra and I’m so glad we did. Overall, it wasn’t that expensive compared to other options and it made our trip that much easier. We didn’t have to fight crowds (except major traffic in Delhi) and it was a cool, air conditioned option for the 2.5 hour journey between the landmarks.

We hired our driver through our hotel in India and it was well worth it in my opinion. It made that part of our trip comfortable and convenient in a country that can often be daunting to travel around.

One of the famous ways of transport around cities in Asia is the tuk tuk. We used this option many times on our trip through Asia in India, Cambodia and Bangkok. Each area has a different variation on the theme, but overall, it’s basically just a motorcycle pulling a carriage that you sit in. It’s an exhilarating and cheap option to get around and turned out to be one of my favorite ways to travel around Asian cities. Be sure to negotiate a price before the ride though, as you can often get ripped off by inflated prices after the fact.

What To Carry In Your Camera Bag for Travel Photography

All of Nick’s Tips for What To Carry In Your Camera Bag for Travel Photography

Off the Beaten Path in the USA

5 Reasons to Visit France

5 Reasons to Visit Morocco

Travel Tips : How to Get Around Asia

Travel

Life

Favorite Destinations

Travel Reviews

Search Results for: food

All of Nick’s Tips for What To Carry In Your Camera Bag for Travel Photography

Disclaimer