Camera Walking as a Tourist
For the last few weeks Michelle has been wandering around Washington State, while I have been wandering around Greece and the Country of Georgia. Although I have traveled to foreign places primarily for photography workshops, this is the first time in a long while that I went as a tourist. We traveled to Athens, Greece...
to the island of Santorini...
and to Tbilisi, Georgia.
Each location was unique, beautiful, and provided both opportunities and a few challenges as I went out Camera Walking.
Traveling light:
The first challenge came before I left on the trip - what gear to bring. I knew that I needed to travel light, so after much consideration I decided to take my Canon 6D and Canon 24-105 mm lens, and my Canon Powershot G5X. I also took my BlackRapid cross body strap and wrist strap that works with both of my cameras. Although I used both cameras, I found that I used my Canon 6D the most. The G5X was very handy in situations where I wanted to be more discreet.
I also tried out many (I mean many) camera bags to find the one that would work best for when I am walking. Ultimately I took my backpack to transport my camera gear and laptop on the plane, and my Lowpro sling to carry my things while out walking. It was the right decision, and I didn't have any concerns about safety while I was amongst crowds. I like the Lowpro sling because in addition to my camera, I can carry my wallet and other things, as well as a water bottle, which was necessary in the 85 degree heat that we experienced.
Managing the light:
When in a workshop, I am up early in the morning and out late in the evening to capture the best light. On this trip we took tours, so it meant that we were out during the harshest light of the day. I found that I had to manage my exposure settings to make sure that I could compensate for the different light. This became really critical while I was on Santorini with all of the white washed buildings.
Picking up the pace:
Although I usually walk at a quick pace, being a part of a tour meant that I had to stay with the group. Often I didn't have as much time as I would have liked to explore a scene. I learned several things - one, stay toward the back of the group, so I could lag a bit if I needed, and two, trust my gut reaction. When I sensed that there was a shot, I took it. When I saw a scene coming up, I would check my settings and then grab the shot when I was there, such as in the photo below. I had just two seconds to take the shot before I had to move on.
Eliminating the distractions:
Another challenge is all of the people! Yes, some of the time they added to the photo, such as this one below in Tbilisi, but there were times when I wanted to get a clean scene, which was not always possible.
Fortunately I enjoy close up shots, so in addition to the wide landscape scenes, I focused in on the detail shots that told the story of the place to me.
At the end of the day, I had a great time and was able to capture some interesting shots that will remind me of my adventures, and also reflect my style of photography. We did walk a lot, so despite the tours and the crowds on the street, we got our exercise.
Share your tips with us on how to make great photos when you are a tourist by commenting below, posting on our Facebook page, or send us an email. We would love to hear from you.
