Are you planning on travelling and want to take some awesome photos? There’s so much information out there when it comes to cameras, lenses and accessories, it can be hard to know where to start. In this post, I’m going to share with you my super simple, easy-to-carry, and beginner-friendly travel photography gear.
Whether you want to make travel photography your career or simply capture some beautiful memories, this guide will help you create your own travel photography bag.
Whilst I do not have all the travel photography gear I would like, I am pretty happy with what I currently have and always feel confident when travelling that I’ll be able to create some incredible photos.
Travel Photography Camera and Lenses
Camera Body
The most obvious part of any travel photography gear is the camera. It’s also going to be one of your largest investments. It’s at this point when you want to choose how much you want to invest in your travel photography gear.
I would always recommend investing in a DSLR or mirrorless camera. Whilst you can get some incredible photos on your phone, nothing can beat the control and vibrancy you get from a camera.
When I first started out, I began on this Nikon entry-level DSLR. Despite being entry level, you can still get incredible incredible shots, and it taught me a lot about shooting in a manual. This camera is brilliant for new photographers wanting to explore the craft and take beautiful photos, but aren’t too keen on spending a small fortune on camera equipment.
I recently upgraded to the Sony Alpha 7 II. Whilst the Nikon D3500, and most other entry-level cameras, are cropped sensors, the Sony Alpha series are full-frame mirrorless cameras. This means that they can take in a lot more information, giving you better colours and can perform better in low light.
For me, the Sony Alpha 7 II was the perfect combination of being a slightly older model, and therefore on the cheaper end of full-frame cameras, and still being a very high-performing piece of equipment.
If your budget travels further, make sure to check out the later releases in the range. The Sony Alpha 7 III has many great upgrades with double the amount of ISO sensitivity, better autofocus, and great 4k video.
Also Read: 17 Best Cameras for Travel Bloggers
Lenses
I found lenses the hardest to choose when I began to invest in my travel photography. There is a lot of information out there from a lot of great photographers, and they all have their own opinion. After a lot of research, I came to the conclusion that your lens choice is very personal. Basically, it boils down to this: what kind of photographer are you (or want to be)? And so what kind of lens do you think you’ll use most?
If you’re a travel photographer who wants to take beautiful, wide-open landscapes but rarely takes portraits, a really wide-angle 16-35mm lens would be your best first investment. However, if you love street photography and always shoot portraits, an 85mm prime lens might be more your thing.
Personally, I started somewhere in the middle. A telephoto lens like the Sony 24-70mm f/2.8 is the perfect first lens for any travel photographer’s bag. It has a great range that will serve you well in most scenarios. You can get super wide shots at the wider end, and still get lovely portraits with a lovely compressed background at 70mm.
Personally, the Sony lens was out of my budget. Instead, I opted for the Tamron 28-75mm f/2.8 lens. It still has a great range, a small f-stop to get those lovely blurry backgrounds, and is nicer on the bank account.
It should be a goal to eventually grow your kit to include all of these lenses. After all, as travel photographers, we often have to shoot many different types of photography from landscapes to portraits, to food etc.
Vlog Camera
Depending on what kind of travel photographer you want to be will depend on whether or not you want to get a vlog camera. Videography is a great skill to add to your repertoire. Filming short-form videos for Instagram and youtube is a fun way to remember your trips and advertise your travel photography and experiences.
As photography is my main priority, I don’t want to be carrying around too much extra equipment for vlogs. This means I want something light and compact, and the Sony ZV-1 is the perfect choice. It has a very handy flip-out screen, is small and compact, and has a reasonable in-camera microphone. It films in 4k with a great auto-focus so I can pretty much press record and always know I’m getting great quality videos.
Travel Photography Accessories
The little bits and bobs that come with your travel photography gear always catch people out, or at least they did when I first started getting into photography. They’re small and often overlooked, but I promise you, they’re worth investing in.
Make sure you take the time and research these annoying but necessary pieces of your travel photography bag or you’ll regret it at the worst possible moment. No one wants to take incredible photos of a beautiful canyon at sunrise only to have their SD card wipe itself and you lose everything.
SDcards
Whilst you might think your SD card is only about storing your photos, there’s much more to it. Your SD card will also impact the speed you can take photos and the quality of the photos you take.
I use the SanDisk Extreme Pro. It has a fast write speed, meaning it’s great for quick-fire shooting and capturing those in-the-moment shots. It also has the ability to record video in 4K, something that is vital if you want to start creating video travel content.
Backup Storage
There’s nothing worse than losing your travel photos. There’s been a few times when I’ve lost the original RAW files from trips, and whilst the edited photos are great, I can’t go back and play around with the original.
Backing up your photos is so important. This is especially true if you’re wanting to turn travel photography into a career. Once you start to gain clients, you need to be very vigilant with how you store your photos. Ideally, you want to store backups in two locations.
I like the Samsung Portable SSD T7 as a good budget-friendly option. However, the SanDisk Extreme SSD comes highly recommended by many photographers, and they would argue it is worth the extra investment.
Backup Batteries
Imagine you’ve been out on an all-day hike, and you’re about to reach the mountain’s peak and see that glorious view you’ve been working so hard to see. You get your camera ready, and your settings are perfect. And, just as you’re about to click the shutter, your battery dies. Sounds like an absolute nightmare, right?
As travel photographers, it’s likely you’ll be out for hours at a time, taking photos all the way. And cameras take a lot of battery so it’s incredibly handy to always have a couple of extra batteries in your travel camera bag.
With batteries, it tends to be the case of the more money you put in, the better the battery’s longevity. I use these JYJZPB replacement batteries and whilst their battery life is ok, and the charging container is very handy, they’re nowhere near as good as my Sony battery. At the moment, they do the job and I’m able to shoot all day using all three batteries.
ND Filter
As a travel photographer, you can’t always shoot in the perfect lighting. We’re out and about and often end up in harsh midday light. To save me in these scenarios is my favourite accessory in my travel camera bag: my ND filter.
ND filters are like sunglasses for your camera. They stop the light from reaching your sensor, which means you can control your aperture and get those lovely blurry backgrounds even in bright daylight.
I recently got the Hoya Variable Density filter. For me, the variability of the filter was ideal for travelling. Whilst a variable ND filter can give lining to your images, I don’t want to have to keep multiple ND filters on me and keep switching them throughout the day.
The only thing I will say about this is that it’s very easy to move the lens. Keep an eye on it and make sure you’re always correctly exposed.
Tripod
If you’re travelling solo or want to take photos in lower lighting, you need a good, sturdy tripod. Even if you’re travelling as a couple, you’ll want a tripod to take some great couple travel photos.
They’re also great if you want to take some long exposure shots. Maybe you stumble across a beautiful waterfall and want to capture some silky water, or are in a secluded desert and want to capture the star-filled sky. It’s impossible to do these photos handheld, so you’ll need a tripod.
Unfortunately, they no longer make the tripod I currently use. Instead, here are some recommendations from travel photographers I trust.
The Manfrotto Befree Camera Tripod is a great tripod. Made of carbon fibre, it is strong and sturdy but incredibly lightweight. You can travel easily with this in your camera bag. However, it is quite expensive so not great for those starting out or on a budget.
For a more budget-friendly option, check out the K&F Concept 61-inch Carbon Fibre Camera Tripod. This is also a great, lightweight and compact tripod specifically designed to be travel friendly.
When looking for a tripod, just make sure that it can carry the weight of your camera and its heaviest lend. You don’t want it toppling onto a concrete sidewalk when you’re out taking photos.
Lens Cleaning Kit
Keeping your kit clean and it working order is incredibly important when on the road. You’ve just invested a lot of your money in these pieces, and it would be a shame to let a small bit of dust ruin a very expensive lens.
Len cleaning kits are inexpensive but necessary things to have in your camera bag. They’re as simple as a rocket air blower to get rid of any dust on your lens and sensor, a microfibre cleaning cloth, and a brush pen.
If you’re going to be changing your lenses, this is a must-have for every travel photography bag. This lens cleaning kit from K&F Concepts is inexpensive and has everything you need to keep your photos looking sharp.
The Wrap-Up: All That’s in My Travel Photography Bag
For travel photography, you want gear that is flexible, compact, and high quality. It won’t be the same for every travel photographer, so you should focus on tailoring what’s in your travel photography bag to suit what you’re shooting, and your photography style.
In my travel bag, I have focused on building a high-quality but more budget-friendly collection of photography gear. The items I have to give me a lot of flexibility and allow me to take a variety of photos whilst travelling.
My travel photography bad is also by no means finished. There are still pieces I want to get and upgrades I would love to make one day. However, at the moment, it’s a pretty decent bag of gear, and I’m very happy to travel with this bag by my side.
