To most travelers, a camera is the essential travel accessory. This is especially true if great distances and exotic locations are involved. A great number of tourists see their entire trip through the viewfinder and then their photo-album once they're home. Others use it as a visual notepad of quirky and memorable images unavailable as postcards. For me, a journey overseas is a photographic expedition requiring a degree of preparation, so I return with more than just snapshots.

Before you finalise your itinerary, investigate potential customers for your images who may have specific requirements or requests, maximizing your chances of selling your work on return. Look at where images of other countries are used and think about their source. In Australia a great number of travel photos are supplied by stock libraries - unfortunately out of the reach of the amateur photographer due to their strict minimum quantity requirements and access to international photographers work. Other publishers of such work include travel guides (e.g.. Lonely Planet in Melbourne), newspaper travel sections (often supplied by free-lancers), travel companies (e.g.. Contiki, Qantas Jetabout), even travel agencies such as STA Travel who publish their own colour magazine and actually ask for interesting photographs from customers! Keep in mind the style of work used in different publications (e.g.. to include/not include people in photos or wide/detail images) and check out potential upcoming features on new or topical locations - they might not be too far off your beaten track. For details on tax-deductions of your travel expenses, talk to your accountant - details may vary greatly.

What to take

There are two approaches to travel photography, the minimal and the masochistic. On my last trip to Europe, I chose the latter and though exhausted, returned with the goods, so to speak. If you're essentially backpacking in uncharted territory, where your personal security and that of your equipment is foremost in your mind, the minimal approach might be safest. This involves a good quality zoom-compact camera for colour negative film, and a 35mm SLR camera for colour transparency. With this sort of setup, you look like any other tourist and avoid hassles with the locals and police. I discovered during an argument with a costumed guard in London that a tripod implies professional photography and hence the need for a permit (maybe it was the 617 camera on the top that gave it away).

The compact camera is ideal for quick ‘grab’ shots and photographing in areas that might make you feel uncomfortable. Make sure the compact will shoot in low light and have a switchable flash. I mainly take 200 ISO neg film for general stuff and Fujicolour 800 which is unbeatable for low light photos. With only two cameras you can carry the compact on your belt and the SLR in the day-pack. Avoid unnecessary attention by using a discreet camera strap and not displaying the camera around your neck for any would-be thief. On a couple of occasions in Paris, I've even seen people asleep, not with a compact or a Zenit, but a Leica around their neck!!!

The masochistic approach to equipment involves taking anything you think you might need and then a few spares as well. For me, this meant an 18kg backpack with two 35mm bodies, 5 lenses, a small flash, two panoramic cameras, a light meter and a tripod. This is your greatest dilemma as there are few good tripods, small and light enough to carry around for a month or two and those that are, are prohibitively expensive. I chose a Manfrotto 190, removing the 141 head so as the whole unit fitted diagonally into my LowePro backpack. It is possible to shorten the 190 by cutting equal amounts off each leg section - the final result being a lighter and smaller, though less practical tripod which is quite cute! Keeping the tripod inside your camera bag is ideal as is a backpack that looks like any other, thereby not identifying yourself as a serious photographer.

Protecting your camera equipment is no easy task. You can either carry it on the plane with you or check it into the luggage hold. Most international airlines have a 6kg economy limit for carry-on luggage, but so long as the bag fits into the size limits, you should be OK with a little more weight. Avoid ever ‘checking-in’ camera equipment unless it's packed in high-impact casing, as ‘high-impact’ is exactly what it will be subject to. Your film on the other hand, is probably better off packed in with your clothes as it will be subject less repeated X-ray exposure. Naturally the film currently in the camera(s) will be put through the airport carry-on X-ray, so try to finish it off, especially if it's 800 ISO or higher. To this date I have never seen visual proof of this problem but safe is always better than sorry!

Travel insurance is essential for any major journey, so be sure to check as to the cover for your camera equipment. Most conventional policies will cover $2000 - $4000 for cameras and video and some require an inventory or valuation before departure. If your kit exceeds this, you might consider a professional policy such as that for professional photographers. This should cost you approximately 1% of the equipment value per month for world-wide cover against almost anything.

It is true that you can buy most varieties of film in most countries, but you don't want to be wasting precious time hunting out film rather than using it. How much film you take is difficult to estimate on your first trip, so if you're serious about taking photos, here's my guide... (remember, you can always use the leftover when you're back)

For one month (in Europe) I took the following:-
30 rolls of 35mm FujiChrome Velvia 50 (for sunny days)
20 rolls of 35mm FujiChrome Provia 100 (for less-sunny days)
10 rolls of 35mm FujiChrome 1600 (for interiors and night shots)

15 rolls of 35mm FujiColour 200 (for general use in compact)
10 rolls of 35mm FujiColour 800 (for low-light use in Ricoh GR1)

What you use will depend a lot on weather, available subject matter and motivation. Sometimes photography will be the last thing on your mind. In these moments of delusion, strap the compact on - you'll be glad you did.

Once you're there

I try to stay at least three or four days in each major destination. This is particularly important in cities such as Rome where there is just so much to see and photograph, you'll not know where to start. Spend the first day getting your bearings, studying maps and working out what’s worth seeing in your limited time. In well-known cities you may already know where you want to go. In more obscure places, a quick scan of the postcard rack and tourist guides will help you determine what’s particularly photogenic. If the weather’s great on the first day, skip this orientation and start photographing - it could be miserable for the next month!

Apart from the obvious and well-known subjects (e.g.. Eifell Tower, Colesseum, Tower Bridge) try to convey some of the feel of the city through detail shots with late afternoon shadows or interesting shops with foreign language signs. People are a contentious issue in travel photography and should be approached with care and sensitivity. In public places, people can give a sense of scale or atmosphere (e.g.. people lounging on Spanish Steps in Rome) to your images, but permission should be granted before close-ups are taken of anyone. This contact can sometimes lead to a greater understanding of the country or culture and a chance to take a really special photo rather than an exploitative one. Most people don't mind being photographed - some are even flattered, but remember that you're a guest in their place and respect their wishes accordingly.

If you can get out of bed, dawn is the nicest time of day to take pictures. In the more popular cities of Europe, it can be the only time you'll get an empty foreground and the early morning sights and smells of a city are always exciting. Don't forget that the sun moves in mysterious ways in the northern hemisphere and remember to get up while it's still really dark to give you heaps of time to find your way to your location. Naturally a tripod and a jumper are essential equipment.

The technical details of photographing overseas are essentially the same as those at home, keeping in mind that Europe can be quite dark at lot of the time and very hazy - even on beautiful sunny days. It is this very quality (or lack thereof) that makes these images special and different to what you're used to. If something looks great, give it a go (and bracket to be sure). And most of all, have fun, you are on a holiday after all (or are you???).