Before you Leave

• One of the great joys of travel is capturing the memories on film or video tape, however, many of today's destinations are hard on equipment and film.
• Always buy fresh film before every trip. Film in Australia is of known quality and batch date. Some films in Asia and more remote locations is of unknown quality and may have had less than perfect storage conditions. Avoid leaving your film in a hot car or bus if you are on a touring holiday.
• Always stock 2 sets of replacement batteries for your photographic equipment and if using rechargeable batteries take the largest one you can and ensure you have the right power adaptors for the countries you are visiting. Also ensure that your adaptor is multi voltage especially if your are planning on visiting the United states or Canada.

 During your Trip

• X-rays. Most modern airport screening X-rays are film safe. Always carry your film in your hand luggage and NEVER in your checked luggage.  The effect of X-rays is cumulative, normal low speed film will show no effect until it has 15 or more passes through an X-ray machine. High speed film is more sensitive. Most security staff will hand check your film if you ask.
• A good rule of thumb for film usage is a roll of 36 exposures per day, or enough memory cards for 50 shots per day at your camera's maximum resolution. If you are using video 10 minutes a day should be adequate.
• In snow, beach or mountain environments a UV filter should always be used. A polarising filter is a useful accessory to create those rich dark blue skies.
• With digital cameras, a portable storage device is a useful addition, especially if you are planning a long trip, as it frees up your memory cards and is normally a cheaper alternative to additional cards. In many parts of the world on site copying to CD is available, in some places via a street vending machine. When using memory cards and digital cameras we would also recommend the use of the highest quality setting you have. The larger the final digital image and the less compression involved will the best results for any large prints you want to make when you get home. Also remember that technology is changing rapidly and what is deemed high quality today will be like the box brownie was to film 40 years ago. Unlike film digital media will undergo format changes over time and the best quality image you have today will be best able to be transferred to any new format as it evolves.
• When travelling keep your film, tapes or memory cards and camera in different bags so that the theft of a camera doesn't mean the loss of your memories.
• It is useful to keep a rough log of where you have taken your photos as you go. It relieves a lot of frustration when you get home and are trying to remember when the shots were taken. At the very least take a marker pen and number the films as you use them. Most processing labs will number the developed photo wallets or slide boxes accordingly. If you can set the file numbering on your digital camera set it to a new series prior to your trip.
• Only have your photos developed overseas if you are sure of the quality of the work of the photo lab, in well developed countries developing as you go avoids the risk of X-Ray damage on your return home.
• Sunsets are both the most often photographed and the most poorly photographed events of any vacation. To gain the most from those stunning displays of nature try to have a prominent silhouette to add to the dramatic effect. If your camera has a manual override, bracket your exposures 2 stops either side of your meter reading. The difference in the colour effect can be astounding.
• A small tripod is handy for those night shots but if weight is an issue a small been bag and a cord release or remote control will steady the camera on a solid surface

When you get Home

• When you are home copy your images to your computer's hard drive and make two copies of your images to CD or DVD. I always keep the second copy at a secure location as with today's technology there is no need to ever loose your precious memories.
• If you have taken film, it is much cheaper to get the photo lab to scan your images to CD at the time of processing than it is after the event, especially if you are using slide film. If you have taken a lot of sunrise and sunset pictures however, ask them not to colour correct your images or the stunning effects you have created may be colour corrected out. by the lab.

Film vs Digital

• Finally a word on film vs digital cameras. As you may have seen from this web site many of our shots are taken with film cameras. Digital images today are of exceptional quality and the versatility of variable ISO speeds and instant image confirmation make digital cameras a joy to use. Film, especially the professional versions offer colour depth that digital still cannot match. Distant detail is still better than digital and overall a good 35mm film image is the equivalent of a 35 megapixel digital image if you are after the poster print for the dining room wall. As well as my digital equipment I still carry my 35mm film camera for the stunning landscape shot that you sometimes stumble across. In harsh environments I tend to rely on the robust 35mm camera especially where recharging power is unavailable for several days. Ante shoots almost exclusively with his Nikon 35mm camera using Fuji Velvia 100f