Ein Beitrag von: Wilfried Humann

Heute stellen wir den zweiten Blog aus der Photosphäre vor: Fotografie und Achtsamkeit von Wilfried Humann. Wer jetzt Angst hat, dass es bei diesem Titel esoterisch wird, kann direkt an dieser Stelle beruhigt sein. Bei Wilfried wird es auf jeden Fall sehr persönlich, aber nicht abgehoben.

Seit 2016 schreibt Wilfried einmal pro Woche einen Artikel. Inzwischen haben sich mehr als 100 Beiträge mit vielen Gedanken gesammelt. Warum es zu jedem Artikel nur ein Bild gibt, was es mit der Achtsamkeit auf sich hat und wieso Wilfried mit seinem Blog kein Geld verdienen möchte, erfahrt Ihr in unserem kleinen Interview.

„Fotografie und Achtsamkeit“ ist der Name Deines Blogs. Was bedeutet Achtsamkeit für Dich und wie verbindest Du Achtsamkeit mit der Fotografie?

Achtsamkeit bedeutet mir sehr viel, sie hat mein Leben verändert und hilft mir gerade in schwierigen Lebenssituationen. Nach einem schweren Burnout hat mir ein MBSR-Kurs, ein bewährtes und wissenschaftlich begleitetes Achtsamkeitstraining nach Dr. Jon Kabat-Zinn, sehr geholfen. Seit dieser Zeit trainiere ich die Achtsamkeit täglich. Mein Bewusstsein hat sich deutlich geändert, ist offener und weiter geworden.

Ich lebe bewusst und sehr viel entspannter als früher in der Gegenwart, ich nehme mehr wahr und sehe einfach sehr viele Motive, sie fallen mir regelrecht ins Auge. Meine Fotografie ist dadurch allmählich sehr viel intensiver geworden, sie hat sich auch deutlich weiterentwickelt. Mir ist das irgendwann bewusst geworden und daraus entstand die Idee eines Workshops, in dem ich Ansätze dieser Erfahrung vermitteln wollte. Der Workshop kam leider nicht zustande, was verschiedene Gründe hatte.

Jetzt gebe ich meine Erfahrungen im Blog weiter, was mir sehr viel Spaß macht. Meine Beiträge beruhen oft auf konkreten Erfahrungen, es gibt auch einige wichtige Grundsatzartikel zur Achtsamkeit. Buchbesprechungen und Fotografietipps runden das Ganze ab. Mir ist dabei sehr wichtig, dass mein Verständnis von Achtsamkeit nichts mit Esoterik zu tun hat. Leider wird der Begriff „Achtsamkeit“ sehr verwässert und auch oft esoterisch angehaucht vermarktet.

Wie kam es zur Idee für den Blog?

Ursprünglich wollte ich ein Buch über meine Erfahrungen im Zusammenwirken von Achtsamkeit und Fotografie schreiben (beruflich habe ich einiges veröffentlicht), ein Buch ist aber etwas sehr Statisches, das einmal geschrieben wird und dann so bleibt. Im Nachhinein würde man dann gern einiges anders formulieren. Ein Blog dagegen kann sich entwickeln, erzeugt auch Entwicklung. Heute bin ich froh, dass ich mich für den Blog entschieden habe.

In Deinen Artikeln gibt es immer viel zu lesen, dafür oft nur ein Foto. Haben die Gedanken zur Fotografie für Dich mehr Bedeutung als die Fotografien an sich?

Meine Gedanken, meine Texte, meine Erfahrungen von Achtsamkeit und ihr Einwirken auf meine Fotografie sind mir sehr wichtig, sie sollen deutlich im Vordergrund stehen. Daher gibt es bewusst jeweils nur ein Bild. Wer mehr Bilder von mir sehen möchte, kann sie bei Facebook und Instagram finden.

Wieviel Arbeit steckst Du in Deinen Blog?

Pro Woche sind das etwa zwei Stunden. Das jeweilige Thema kommt mir meist spontan, entwickelt sich dann im Laufe eines Tages in meinen Gedanken und wird dann am Abend in Textform gebracht. Da ich schon immer gern schreibe, fällt mir das nicht sehr schwer.

Wie sind die Aufrufzahlen Deines Blogs?

Inzwischen habe ich im Monat ca. 1.200 Leser*innen mit rund 4.000 Seitenaufrufen. Die Zahlen nehmen allmählich immer mehr zu. Mich freuen die positiven Rückmeldungen, von denen es zu fast jedem Beitrag immer wieder einige gibt. Zum Teil gibt es regelrechte, spannende Diskussionen per E-Mail oder auf Facebook.

Du musstest die Kommentare in Deinem Blog deaktivieren. Wie kam es dazu?

Die Kommentare wurden leider für Sexwerbung missbraucht, ich war es irgendwann leid, immer wieder diese Werbung zu löschen und habe daher die Kommentarfunktion deaktiviert. Kommentare gibt es zum Glück weiterhin per E-Mail oder auf Facebook.

Wie monetarisierst Du Deinen Blog?

Mein Blog erscheint auf einer kostenlosen Seite von Jimdo, daher kostet mich die Veröffentlichung nichts. Die Endung „jimdo“ nehme ich da gern in Kauf, auch wenn das weniger professionell aussieht. Meine Zeit stecke ich gern in dieses Projekt, weil es mir viel bedeutet.

Was ist Dein Dir persönlich wichtigster Blogartikel?

Es ist schwierig, einen besonders wichtigen Beitrag zu benennen, jeder Artikel hat für mich eine Bedeutung. Von Bedeutung sind natürlich die Grundsatzartikel zur Achtsamkeit (aus den Anfängen 2016), weil sie mein Verständnis von Achtsamkeit erklären.

Was ist Dein meistgeklickter Blogartikel?

Am meisten geklickt wurden „Hat deine Kamera eine Seele? – ein Buchtipp“ zum Buch von David duChemin „Die Seele der Kamera“ und „Streetfotografie – Tipps und Nachdenkenswertes“, der aktuell vorletzte Beitrag. Gerade zur Thematik Straßenfotografie gab es auch viele interessante Rückmeldungen.

Wie siehst Du selbst die deutsche Bloglandschaft?

Die deutsche Bloglandschaft ist sehr vielseitig, aber leider auch sehr unübersichtlich. Viele Blogs findet man nur durch Zufall. Eure Blogliste „Photosphäre“ ist da eine hervorragende Hilfe. So habe ich in den letzten Wochen doch eine ganze Reihe interessanter Blogs für mich neu entdeckt.

Was macht für Dich einen guten Blog aus?

Ein guter Blog vermittelt mir etwas, stößt etwas in mir an. Daher ist mir auch der Text sehr wichtig. Reine Fotoblogs ohne große Erklärungen finde ich weniger interessant.

Hast Du Lieblingsblogs oder Vorbilder?

Lieblingsblogs oder Vorbilder habe ich keine. Meine Blogidee ist in mir selbst gewachsen, ohne äußeren Anstoß. Inzwischen finde ich allerdings auch Ideen und Gedanken von mir auf anderen Seiten wieder, was ich aber nicht schlimm finde. Mich freut das eher.

Wie siehst Du die Zukunft Deines Blogs? Hast Du Wünsche für die Zukunft?

Ich hoffe, dass mein Blog noch lange existiert und dass mir immer wieder gute Ideen dafür kommen. Heute Morgen auf dem Ergotrainer ist mir das Thema für den nächsten Beitrag eingefallen, es wird um Spiegelungen und ihre Vielschichtigkeit gehen. Wenn die Zugriffszahlen auf meinen Blog noch weiter steigen, freut mich das natürlich auch.

Dann wünsche ich Dir weiterhin viel Erfolg und vielen Dank für Deine Antworten!

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The United States of America’s Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) just banned lithium-ion batteries in the cargo holds of passenger flights.

For those of us in the photography world, that means you’re gonna need to lug around all of those batteries as checked in luggage. Sounds fun, of course, but this restriction was long in the making.

Image via Daniel Kist from Pexels.com.

Citing safety concerns, the FAA and US Secretary of Transportation Elaine Chao called on stronger restrictions following 2018 guidance that “suggested” that lithium-ion batteries be stored as carry-on luggage rather than in the plane’s cargo hold.

Referencing the relevant passage, PetaPixel writes: “Devices containing lithium metal or lithium-ion batteries, including – but not limited to – smartphones, tablets, and laptops, should be kept in carry-on baggage. If these devices are packed in checked baggage, they should be turned completely off, protected from accidental activation and packed so they are protected from damage.”

There are also some changes coming to how lithium-ion batteries are shipped in cargo planes. From now on they can only have a 30% charge. Again, safety was the main consideration in making these rules.

In rare instances, lithium-ion batteries can explode and case a fire. That’d be a tough situation to deal with way up in the sky and, if the explosion were large enough, it’s really bad news.

You may recall Samsung’s issue with batteries some years back. As one of the more prominent examples of what could wrong, that also serves as a reminder of just how rare that kind of thing is.

Of course, it’s not hard to see why this is going to be a pain for a lot of passengers. Most modern electronic equipment is powered by a lithium-ion battery, and photography equipment can use some especially hefty batteries.

Traveling by air was already miserable enough, but it’s about to get a whole lot harder for photographers flying in the United States.

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One of the reasons that black and white photos resonate so profoundly with viewers is that they are aesthetically easy to digest — there are just shades of gray present. No color relationships to decipher.

While there is a visual simplicity embedded in black and white photography, black and white photos aren’t always so simple to create if you don’t know where to start. Making really effective black and white images requires you to look at the world around you a bit differently.

The following three tips will tell you what to look for to create better black and white photos.

1. Look For Geometry And Texture

Color is often used as a visual anchor or as a way to catch the viewer’s attention. When you’re working in black and white (whether film or converting digital color images), patterns, textures and shapes can serve as attention grabbers.

From a weathered skin’s texture to the defining outline of a mountain range to the geometrical allure of a leaf, the absence of color actually allows you to bring the details of a subject to prominence.

Combining these details with flattering compositional choices will only strengthen your images. For example, you might fill the frame with a pattern or texture. Lines and curves work beautifully for minimalist/negative space images. An individual shape can be the primary point of interest in a shot.

Used effectively, elements such as shape and texture are exemplary substitutes for color.

David Buchi at Pexels

2. Look For Contrast

When you’re a new photographer one of the “rules” you often hear is to avoid shooting in midday light. Why? Because it’s harsh. And harsh light creates hard shadows, which are generally considered unflattering, particularly for portraits.

But high contrast scenes (often the result of harsh lighting) and black and white photography sort of go hand-in-hand.

The presence of distinct, well-defined highlights and shadows fill the role of creating visual interest when there is no color in the scene. High contrast scenes that would likely look bad in color can take on another — more dramatic — life in black and white.

This is what many photographers mean when they say they “see” in black and white. They recognize high contrast light and know that it will lend itself to a good black and white image.

Of course, you can still make nice black and white photos without very contrasty light. With low contrast black and white photos, however, you run the risk of getting a boring, gray image in the end. If that, somehow, is the look you’re going for, great. Otherwise you’ll need to spend more time tweaking the image in post.

Dương Nhân at Pexels

3. Look For Simplicity

We started off talking about simplicity so it seems fitting to end on that note as well.

You’ve heard all the mantras — “less is more”, “keep it simple”. These phrases are repeated because they have real value.

You don’t need intricate subjects or scenes to create a beautiful black and white photo. All you need is an interesting subject, a strong composition and the right light and you’ve got yourself a potentially incredible black and white image that will catch and keep every viewer’s attention.

Gabriel Peter at Pexels

Final Thoughts

Black and white photography involves more than just importing a photo into Lightroom and doing a simple conversion. Yes, post-processing work is an important part of crafting a black and white image. But the best black and white images are the ones that are made before you even press the shutter button.

Further Reading

More on Black and White Photography Skills

Black and white photographs tend to last the “test of time” a lot better than their colour counterparts. They survive through fads. For that reason, many photographers find themselves drawn to the art. If you're one of them and wanting a simple place to know where to start, then Kent DuFault's black and white guide is where you want to go.

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Leaving your shutter open a little longer than usual can take the viewer and photographer into the wonderful world of long exposure photography. And once you're there, it can become an obsession for any photographer. We have put together this collection to lend a little inspiration to your day and encourage you to get into […]

The post 27 Mind Blowing Long Exposure Photographs appeared first on Light Stalking.

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Das Bild des Tages von: Rafael Wagner

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Before Photoshop and digital photography, filters were imperative to achieving a balanced exposure and other creative effects. Photographic filters were creatively and technically used for decades to achieve results that could not be duplicated by any other means. For example, ND filters for long exposures or to tame bright light, polarizers to reduce glare and reflections, skylight filters, UV filters, colored filters… you name it.

But so many of these photographic filters have been tossed aside for post-processing tools. Rightfully so, in most cases. In my opinion, there are only a few photographic filters vital to modern day landscape photography. These are the ones I never leave home without!

In this article, I illustrate specific situations where I would choose these filters, situations when I wouldn’t, and images where I would and wouldn’t at the same time! Confused yet? Hang in there! But let me first break down the types of filters that exist.

Types of Filters

I personally leave a 62mm thread-on CPL (circular polarizer/linear) lens on my longest lens. I use a 100mm drop-in system for all of my lenses, except for my Ultra Wide (Nikkor 14-24). For this lens, I must use a 150mm drop-in system due to its extreme field of view. Some lenses, like the Canon 11-24 and other extreme wide-angle lenses require an even larger 180mm drop-in system.

• Thread-on lens – These lenses work well when used singularly on a non-wide angle lens. They have been around for forever but have a few shortcomings. For example, a situation when you’d like to use a CPL and a thread-on graduated filter. You will likely want to rate your polarizer, but then the grad wouldn’t be horizontal; or, when stacking them, you induce vignetting.
• Drop-in – These filters are the most common and versatile. With modern systems, you can use a CPL and grad filter at the same time without issue. The drop-ins are very versatile. You can use an over-sized set for all of your lenses, rather than needing specific thread sizes for each lens.

The Filters I Don’t Leave Home Without

I typically carry a 100mm set for my non-wide lenses and a 150mm set for wide lenses. This is particularly important when speaking in terms of polarization, the coverage of wide angle lenses, and their convex nature. Polarization can be spotty on wide angle, bulbous lenses and using a 150mm polarizer on lenses longer than 24mm could cause poor polarization over the field of view. Therefore, I prefer not to use the oversized polarizer on non-wide lenses, although it works in a pinch if you are trying to save weight or money.

The following filters are the ones I never leave home without (ranked in order of importance). My list can be broken down into only four filters and most of the time, it’s only the first three. With modern post-processing technology, I strongly feel that there are no other “vital” filters.

Here is my list:

• 

  Circular Polarizer, Photographic Filter

• 

  Three-stop Soft Graduated Neutral Density Photographic Filter or “soft grad”

• 

  Six-Stop & Three-stop Neutral Density Photographic Filters

Circular Polarizer

The Circular polarizer can be used in so many ways and should be an integral part of everyone’s kit.

A CPL allows light to only enter in one direction. Typically, light waves can be rather messy which results in glare. Glare if reflected and refracted light which shines in every direction. A polarizer neatens these light waves, knocking down the amount of reflected and refracted light.

The following are some examples of when I would use a CPL:

• Capturing Waterfalls – To reduce glare on rocks, foliage, and water. This results in richer colors and enhanced contrast.
• Cityscapes – To reduce reflections
• Photographing through windows or water – To reduce reflections

• 

  This image entitled Mordor, is a panorama where I used a circular polarizer to reduce glare, and enhance the vibrant fall colors.

• 

  This image entitled Atlantis is another example of a panoramic scene captured with a CPL, as well as a 3 stop Soft Grad.

• 

  This image entitled Lothlórien after the enchanted forest of Tolkiens Lord of the Rings Saga, is a prime example of the use of a CPL.

Soft Graduated ND Filters 

Soft Graduated ND Filters are used to balance exposures, tame bright light, and reduce the dynamic range. They are typically taller than they are wide and have a gradient from the established density (darkness) to clear. The idea is to situate the gradation over the transition of light to dark in your frame.

The following are some examples of when I would use a Soft Grad:

• Capturing a sunrise or sunset from high atop a canyon when I am shooting towards or perpendicular to the sun.

• 

  This image entitled By a Thread required a 3-stop soft grad, as the dynamic clouds were constantly changing as was the light. Underexposing slightly allowed me to capture the huge dynamic range in one shot!

• 

  This image entitled Inferno was one of themes notable sunsets of 2018 and a fantastic example of when to use a Soft Grad. A 3-stop was barely enough to contain the data in this scene! Adding a second grad would’ve crated a noticeable transition throughout the scene that would’ve been very challenging to correct.

Neutral Density Filters 

Neutral density (ND) filters are used to “trick” your camera into thinking the scene is darker than reality, allowing you to lengthen exposures for creative purposes.

ND filters are useful when the scene is too bright to allow you (at your lowest native ISO) to achieve the long shutter effect you want. Because of this, NDs come in many densities, although only a few are necessary. The density is based on your shutter speed preferences and the effect you’re striving for.

The following are some examples of when I would use an ND filter:

• Capturing a waterfall during day time. A three-stop ND photographic filter and CPL gives me about a 1/4 second shutter speed… which is perfect.
• To capture extremely long exposures for fine art black and white images.

• 

  A rare example of when I used ONLY an ND filter. A polarizer would have eliminated the rainbow from my camera view, filtering out the refracted light from the rainbow.

• 

  On this moody morning, I watched the clouds form and fall over the mountains. I used a 6-stop here to allow me a 90-second exposure.

• 

  This image was created using ONLY an ND filter, not because it was a good example of, but because seconds before I had lost my 150mm polarizer to the rushing rapids between my feet. A 3-stop ND filter still allowed me to capture the soft movement of the waterfall without the “need” of a CPL, although I would’ve preferred a CPL so that the reflection was not as intense.

Don’t forget that this assessment is based purely on my own opinion and experience. There are other notable photographers that may share different ideas or might be extremely comfortable in combining exposures where a grad filter could have been useful. These are the tools that I use frequently to create my work; I carry them everywhere I go.

I hope that this breakdown helps you identify what filters are useful and vital in YOUR workflow!

About Author Joshua Snow

My Name is Joshua Snow, I am a Fine Art landscape and Night Photographer born in the Appalachian Mountains but raised in the Finger Lakes region of Upstate NY. In 2012 I had reached a weight of over 400lbs and during my journey of weight loss I discovered Photography and re-discovered the creativity that I had locked away while pursuing a career in Mechanical Engineering in the Aerospace field. Fast-forward to 2016 and a life-changing trip to Moab, my girlfriend and I decided we would do whatever it took to live here so that I could pursue my dreams of creating art, traveling the southwest and educating on photography. After a month, we had found a house, jobs and a sustainable future! Now I lead Photography workshops full time, all over the southwest, and here in Moab. My passions are creating art, traveling and teaching. I like to show people how connecting with a landscape can help make you a better photographer just by being there! On my workshops I help you see composition, pre- visualize a scene all the way through to the finished image, post processing from basics to advanced Adobe Lightroom and Photoshop, basic through advanced camera and capture techniques and a whole lot more. I specialize in advanced capture and processing techniques that can help elevate a photo to a work of art, that encompasses your vision, and creativity, but welcome photographers of all skill levels!

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Der Award „The International Landscape Photographer of the Year 2018“ wurde erst vor ein paar Tagen bekanntgegeben. Wir haben das vergangene Jahr eigentlich schon fast vergessen, aber bei diesen Bildern ist es auch völlig egal, wann sie aufgenommen oder präsentiert wurden, denn sie sind zeitlos. Sie zeigen unsere Welt von ihrer schönsten Seite.

Gesamtsieger ist der kanadische Fotograf Adam Gibbs, der die Jury mit seinen unterschiedlichen Sichtweisen und seinem Sinn für Licht und Komposition überzeugt hat. In seinem Statement sagt er sehr treffend: „Landschaftsfotografie ist eigentlich kein Bereich für Wettbewerbskampf, sondern die Gelegenheit, die Natur zu genießen und nebenbei ein paar Bilder zu machen.“ In diesem Sinne zeigen wir Euch eine kleine Auswahl aus der Shortlist, die immerhin 101 Bilder umfasst. Viel Freude an diesen schönen Fotos!

© Adam Gibbs, the 2018 International Landscape Photographer of the Year; ebenso Titelbild

Blue Ribbons © Chris Byrne; The Abstract Aerial Awards 2018

Clouds gather in South America © Fitzroy-Xiao Zhu; The Sunset/Sunrise Award 2018

Falling Down I © Ann Kristin Lindaas; The Exemplary Tree Award 2018

Frozen Giants © Ignacio Palacios; The Snow and Ice Award 2018

Singled Out © Greg Boratyn; Top 101 images of the year

When clouds are moving © Peter Svoboda; Top 101 images of the year

© Warren Keelan; Top 101 images of the year

© Nathaniel Merz; Top 101 images of the year

© John Finney; Top 101 images of the year

© Adrian Petrisor; Top 101 images of the year

© Gabor Dvornik; Top 101 images of the year

© Cindy Lee Hoover; Top 101 images of the year

© Huibo Hou; Top 101 images of the year

© Chung Hu; Top 101 images of the year

Insgesamt wurden 3.000 Bilder von 863 Fotograf*innen eingereicht. Die Top 101 wurde in einem Buch veröffentlicht. Es kann über die Webseite des Wettbewerbs bestellt werden.

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Lurking out in the darkness that surrounds Earth is a planet of absolutely enormous scale.

Indeed, we’re talking about a planet so large that it would dwarf the Earth and everything around it except for the sun if it were closer to us.

Jupiter via JunoCam image via NASA.

The largest planet in our solar system, Jupiter is not hard to spot via even the most basic telescope.

Because of this, Jupiter is one of the first planets that early astronomers started studying and that fascination hasn’t died since.

Identifiable by its characteristic red spot, Jupiter is often mentioned along with the solar system’s other gas giant, Saturn, which is encircled with large rings tilted at an angle. Both planets are two of the coolest planets in our solar system to photograph because of these distinct features.

It’s hard not to be in awe of the pictures we already have of Jupiter.

But that doesn’t stop people from wanting clearer pictures that give us a better look at the solar system’s would-be king. On top of that, scientists can learn even more about Jupiter and gain some insight into its planetary composition.

NASA has just released a new batch of up-close Jupiter shots that give us a new perspective on just how massive this gas giant is.

The photos come to us courtesy of NASA’s JunoCam and were taken on February 21 (the composite picture) and February 25, 2019.

Software engineer Kevin M. Gill put the images together on behalf of NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory.

If you’d like to view more images, you can do that here on NASA’s website.

That’s not all we have in terms of astrophotography. You can also read some articles that we’ve written by clicking here. As always, we love your comments so be sure to leave them in the comments section below.

Jupiter via JunoCam image via NASA.

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Keeping up with the Joneses has inspired many people to go out on a limb and do things they wouldn’t otherwise do.

But, in the case of Instagram possibly copying Pinterest, some of these features are really no-brainers more than they are one company copying the innovations of another.

Image via Omkar Patyane from Pexels.com.

And it isn’t like Instagram shies away from using its competition as inspiration. One prominent example would be its implementation of some of Snap’s most popular features.

FStoppers reports that a rumor is going around that software engineer Jane Manchun Wong discovered the new feature, called “Collections,” while looking through the app’s code on Android.

This is a little bit different from the “saved” pictures feature that the app has had for some time. “Collections,” it is speculated, is more akin to a Pinterest curation type of approach. That would be a pretty big deal for the stuff we view on Instagram and would give users that much more power to save their favorite grams.

Basically, how Pinterest works is that people post content to Pinterest and users then curate it into various collections with user-defined names. People tend to coalesce around certain communities of content and users build huge followings for simple doing nothing other than bringing together other peoples’ stuff. It’s an interesting model for community interaction on Instagram.

It also would empower advertisers and influencers on Instagram to push products and services in new ways – something we’re sure was not lost on Instagram’s development team.

Further, FStoppers writes that Pinterest is planning an IPO soon which makes Instagram’s new “Collections” feature that much more interesting (and scandalous).

As to when this feature could roll out, no one really knows. When it does, we’ll be sure to let you know. If you use Pinterest, let us know about your experiences in the comments section below.

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Travelling with your camera is one of the most rewarding things that you can do in photography. The thrill of new places, different cultures, interesting light are strong lures to any photographer. 

The problem is, what to take? The urge will be to take as much or your gear as you deem necessary. That, however, will inevitably lead to taking far too much equipment and not using 80% of it. 

There is another problem as well. One affecting those that wish to fly to the travel destinations – the dreaded baggage limits. They are a necessary evil to enable airlines to fly their aircraft economically and to allow us to fly for relatively low prices.

However, there is many a photographer that has shed beads of sweat at the airline check-in desk waiting to be called out as being photographically obese.  Today we are going to look at some ways to reduce your chances of getting laden with overweight baggage fees.

Be Rational About Your Equipment Choices

Our first tips start long before you get anywhere near the airport. Choose carefully what you want to take with you. Muster your past experiences in travel photography to get an idea of what equipment you used the most and what gear never came out of the bag. 

Do you need to take the holy trinity of 2.8 zooms or will a stabilised 18-200mm travel lens suit better? Will you need that flashgun? It might not weigh much on its own but add in several sets of batteries and the grams start to mount.

How are you going to store your and back up your images? A laptop may not take up much space but it can be a significant proportion of your hand baggage allowance. You may well be able to get away with a tablet or smart phone connected to a hard drive. If there is good Internet, maybe back up to a cloud server. 

Do you use your tripod often, or will a monopod or even a stabilised lens suffice? Image stabilisation along with high ISO values have improved immeasurably in recent years. Once you have narrowed your kit down the optimal amount, you can move on to the next decision. 

Choose your gear carefully. Photo by Jakob Owens on Unsplash

Cabin Or Hold Baggage?

As much as you rationalise your equipment, you are probably not going to get away with putting it all in cabin baggage. Tripods, for example, are bulky, heavy and can flag the check-in staff to weigh your hand baggage. 

On average, the weight limit for hand baggage runs between 5-8kg. A laptop, a camera and a lens or two may easily tip that over the limit. You can often get past the hand baggage limits, we will get to that later, however, do whatever you can to lighten the load.

Obviously, high-value items and essentials must go into your cabin baggage. This should include one camera body and your most important lens. Your laptop or tablet should also go cabin. 

You can make weight savings on sundry items. Spare batteries, cleaning equipment, tripods and tripod heads can possibly go in checked baggage. 

The aim is to make sure your cabin baggage contains enough equipment to get you up and running when you arrive. There is another aspect you may not have thought about.

Split your gear between cabin and hold. Photo by Ashim D’Silva on Unsplash

How to Choose The Right Camera Bag

As well as restricting weight, airlines also restrict cabin baggage dimensions. Some camera bags, in particular, backpack style bags can be slightly or even significantly over the limits. Often this is not in the height of the bag but the depth.

You need to choose a camera bag that will fit easily inside the airlines' size limits. The reason I say fit easily is that if the bag only just fits, the check-in attendants may well choose to weigh your bag. 

With this in mind, soft camera bag are often better than hard cases like those from Pelican. Another tip here to minimise the visual look of the bag is to remove all the extraneous straps, clips and hooks from the outside. For example, the waistband straps on many backpack style bags can make that bag look significantly bigger. Pack these items in your main hold baggage instead and reattach them when you get to your destination.

An often overlooked aspect of camera bags is their actual weight. Of course, the weight of your bag becomes highly significant if your allowance is only a few kilos. 

If you are travelling with your laptop, many airlines allow a laptop bag to be carried separately to your main cabin baggage. It's well worth separating your laptop out to give you a little extra weight in your camera bag. Talking of airlines…. 

Choosing the right camera bag is important. Photo by Jakob Owens on Unsplash

Choose The Right Airline

Budget airlines have revolutionised where and how much we pay for travel. However, to offer those seat prices at such low cost, they have very restrictive luggage rules as well as charging you for many other extras. 

The biggest problem you will often find with a budget airline is that their cabin baggage allowances are much more restrictive than their more expensive rivals. Very often cabin baggage dimensions are smaller as well as having a lower weight restriction. 

This can be very significant when travelling with camera gear. They are also more likely to check the weight of your baggage at check-in.

The more traditional airlines tend to be more generous with allowances, for example, British Airways will allow up to 23kg hand baggage so long as it stays within their dimension limits. This also is quite generous.

All airlines are not equal. Photo by CapDfrawy on Unsplash

Checking In

Our last tip is about checking in. Whether you are checking in online and simply dropping baggage or checking in at the airport, be among the first in line. At the beginning of check-in, airlines are less likely to weigh your hand baggage. They are also more likely to forgive slightly overweight hold baggage.

As a check-in continues and the plane’s weight starts to climb check-in staff will become stricter with weight limits. 

Check in early to minimise your chances of paying excess fees. Photo by chuttersnap on Unsplash

In Summary

So let’s recap on some of the hints and tips for travelling with overweight camera gear.

• Rationalise your equipment down to what you will use.
• Separate vital and expensive equipment in cabin baggage and non-essentials in the hold.
• Chose your camera bag carefully and make use of an extra laptop bag if possible.
• Book premium airlines for more generous baggage allowances.
• Check in as early as possible to minimise the chances of getting caught overweight.

Air travel allows us to visit some quite incredible locations. But it does come with the stress of restricting your weight to the airline's limits. With some or all of the tips above, you can help minimise that stress, allowing you to concentrate more on shooting when you get there. 

If you have any weight saving tips, let us know in the comments below. 

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Sourced by Time Trap Photography sharing the best photography tips, news and tricks throughout the industry. Time Trap Photography is dedicated to freezing those special moments in life that can be revisited and admired for generations to come. - Shannon Bourque
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