You are an amateur photographer who love backpacking. Do you travel with your digital compact camera or the professional dSLR camera?

Amateur photographers love taking pictures of beautiful portrait and natural landscape as one travel on a shoestring.

It’s a common sight to see traveling photographers carrying a 80-Litre backpack, and another bulky pack of dSLR camera, expensive gears with mini tripod carrying as a front-pack.

Both bags could easily add up to maybe 17kg of carrying weight. Is this too heavy for you?

You may look super cool, like a traveling nomad, a photojournalist, travel adventurist, or even one professional photographer.

Perhaps, one inspired to be the next Steve McCurry who shot the “Afghan Girl” that originally appeared in National Geographic magazine.

So be it a day-hike in the national park, eco-tour in wildlife park, visiting hill tribe villages, a dairy farm visit or walking distantly with high hopes of hitchhiking on the dirt track.

Those are activities most backpackers would love to experience. At the end of the day, one will happily says ” No sweat! We made it!”

Well, it also sounds like any traveler photographer who proudly owns dSLR camera like an inseparable companion touring the world. How could one refuse to leave home without these equipment to capture moments in life?

Your thought maybe…

Firstly, the burdensome weight is safe from having overcharging at the airport luggage check-in service. It is well within the prepaid baggage 20kg. That is practically true for backpackers traveling on shoestring.

Secondly, the existing weight, front and back, is wholesomely balance with near-perfect equilibrium on your body. Weighing down and securing your foothold even at the most adverse condition and natural disaster, like the earth trembling underneath your feet. Suits more for a physics-freak.

Generally, there are good points for one who has the physical strength and endurance. How about a thin fellow who has the agility to move fast, yet no strength for heavy load? Oh, I have not mentioned an extra 2kg of laptops for photo editing and uploading to Facebook album.

Is it worth carrying the additional weight of 7 ~ 10kg, while your back start to hurt painfully on the first day of your trip?

Or do you consider carrying a pocket-size compact camera that might just capable of capturing great photograph.

Like any0ne else who reads this post, I used to be in the same dilemma too. For me, I recommend to bring only the compact camera.

Here are the 10 guidelines that can help you on decide-making of carrying a pocket-size compact camera can be as worthy as your trip deserve to be.

Here it goes:-

1. Travel lightweight if you don’t like to worry about loosing your expensive equipment. Regrets if getting robbed or breaking in to cabinet lockers can happen anytime.
2. Be experimental to try out all shots; randomly or intentionally. Compact camera is capable of helping you to compose your shot as good as any dSLR camera, eventually gaining more photography experience.
3. Identify your purpose in terms of function, weights, and portability. Professional dSLR camera and high-end equipment weigh 7kg. A netbook weighs 2kg, allowing you to surf the resourceful internet and upload nice photos. Compact camera weighs less than 1kg.
4. Plan for multiple short getaways rather than an extended trip. It help to record places you have surveyed. Like what many have said, “there is always a next trip” more professionally.
5. Creativity works as brilliant as quality photograph. I agree with dSLR produce better quality images, but the expensive and heavy gears doesn’t make perfect photograph. One has to be artistic to acquire inventiveness.
6. So you have joined a guided tour group? I see… Do you know scheduled tour bus wouldn’t wait just for you to snap the best shot for sunset. As time is a concern. Maximize your time with quick snapshots from compact camera, instead of leisurely waiting for great photographic moments.
7. Compromise has to be made somewhere. One cannot have the best of everything. Focus on planning your itinerary. How about a free-and-easy trip, you could have all the time u want.
8. Take time to meet other traveling photographers and learn from them. Make new friends of same interest or travelers who own dSLR camera. Your hand holding the compact camera wouldn’t diminish their self-esteem as a profession.
9. Know your skill set of handling all functions in dSLR camera. As amateur photographer, it takes time, experience and effort to pick up the skill completely. Most give up after realizing results are the same as ordinary compact camera. That doesn’t mean compact camera is better.
10. Apply the last rule “Learn the Hard Way”. There is no restriction, you can bring both digital compact camera and dSLR equipment. “If you love what you are doing, you will be successful.” ~Albert Schweitzer

I’m sharing my photography based on a digital compact camera, with some photo editing on colors and contrast. There are not from dSLR camera.

Free to visit below link to view 45 shots of travel photographs from Cambodia, Vietnam, and Laos.

http://photos.cyperwin.com/travel-vietnam-laos-and-cambodia/

I have been learning to blog about basic photography since last year. As an amateur photographer, sharing my past experience has been my genuine purpose.

Helping those beginners to have a good grasp of how-to on basic photography and using the dSLR. Albeit, photo portrait painting is also my primary topics in this blog.

Therefore, you will not be able to see any topics sharing too much of in-depth knowledge, but more about fundamental.

You will be able to see below 7 good posts that I wanted to share.

At the same time, I’m also listing them out for my review. Seeking improvement, as well as, wanting to add more interesting and short topics for future photography blogging.

1. Shoot At The Widest Aperture Setting for Basic Portrait Photography
2. Generic Packing List for Outdoor Portrait Photography
3. Simplified ‘Rule of Thirds’ to Photo Portrait
4. 10 Reasons Why Compact Digital Camera is Better Choice For Photo Portrait Painting
5. How to have portrait photography without lighting studio
6. What Makes a Good Portrait Photograph
7. Full Length Portrait in Photography

Pls share your comments or opinions, if you find any of the above-mentioned topics that interest you.

PS: I know… I seriously need to revamp of my current “About Me” page. As time goes by, my aim has become more definitive on purpose for this blog.

Often times when flipping through travel magazines, you will turn into pages that show beautiful portrait pictures taken by photographers who visited the countries. The portrait looks so naturally that the subject also reveal the aspects of his or her character, personality and spirit. Portrait are basically, reflective study of a person. Sometimes, you may ever think of how to get closer to your subject and take a quick snap. Isn’t this the main purpose of portrait photography during your travel? In particularly, when time is a constraint in your short visit. The challenge to achieve good portrait photo must not place time as the primary concern. Its a matter of how travelers manage to approach and communicate, in order to capture the attentions of the subject.

Before anything get started, sling up your camera to make it prominent and present yourself relax at first glance. The main purpose is to keep your subject aware of the camera’s presence. It also allow them mentally anticipate with you, as and when the time is ripe to take your first portrait shot. Below I have listed 5 basic skill for travel photographers.

1. Always show up yourself with a smiling face and a good eye contact; the first and foremost non-verbal language to initiate a personal communication. Start of and maintain throughout your conversation. It is also the simplest skill set and uses the least effort. Neither do you need to learn a new language, nor to concern about if there are from totally different culture.
2. Ask questions in an open and friendly manner. It is by nature that most individual, in someway or other, wants attention to make known to others of what there possess in their surroundings. It is apparently interesting, when you try talking to village children. There are the best attention-seekers to adults. Asking questions like what’s holding in their hands, how he or she do this tricks, what is the names of his/her friends, or you can give them a stick of chewing gums, and start a topic to makes them enjoy. Then show your gadget, as there feels comfortable with you. Take a new snap shots, and remember to give them a glimpse of what appears in your camera’s LCD screen. Believe it of not, there will be amazed when seeing their beautiful portrait taken and even want you to take more shots.
3. Show respect to the elders, tribal people performing in a ritual, and village woman. By any chance that you plan for a home-stay with the rural villagers, you will bound onto people within these three categories. Maintaining a smile, eye contact, asking questions and talking to them may help to improve the communication. Yet, not everyone likes to interact with outsiders. First, understand that seniority people who has dwell comfortably in the less-visited village for many years. Thus, its normal to behave unresponsive, ignorance and reserved. Second, some tribal people are convinced that a camera can steal their soul or spirit. Reasons because it is their spiritual belief and religious privacy. To certain extend, there may have concern of who will see their portrait photos. Third, village women are conservative, like those from Muslim countries, who have veils covering their head and faces. Obviously, there don’t want to expose to photographers. And in this countries, males are usually the dominant members in any household. By all means if you able to make them feel comfortable with you. Otherwise, don’t waste time if people not responding to you. An advice: do not transgress into their cultural and religious belief, for due respect to these categories of people. Be shrewd and sensible; be optimistic to engage conversation with other people, instead.
4. Ask for their permission politely. It is considered ethical, and is nearly practical, to ask permission before taking someone’s picture. After all your effort to initial a conversation, don’t spoil it by simply take your portrait without asking permission. This will cause deep offense and misunderstanding. Be personal, or with eye contact and smile, give basic sign language while holding your camera. If any response of refusal in gestures or verbal, you should accept with grace. Move on to other people, time is your secondary concern.
5. Approach your subject with confidence, as it show the initial steps to manage and control your subject. Do not instruct, but talk casually; always maintain a sense of friendliness. In a quick time, get your first random shot to engage their excitement. Photography models are curious on what was taken, how there have posed, and concern about their look in the picture. Same thoughts applies to your subject as your model. Show your result to your model, compliment to inspire them, and suggest an improvement for second shot you intended. This time, you will get the better pose and composition. The result will look splendid, natural and more spontaneous. The key to achieve this is though courtesy, friendliness, and good humor.