Tips and Good Habits for a Photo Trip
Learn key photography etiquette tips and essential backup practices to safeguard your images and gear.
Mutual Respect Among Participants
Every photographer is responsible for what’s in their frame, including other participants’ intrusions! Everyone will end up in someone else’s photo sooner or later, so be courteous and understanding.
Be mindful of others when changing positions, and if you’re going to overlap someone else’s shot, announce your movement in advance. When you have a prime spot, don’t overdo it. Everyone will have plenty of opportunity to capture their photo. If, for any reason, this isn’t the case, please inform Tristan.
Backups & Safeguards
Download your images at the end of the shooting day, before dinner if possible. Back up the “keepers” and “maybes” on at least one other source, preferably two, & double-check before erasing images from your memory card.
Save your best images, or those you wish to review, in a separate folder and/or on a USB stick.
Note: nowadays, external hard drives are very small and offer very large storage capacities. And they’re not expensive, 500 Gigs starting at $25. The new Sandisk Ultra SSD1 is lightweight, fast, and recommended.
Equipment Preparation
- Charge batteries and clean your equipment if you have time before dinner. Expect photo sessions before dawn. It’s not fun moving around with a foggy morning brain, especially if the power is out. A good headlamp is a good idea.
- Be mindful of extreme temperature changes between the outdoors and air-conditioned areas. If possible, store your gear closer to the outdoor temperature to avoid condensation.
Loss & Theft
- Make it a habit to thoroughly check your room before leaving your hotel, even under the bed. The same goes for vehicles and restaurants, always check behind you.
- As everywhere, be careful not to display expensive equipment at night, especially in cities.