Essential Photography Packing List for Your Colombia Tour

Camera, lenses, power, memory cards, tripods, filters. Pack smart for Colombia!

essential photography packing list for your colombia tour

Colombia is a photographer’s paradise, offering an incredible diversity of subjects. Our tour is designed to be a balanced exploration of its wonders, with our time roughly divided between:

  • Landscapes & Nature: 20%
  • Portraits & People: 20%
  • Architecture & Cityscapes: 20%
  • Wildlife & Birds: 20%
  • Candid Street Photography: 20%

This packing list is designed to help you prepare for all these opportunities without being weighed down.

Core Gear: Cameras & Lenses

Appareil Photo

  • Primary Camera Body: A full-frame or high-quality APS-C camera you are comfortable with. Have your main zoom lens mounted and ready to go.
  • Recommended: Second Camera Body: Highly recommended. A second body is a crucial backup, saves you from changing lenses in dusty or humid conditions, and allows you to keep a telephoto lens ready for unexpected wildlife encounters.

Objectifs

This selection provides versatility for nearly any situation we’ll encounter.

  • Versatile Zoom Lens: Your primary “walk-around” lens. Something like a 24-70mm, 24-105mm, or 18-135mm (for APS-C) is perfect.
  • Telephoto Zoom Lens: Essential for wildlife, compressing landscapes, and capturing candid portraits from a distance. A 70-200mm or 100-400mm is ideal.
  • Fast Prime Lens: For stunning portraits with beautiful background blur and for shooting in low-light conditions. An 85mm or 50mm (f/1.8 or f/1.4) is a fantastic choice.
  • Optional: Wide-Angle Lens: For sweeping landscapes and immersive architectural shots. A prime like a 35mm or a zoom like a 16-35mm would be excellent.
  • Optional: Macro Lens: Colombia’s biodiversity is stunning. While not a primary focus of the workshop, a macro lens can capture incredible details of flora and insects if this is your passion.

For the Bird Photography Extension

This section apply only for the extra extension in Colombian Andes

  • Super-Telephoto Lens: A lens reaching 500mm, 600mm, or even 800mm is essential. Using it on an APS-C body can provide extra reach.
  • Sturdy Tripod & Gimbal Head: You’ll need a robust tripod and a gimbal head to smoothly track birds and support the weight of a long lens.

Accessoires essentiels

  • Travel Tripod: We will have specific opportunities for its use (waterfalls, sunsets, night photography). Ensure it’s sturdy enough for your gear but light enough to carry.
Filtres
  • Neutral Density (ND) Filter: Crucial for creating silky smooth water effects during our waterfall session.
  • Circular Polarizer (CPL): A must-have for cutting glare, deepening blue skies, and saturating the lush greens of the jungle.

Eclairage

Our Philosophy: We prioritize using beautiful natural light to maintain an authentic connection with our subjects and environment. Flashes can be intrusive, especially with wildlife and in candid situations.

Provided by Your Guide: For specific portrait sessions where we want to shape the light, your guide will have a portable lighting kit, including:

  • A 5-in-1 Reflector
  • A portable, high-power LED light with a softbox/umbrella

This allows us to be creative and add beautiful fill light without disrupting the moment.

Data Management

  • Laptop or Tablet: For nightly image review, editing, and most importantly, backing up your photos.
  • Memory Cards: Bring more than you think you’ll need. Using several smaller cards (e.g., 128GB or 256GB) is often safer than relying on one single large card.
  • Portable SSD Drives (x2): A non-negotiable for safety. We recommend a “3-2-1” backup strategy on the road: one copy on your memory card/laptop, and two separate copies on two different SSDs. Keep them in different bags. (2TB minimum recommended).
  • Optional: Cloud Backup: For ultimate peace of mind, a cloud subscription (e.g., Dropbox, Mega.nz, SmugMug) allows you to upload your best shots when you have good Wi-Fi.

Power & Protection

  • Spare Batteries: Bring at least 2-3 extra batteries for your main camera.
  • Chargers: Don’t forget your main battery charger. An additional USB-powered charger is an excellent backup in case of electricity outages, as it can be used with a power bank.
  • Portable Power Bank: Essential for charging your phone, cameras, or other accessories on the go, especially on long travel days.
  • Travel Power Adapter: Colombia uses Type A and B outlets (same as the USA). If you are coming from a region with a different plug type, this is mandatory.
  • Camera & Lens Cleaning Kit: A rocket blower, microfiber cloths, lens pen, and sensor cleaning swabs are essential for keeping your gear clean in varied environments.

Rain Protection:

  • Camera Rain Cover: A dedicated rain sleeve is invaluable for shooting during tropical downpours.
  • Backpack Rain Cover: Most good camera bags come with one. Make sure you have it.

Bags & Carrying Systems

A modular system is the key to comfort and efficiency. You won’t need all your gear all the time.

  • Primary Camera Backpack (30-40L): To transport all your gear during travel days and to and from our hotels.
  • Smaller Day Bag (Sling or Shoulder Bag): Perfect for city explorations when you only need your camera and 1-2 extra lenses.
  • Optional: Belt System: if your itinerary include long hikes, a belt system (like those from Think Tank or Peak Design) can distribute weight and provide quick access to your gear.

Pro-Tip: Packing for Different Scenarios

Here are some suggested load-outs for our daily excursions:

  • Hotel Room Security: Consider bringing a small combination lock to secure the zippers on your main backpack for peace of mind.
  • City & Street Photography: Use your sling bag. Carry your camera with the versatile zoom, plus one fast prime (50mm or 85mm) for portraits.
  • Landscape & Waterfall Shoots: Use your backpack. You’ll need your tripod, filters, wide-angle lens, and versatile zoom. A telephoto can also be great for isolating details in the landscape.
  • Hiking & Nature Walks: Depending on the length, use either your backpack or a belt system. Carry your camera with a versatile zoom, a telephoto for wildlife, and perhaps one prime lens.