Travel & Humanitarian Photos
“Cameras don’t take great pictures, people do.”
It’s true. No amount of gear will ever replace a patient and considered approach. So, although this list exists, please don’t consider it a crib sheet on how to short-cut your way to good photographs. Practice, perseverance and patience will bring you greater rewards than new lenses. That said…
The list below exists, in part, because I’m frequently asked what gear I prefer and so this is an easy reference guide. I have no strong allegiance to brands, gear has to do a job. It’s got to be reliable, robust and able to withstand challenging environments. If the gear doesn’t work on one shoot then it doesn’t find its way onto the list for the next job.
Gear gets upgraded when the need arises so this list changes periodically but the core elements remain the same. Different jobs dictate different gear so not every item comes on every shoot. I’ll sometimes hire additional gear on location to cut down on transportation costs but can work out of the bag you see here for the majority of the work that I do.
NB: Items listed in orange are carried on location and all fit inside my F-stop Satori Expedition bag. Items in blue remain in the studio or only come on specific jobs.
Each item listed below will link to a full product description on the B&H web site. If you’re looking to buy any of these items online then I’ve always found B&H to be competitively priced, quick and efficient.
I have always used Canon gear. That’s not to say that other camera manufacturers are not just as good, it’s simply that I’ve grown up with Canon camera. These are the 9th and 10th Canon bodies that I’ve owned and the selection of lenses below covers every focal length I need whilst giving me the wide apertures that give creative exposure opportunities and the ability to work in relatively low light.
I don’t often work with a flash but these sources of extra light always accompany me on location, when you need them, you really need them.
The Velbon tripod listed below is chunky but light due to its carbon fibre construction. Like the additional light sources, I rarely use it but when you need some stability then you’ll find that a robust tripod is essential.
Supplementing my 5D MKII video capabilities with a top-quality audio recorder enables me to record ambient sounds and interviews.
Once you’ve got all that gear, you need something sturdy and reliable to transport it in. You need bags that you can depend upon to keep your gear safe. They’ve got to withstand harsh environments and yet be light enough not to carry for prolonged periods.
ClothingAs my friends will confirm, I’m no fashion guru but there are a couple of practical items that have made life on the road a little more comfortable. I can’t list everything I take but I rarely head off to the airport without these little gems.
This isn’t an exhaustive list but it covers the essentials. It’s taken me many years to fine-tune the gear I carry, weeding out the things that don’t pull their weight and seeking out clever solutions for irksome problems. The list changes as the process of fine-tuning continues but I hope that this will give you a good place to start if you’re looking to compare what gear a working travel photographer requires in order to get the job done.
Your list will inevitably be determined by your specific needs. If you’re a fashion or lifestyle photographer then your gear list will obviously be very different. However, if you’re a travel photographer or just somebody who likes to make the most of the opportunities that arise as you travel around then I hope there are some items on this list that will give you food for thought.
