Summer Travel

How to get the best out of your camera on holiday.

A little preparation before you leave can make the difference between taking good holiday snaps and great photos. Here, Digi-Quick.co.uk offers a few tips to make sure your photos last long after the suntan has faded.

Be prepared

First, decide what you really need to take with you, and keep your equipment to a bare minimum.

A basic DSLR kit of a body, a wideangle zoom lens, and a telephoto zoom will cover just about any situation. A flashgun and lightweight tripod could also come in handy, especially if you want to capture the atmosphere after dark.

Other essentials include at least one spare battery and a charger, and as many memory cards as you can lay your hands on. There’s nothing worse than reaching for your camera to snap an idyllic sunset just as your battery runs out of juice or your memory card reaches saturation point.

Beware the Midday Sun

Taking pictures in bright conditions can give fantastic results - provided you follow a few simple rules.

Avoid shooting in the middle of the day; the light is often very harsh, making it difficult to shoot correctly exposed images. Stick instead to mornings and late afternoon/evening when the light is less intense, and there are often fewer people around.

For best quality images, select the lowest ISO setting you can – usually ISO 100 – and shoot in RAW setting. For landscapes and buildings, upping the saturation settings can make colours richer and more vibrant.

Spectacular Sunsets

The sunset, an essential element of any set of holiday photos, can be tricky. Using an ISO of 200 or 400 will give fast enough shutter speeds to avoid blurring, and setting the White Balance to ‘shade’ or ‘cloudy’ will help pick up the colours.

If you don’t have a tripod, finding a wall to lean against or something to rest the camera on can prevent camera shake.

Your Camera’s Worst Nightmares

Sand, salt water, dust, sun cream – your camera won’t like any of them. If your kit gets wet or dirty, clean it as soon as possible - a UV filter on the lens will protect it from scratches and unwelcome deposits. Keeping your camera out of harm’s way, in a bag or case, when not in use will prevent contact with these nasties in the first place, and with your kit hidden, you will be a less obvious target for thieves and opportunists.

How to Survive Air Travel

In these days of increased airport security there are strict limitations on cabin baggage, particularly on routes between the UK and USA. Rules vary between different airports and routes, and can change at short notice, so it’s best to check before you fly and be prepared to check everything into the hold.

Padded camera bags with separate compartments are ideal, especially if they go inside a hard suitcase or plastic Peli case. Alternatively, pack fragile items inside shoes in your luggage.

And don’t worry – memory cards are unaffected by x-ray machines.

Checklist: What to take

• Batteries – take at least one spare set of rechargeable batteries and charger.
• Car charger – essential if you’re camping or on the move.
• Memory cards – take as many 1GB or 2GB memory cards as you own, especially if you are unable to take a laptop.
• Camera case – keep your kit clean and safe.
• Lightweight tripod or monopod, or a small beanbag.
• Memory card reader/downloader.
• Cables to connect camera to laptop/PC.
• Plug adaptor appropriate to your destination.