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5 Tips for Travelling with a Tripod

As a travel photographer I need to be prepared for as many situations as possible, and for extended periods of travel it is essential to pack as efficiently and light as possible. I generally go out on a shoot with the bare minimum of equipment as I don’t want to be carrying around excess weight all day; however my tripod is one thing that I will never be without.

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1) A tripod is an investment so don’t be cheap
My first piece of advice is that if you can afford it spend a little more. Make sure you test out a few models before buying so that you can ensure that it extends high enough (or low enough) and can actually support your camera gear properly. Spending that little bit more gives you access to much better, and often lighter gear, which will last for years.

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2) Big is not necessarily better
If you are travelling for a long time I would highly recommend taking a more compact tripod, not only is it much easier to carry around all day but you’d be surprised at how sturdy some of them are. I’ve been using the same tripod for the past couple of years and even though the specifications say you should only use smaller dSLR’s, I’ve been using my Canon EOS 5D MkII body with a range of lenses with absolutely no issues. If you can afford it go for a carbon fibre model to reduce the tripod weight, they’re much more affordable now and are also very sturdy.
The only time I’d recommend going for a larger/heavier tripod would be if you were shooting in bad weather conditions. I was in the Faroe Islands a couple of years back and the winds were howling across the cliff tops and my compact tripod was really struggling against the strong winds when I was out in the open.

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3) Don’t be afraid of the water
I’m sure a lot of you don’t really want to be wading through a river or into the sea with your camera gear, but taking a tripod can really help you get some great angles and also help prevent you from having any unfortunate accidents. You can get some great angles from close to the surface of the water, although be more careful in the ocean as rogue waves can cause big problems if you’re not paying attention!
Make sure that you clean and dry your tripod thoroughly after using it in the water to avoid rust, especially after any exposure to salt water.

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4) Patience is a virtue
One of the big advantages of using tripods is that you’re able to set up your shot and then wait, quite happily, for that perfect moment. Whether you’re waiting for the perfect light, the perfect person or you simply want a break; it’s great knowing that all you have to do is press a button to get the shot you need. This also means that you should have a decent system for remotely triggering your shutter whether it be wired or wireless.

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5) Be ready for anything
There are times when it just doesn’t make sense to put all your gear away, so don’t be afraid to keep your camera attached to your tripod and move to a different location. This is how I always work when shooting a city such as Sydney where there are so many great locations in a relatively small area. If you pack up all your gear and move between locations you can miss out on shots especially around sunset/blue hour.

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