As a girl it can be difficult to pack smart and light. It is often tempting to fill the space we do have in our suitcases with 5 bikinis too many and several inappropriate shoes for our destination. I always try to pack light and leave the most room for my travel essentials, namely my camera equipment. So to help you with your photography I have shared all of my camera equipment and how I pack it safely and stylishly. I have also added a few other essentials that I can’t leave for a trip without! In this blog post I share all of the different items I introduce to you in the YouTube vlog below.
MY CAMERA EQUIPMENT
As a travel blogger my photography equipment is really important. I love the items I use right now, but do have plans to upgrade some of them. If you are just getting started with your own travel photography or are starting a blog I still highly recommend all of the items that I use which create some great sharp images perfect for Instagram and your blog.
If you want to take your blog or photography seriously its best to use a DSLR. I have been in the Nikon universe for many years so I always carry a Nikon body and a few lenses for shooting different scenes. In addition, I carry a compact camera that easy to pop into your handbag so you never find yourself without a camera. I recommend researching your compact thoroughly, there are some great ones on the market. When I purchased mine, the Panasonic Lumix LX100 it was the only compact camera on the market with a sensor the size of you would find in a typical DSLR. This means that together with a wide maximum camera aperture, the camera delivers a nice clean image.
Finally, I carry a GoPro with a Karma Grip to stabilise. This is great for capturing video, and whilst I haven’t produced much travel videography for my YouTube channel yet I plan to do so in the future!
- Nikon D7200
- Nikon 50mm lens; Nikon 18-144mm lens; Nikon 70-300mm lens
- Panasonic Lumix DMC LX100
- Go Pro Hero 5
- Karma Grip
- Set Of Protective Lens Cases
For photo editing I use Lightroom. Click here for Lightroom presets.
ESSENTIAL TRAVEL TECHNOLOGY
Taking great pictures and videos is important, but then you need to store all of these safely. I use a Macbook laptop when I travel because it is light and small, but it can be slow especially if you store all your images on it. Make sure to have at least two external hard drives to store all your images off your laptop and also get into the habit of uploading these straight to a cloud drive like Google Photos or Dropbox every day.
- Easystore External Hard drives
- Macbook Laptop
- Worldwide Travel Adaptors
- Cocoon Grid It Cable Organiser
PACKING ESSENTIALS
Dependent on where I am travelling to and for how long I have a few packing essentials that are my go-to items. Lo & Sons, is my favourite travel bag brand (I have four of their bags now!) and I have listed my favourites below. The Catalina is a great weekend bag and the Claremont is a stylish DSLR camera bag – essential for any travel girl on the go!
If I have a longer trip, I typically use my Osprey which is a rolling case that converts to a backpack. The dimensions are the largest allowed for an airplane carry-on so you can avoid waiting for your bag at the airport. Since this case is quite small I always use Muji packing cubes to fit everything in – these are really light compared to other packing cube options. Finally, I always make some space to take a cute beach bag like my Phemke sustainably made bag. These bags are produced by divorced and widowed women in Bangladesh giving them a chance to earn a wage and share their artisan skills. Since I have all my protection cases for my cameras, lenses and GoPro I am happy to simply throw these into the bag and head to the beach!
- Lo & Sons Claremont Camera bag
- Lo & Sons Catalina Weekend Bag
- Phemke Beach Bag
- Osprey Rolling Rucksack
- Muji Packing Cubes
- Wet Bikini Bag
CAN’T LEAVE THE HOUSE WITH OUT
There are a few items that I simply could not leave on a trip without. So with whatever space I have left after I have packed all my photographic equipment and travel technology I make sure to add these items. Every girls needs a few bikinis and I typically choose the European brand Vilebrequin because of the quality of their swimwear, paired with some stylish Kapten & Son sunnies! And I am ready for my next adventure!
- Vilebrequin Bikinis
- Kapten & Son Havana All Black Sunglasses
- We Are Travel Girls Luggage Tag
I hope you found my vlog and this article helpful to understand what I bring along on my travels, how I get my photos and my preferred bags to carry everything in. Please share you own tips for travelling light with our readers in the comments below! Read Next > Luggage Guide For Every Type Of Traveller
By We Are Travel Girls Founder Becky van Dijk of BeckyvanDijk.com
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Karen says
Hey Becky, You mentioned that you’re thinking about upgrading your camera equipment, Do you know what you’re going to get? I’m looking into cameras at the moment, and it’s quite overwhelming! I’m looking for an SLR and a compact point and shoot that will take pretty decent shots. Thanks! :)
We Are Travel Girls says
Hi Karen. I am going to upgrade to a full frame camera. I have my eye on the Canon 5D Mark IV, but its very expensive and also means buying multiple lenses – which are also expensive. I have always used Nikons though, so I am going to continue researching and see whether to stay in the Nikon universe. The problem is the lenses I have will work with a full frame camera but are not optimal, so I need to replace everything! It is very overwhelming, but when I have made purchases in the past I have spent some time in camera shops discussing with the advisors there – then going away and doing some research. Often they know its an expensive purchase so they are not too pushy and you can get some great advice! Its also worth looking specifically at some photography blogs, or reaching out to photographers whose images you like and ask what cameras they are using. I do really like the Panasonic Lumix I have which is the compact, I am not replacing that as its a great camera and would recommend getting something similar especially since these have come down alot in price! Sorry thats not more specific help! Good luck with your searches and hope you find some cameras that suit you! Becky x
Natalia says
How do you feel travelling with your MacBook? I’m considering it but I’m worried I’d be stressing about theft the whole time!
We Are Travel Girls says
We travel with tonnes of technology, my boyfriend carries 2 laptops, iPad and kindles! I tend to not worry and be careful with my things. Plus I always have travel insurance and back up my laptop content to 2 hard drives and the cloud. The main thing I would be worried about is whats on the laptop so as long as you are backing up and have insurance you should be fine. Plus, we are careful to use safes or hide our belongings in our room when we travel. Hope that helps! Becky
Celine says
I want to travel like you all did but where can I find extra money for travelling? I’m 17 and my dream is to travel around the world !
We Are Travel Girls says
Hi Celine! I actually worked in finance for several years in London where I was able to save money to fund my vacations whilst I was working and then after that to allow me some time to create a start-up, We Are Travel Girls. I encourage you to look for a job that you enjoy, that has good prospects, a nice amount of vacation time and save up some money to travel! It can take time, but its definitely worth it! Thanks for reading, Becky – Founder, We Are Travel Girls
Hannah Krumrey says
Hi, I am looking to travel solo. I love taking pictures, as well as getting them taken of myself. Would you recommend some type of drone to take pictures of yourself, especially when there’s nobody else around to ask for help? If so, any specific ones or brands?
Thank you,
Hannah
Alicia Turbidy says
what travel insurance do you use?