Travel photography tips and all about your visa

Are you planning a trip or a holiday abroad? Do you want to collect beautiful images of the places you will visit? Then pack your camera and read this article for advice on how to travel safely with your camera. You will also learn about other things you should take into account when preparing your trip, like applying for an electronic visa.

The right camera bag

When travelling to the other side of the world, your camera must also be able to withstand the long flight. Therefore, keep your camera in a sturdy and waterproof bag that you can carry as hand luggage. When choosing a camera bag, make sure it is padded and has separate compartments to store lenses or other accessories.

Check the weather conditions

It is also wise to check the weather conditions for your destination. Are you travelling to India, Sri Lanka or Vietnam, for example? Check if you will be there during the monsoon (rainy) season. Most cameras cannot cope with enormous amounts of precipitation. This also applies to countries where the air is very humid. A plastic protective cover is an absolute must in such cases.

Cold temperatures can also cause problems to your camera, as the battery runs out very quickly at low temperatures. A set of hand warmers can be a solution in such case. Keep this in mind if you are going to Canada or Alaska, for example. For those who travel to dry, dusty places (such as desert or steppe land landscapes), it is necessary to clean the sensor and body of the camera regularly.

Make sure you have a backup!

What you definitely want to avoid is losing your photos during the trip. Memory cards can be destroyed quite easily. Therefore, it is wise to take several memory cards with you. That way, you have extra storage space and do not lose all your photos in one go. Many modern cameras have a function to save photos directly to the cloud. That way, if you lose your camera, or it gets stolen, your photos are online, and you can access them anytime. Another way is to take a hard drive with you to store your photos in another location.

It is also a good idea to take an extra set of batteries with you. If you are travelling for a long time and do not have the possibility of recharging the camera in the meantime, it is useful to always have spare batteries at hand.

Apply for a visa or travel authorisation on time

Besides the camera equipment, it is also essential to check whether you need a visa or other travel authorisation for your destination. Otherwise, your trip will already be ruined at the airport, and you will not be able to check in or board the aeroplane. Whether you need a visa depends, among other things, on the country you are visiting and how long you plan to stay there. Many countries outside Europe have visa requirements, while others can be visited easily without a visa.

In general, British citizens do not need a visa to travel to the USA, but only an ESTA. This is a digital travel authorisation that you can apply for online. After the ESTA America has been granted, you will receive a confirmation by e-mail. From that moment onwards, your airline and the American immigration authorities are aware that you have received an ESTA. The same applies to Canada, for which you only need to apply for a travel authorisation ( eTA Canada ). Like the ESTA, the eTA is linked digitally to your passport.

For other countries, such as Vietnam, India or Sri Lanka, you do need to apply for a visa. However, in most cases, you do not need to visit the embassy or consulate for this. For example, you can easily apply online for the Vietnam visa. After you have received the visa, you can print it out and take it with you on your trip.