travel Accessories

The Best Photography Accessories for Travel with Friends

Travelling without photography accessories and travel accessories is not imaginable these days. While traveling is the best way to come across new people, customs, cultures, and landscapes, capturing the best pics helps us relive those moments forever. 

To make our travel expedition worthwhile, we not just learn and enjoy new things but also capture and collect the special moments through our camera that are likely to be forgotten after a few days. Later, when we sift through those collections of beautiful moments, we relive the old memories of our journey. 

But, to attain the optimum output in terms of quality of image, a wise selection of photography accessories is primarily required. A robust, customizable, and compact camera equipment kit is one of the essentials of travel photography. 

With personalized tools and light-weight camera equipment, the burden and fuss of carrying heavy and complicated tools have minimized a lot. Whether it is wildlife photography, where we have to take shots of inaccessible areas, or it is architectural photography, where we have to click photos in tight interiors, the right travel accessories are the prerequisites of travel photography. 

Here is a list of essential photography accessories that make photography more comfortable and enjoyable:

Camera backpack

One of the most indispensable travel accessories which should never be overlooked is a camera backpack. 

travel Accessories

A good camera backpack possesses all features to accommodate photography accessories of different sizes. Expect it to be well-equipped with spaces to carry a DSLR camera, a tripod, a laptop, and other small camera accessories. 

  • For nature photography, a big backpack with durable straps, water-proof cover, and water-bottle holder is very essential. They suit well when you are heading to hill stations.
  • For urban photography, choose slim bags that do not have dangling straps and hip belts as such things often create discomfort during transportation. 

Camera backpacks can also be used in many other ways which make them versatile. We can convert them into usual backpacks that we carry to our office or on an excursion.         

Tripods

A travel camera kit without a tripod is as unimaginable as a camera without a lens. Tripods are essential travel accessories that boost our travel experiences. 

A large, heavy, and over-sized tripod is not just difficult to carry and set up but also increases the risk of blurry images due to the shaking of the camera. 

travel Accessories

The photography industry has introduced some customizable and highly efficient tripods which are convenient to handle and deliver the finest shots in all conditions. 

Tripods make a wonderful companion of photographers in all photography situations. 

  • During long-exposure photography, a good tripod provides balance on rugged surfaces, helping prevent blurred images. 
  • Carbon fiber tripods are costlier than aluminum tripods but are lighter than them. 
  • Newly designed carbon fiber tripods are inbuilt with 360 degrees adjustable ball-heads, an Arca-Swiss plate, and a smartphone mount. They can take the size of a water bottle and can bear a weight of up to 20 pounds or more. 
  • Carbon fiber tripods are preferable to their aluminum counterparts in breezy conditions or roadside places with heavy traffic as they are good at absorbing moisture and damps. 

Memory SD cards

With its large storage capacity and clever features, a memory SD card is one of the most essential travel accessories that we should always carry on a go. Clicking back-to-back photos and shooting videos can all go in vain if they are not properly stored or lost due to negligence. 

travel Accessories

For storage and protection of a large number of image files, we always need an extra storage backup solution. Big companies like Lexar and Sandisk offer memory cards that are compatible with a variety of camera gears, ranging from DSLR to action cameras to drones. 

  • Always carry two or more SD cards with us in case we are done with plenty of photos after a long day shoot and need some more clicks to be shot the rest of the day. 
  • Some SD cards such as GNARBOX 2.2 SSD incorporate intelligent features like built-in Wi-Fi connection, removable batteries, and a mini OLED screen. 
  • Carry multiple 32gb or 64gb memory cards as they last long depending on the length of our shooting. 

GorillaPod

GorillaPod is advanced travel accessories that come with personalized features for all shooting conditions. The small, lightweight, and flexible Gorilla pods are best suited for taking shots from places where normal tripods cannot work. With its customizable features, we can adjust it on any surface such as a railing, fence, or a pole.

GorillaPod

The Gorilla pods are ideal for food photography as we can set them on tables, clicking the best images of those lip-smacking delicacies. Because they are cheaper than traditional tripods, they are one of the preferred photography accessories. 

If one wants to shoot oneself in the video, they must use a Gorilla pod as it can easily fit in any structure. 

Wireless Intervalometer

Intervalometers are a great technological breakthrough in the field of photography. They are the best travel accessories that come with unique and futuristic features. 

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Image Source: Wikimedia Commons

They are one of the most advanced and amiable photography accessories. Since it works as a wireless shutter, it enables us to take pictures of ourselves in them. 

All we require is to fit the camera on the tripod, stand in the correct position, hold the wireless intervalometer in hand, and push the button. They are the perfect photography accessories for taking self-facing snaps anywhere we wish. 

Wireless Intervalometers are ideal for slow-shutter photography, giving clear and high-definition images. When the camera is exposed for a long duration, it is prone to be affected by hand movements while we press the camera shutter. This makes the pictures hazy and unclear. Using a wireless intervalometer, we can click the best shots without even touching the camera. 

Intervalometers are also equipped with a comprehensive set of exposure options which enables us to click shots at regular small intervals.  

Filters

Filters give impetus to our photography experience which makes them one of the best and most human-friendly travel accessories. 

Filters

Filters come in many forms that make them one of the most promising photography accessories. During time-exposure shoots, our camera lens often gets overexposed to light. 

In such a scenario, Neutral Density filters come to rescue, restricting the excessive inflow of light inside the camera lens. 

So, if we are doing slow-shutter photography of scintillating ocean surface or an aerial view of the sunrise, this important camera equipment is a must-to-carry travel accessory. 

A Graduated Neutral Filter is also an important prerequisite of travel photography that essentially needs to be a part of our camera kit. 

The upper half of the Graduated ND filter is built of an ND filter which takes the form of a clear second-half either instantly or slowly. They are utilized for taking images that have a bright background to give a uniform distribution of light. 

So, if we are taking a shot of a sunrise, the Graduated ND filter would darken the sky, making the subject or the foreground clearer and more crystalline. 

Circular Polarizing Lens (CPL)

One other important photography accessory that deserves special highlight is the Circular Polarizing Lens (CPL). CPL are instruments that help in minimizing reflections and glares from bright surfaces. It is useful while taking shots of sparkling lakes, oceans, and other metallic objects. 

Circular Polarizing Lens
Pic Source: Wikimedia Commons

Its mechanism allows it to deflect the light that enters the lens, giving evenly exposed images. They have built-in features that make the pictures more colorful, graphic, and attractive. 

A UV Filter will be an add-on to a travel photographer’s camera kit. UV Filters go a long way in protecting the camera lenses, filtering out UV rays, and improving the quality of images.  

Drones

With their intelligent and advanced features, drones have become one of the most promising photography accessories in today’s time. 

Drones

Drones are one of the perfect travel accessories that can take sweeping views of any landscape. They can take aerial views of areas that can only be photographed by a helicopter or a plane. Sensors play an important role in producing a high-quality image. 

Drones are ideal for shooting aerial photography. Drones such as the Mavic 2 Pro incorporate a 1-inch sensor which is becoming a modern benchmark in drone photography. Smooth and smart hovering is a major requirement in drone photography as a little instability in the position of the drone may distort image quality. 

In such cases, DJI drones are leading the market with their effective drone hovering functions. 

  • Gimbals are a crucial part of drone accessories. 
  • Mavic 2 and DJI Phantom series have 3D mounted gimbals that help achieve high-quality images and prevent blurry images. 
  • Drones do not have a long flight time and the duration ranges only up to 31 minutes in high-level drones such as Mavic 2. Tesla-like A.I. is incorporating features of collision avoidance, object tracking, and automatic quick shots.

Camera strap

Camera strap is one of those photography accessories that makes a travel photographer comfortable in handling his/her camera and shooting at any camera angle. They are the best travel accessories that make our camera more accessible and manageable. 

travel Accessories

A light, thin, and durable camera strap is easy to handle and can bear the weight of the camera in any situation. Peak Design Leash is one such thin, modern, and adjustable camera strap that can even be removed if not needed. 

Also, due to its compact size, it can be accommodated in the backpack if not used. It can be worn around the neck, shoulders, or cross strapped and is suitable for all shooting conditions. 

Photo tablets and Stylus 

Photo tablets and Stylus are two immensely useful photography accessories that have revolutionized the editing world. We can take them anywhere on the go which makes them one of the most customizable travel accessories. 

Photo tablets and Stylus

A mouse cannot excel in a photo tablet in making fine adjustments and selective editing in the picture. Initially, we might have some discomfort using a stylus, but once we get used to it, we can do wonders. With many of the best tables registering up to 8,192 different levels of pressure, the process of editing has become more intuitive and ingrained with sharp accuracy.

Conclusion

Apart from these photography accessories, there are a variety of other camera gears that could essentially be a part of our camera travel kit. Depending on the type of photography we are looking for, we can modify the above list and incorporate other unique travel accessories. Do plenty of research and never shy away to spend a bit more to purchase something that doesn’t compromise with the quality.