Top 5 Tips On Traveling With Photography Gear
Hardworking photographers have a year round schedule, endless work hours and must still present great quality results to clients. Especially freelancers or entrepreneurs, with bigger responsibilities to perform well, great photographers are known to go above and beyond. When a photographer’s skills and expertise is requested in other cities, they must achieve an effective and enjoyable experience. Here are a few tips on ensuring seamless travel with photography gear.
Travel Insurance
One of the first tips of high importance is purchasing travel insurance sure to cover your goods. If keeping any gear with checked baggage, compensation provided from the airline for responsibility of lost property is next to nothing. Even with included airline responsibility, the claim process can be irritating and tasking, which is a reason enough for travel insurance. Purchasing travel tickets with VISA or American Express cards is helpful because they typically include travel insurance. It is highly recommended to travel with insurance to secure expensive gear and equipment, especially to locations with severe weather conditions.
Pack Ahead of Time
Packing ahead of time to ensure preparedness is another key point that will be a saving grace for the smallest details. Most TSA systems limit lithium amounts on a plane, so it is likely best to leave extra batteries in a checked bag. Putting together a checklist of all necessary equipment, pieces and parts will reduce chances of forgetting something. Specific photography travel bags, help to safely pack gear and makes packing easiest and most reliable. This is also a great way to keep everything organized and avoid worrying about misplaced items.
Ship Photography Gear
For the photographers taking on a big project, shipping gear ahead of time is one to sternly consider. If your necessary gear doesn’t fit into the allotted bags, you have an option of shipping your gear ahead of you. Pieces like lighting, tripods, backdrops and excessive heavy equipment can be sent separately as they are delicate, expensive and extremely inconvenient. Utilize as much of your carry on baggage for items that can fit TSA travel guidelines. Although shipping ahead of time might seem expensive, it’s more convenient and prevents trashing equipment not fitting TSA guidelines.
Don’t Overpack
This might seem contradictory to being prepared, but be sure to only pack the items you absolutely need. Experienced travel photographers like Ava Taylor Adoption can attest to the helpful tip of keeping your load as light as possible. The last thing any photographer wants is to pack heavy equipment just to realize that half of it is useless. This ties to proper planning that is meant to make sure you have all you need, avoid overspending and ensure convenience.
Arrive Early
Traveling with photography gear isn’t as easy as checking bags for a beach trip, so arriving early is a mandatory tip. Arriving early gives you enough cushion time to make any necessary last minute changes before boarding. When going through checking-in counter, TSA or security, you don’t want to miss your flight because of issues or delays. This cushion time also allows you to retrieve important items you might have forgotten or lost in the process.
When traveling with photography gear, especially by flight, there’s plenty to be mindful of, so this guide will help. From travel insurance to arriving early, there’s so much you can do to enjoy a seamless traveling experience. Whether traveling with small or large equipment seasoned photographers like Ava Taylor Adoptiondon’t take preparation lightly.
