It’s late December, the day after Christmas. My last post of 2024. Our first significant snowfall occurred this week, which was perfect timing for that picture-perfect holiday. It’s cold, too. It’s not extreme, but enough to be uncomfortable. I’m not a fan of the cold; I prefer a temperature bordering on too hot for many.

Planning travel is essential to enjoying our limited time in our destination of choice, but minimizing those plans can have benefits and make the entire event surrounding our trip more enjoyable. It has been said that the planning portion of a trip is a significant part of the enjoyment of the event. Before the trip, we have the advantage of discussing it with others: those coming with you, friends, family, and co-workers, for example.

When travelling in different, unfamiliar locations, taking the necessary steps to be as safe as possible for yourself and your camera gear is essential. Travelling can be tiring and stressful, and when travelling with camera gear, it can be worrisome that your camera gear will be protected for the duration of your travels, both from damage and theft. Based on my experience, here are five tips to help you travel safely with your camera gear.

I was looking through my photo archives from 2023 and realized I had a great travel year. London, New York, Mexico, Chicago, and South Africa. I’m more than happy with the opportunities I had last year and the content I produced from those destinations. London was an entire week, New York was three days, and Chicago was only one day to shoot.

When planning to travel somewhere, we often debate whether we should go. We wait for the perfect time to fit this into our busy lives. We may hesitate to commit as we look at the factors that weigh our decision. We have been heavily researching and eagerly anticipating, and this could now be the ideal time to book that vacation and embark on that adventure on our wish list.

Flying out of Halifax across the Atlantic Ocean to Europe can be inconvenient for people who are unaware, and desperately so if doing it during the winter months. Leaving Halifax, we often need to travel west for a connecting flight to fly east to our final destination. That adds a significant amount of time to the total flight time. That may include flying from Halifax to Toronto, Montreal, or sometimes Newark, but all those connections easily add four to five hours of flight time.

Travelling is a beautiful thing. It is a remarkable opportunity to explore new places, relax and recharge. When travelling, packing light is often a priority, but it can be a stressful experience right up to the day you leave for your travels. This is especially true when it comes to your camera gear.

Travelling can be a wonderful experience, but it’s not without challenges. Among the worst aspects of today’s travel are the inevitable flight delays or cancellations, lost luggage, jet lag, navigating unfamiliar airports, and crowds of people, mostly rushed, tired, and irritable. Those challenges can be stressful, with significant travel time and numerous connecting flights or long layovers.

Let’s start by saying that I enjoy travel immensely and that I regard travel as one of life’s greatest privileges. I love to travel, and obviously, I also love photography. Does that make me a travel photographer? Based on the standard definition of one, probably not. I don’t get paid directly to take photos of the places I visit, and I’m not associated with any publications. But if I travel and take photos when I do, what does that make me?

When it comes to travelling, time is of the essence. Having the flexibility to explore at leisure is great, but what happens when you are limited, when there is so much you want to do but only a few days to do it all? Having more time will always be positive while travelling, but you can still enjoy a short trip and capture great photographs in only a few days. There are several key strategies to remember to make the most of it.