Tools that matter
Photography accessories are important when travelling as they can help produce creative photos, writes Izwan Ismail
SOME people like to travel light when it comes to photography, but for me, a tripod, even though a small one, and a few other light accessories such as creative lenses, natural density filters, circular polariser and a flash, are a must.
These accessories, which can be troublesome to carry on a trip, can help you get your desired photos, similar to the beautiful postings on websites such as Flickr!
But are they heavy? Depending on the camera system you use, it may not be as heavy as you might think — if you use mirrorless camera systems like those from Fujifilm, Sony, Olympus, Canon and Nikon, which are alternatives to the big dSLR.
However, if you’re comfortable with dSLR cameras, there’s no stopping you from travelling with them as they are excellent and reliable shooters.
Besides, bringing those extra accessories will give your photos that “wow” factor.
Here are some of the cameras and accessories I use when travelling and the photos I took with them.
1. TriPod: No matter how steady you think your hands are, it can never hold a camera very still after a few seconds. If you want to take a slow shutter picture or shots in a low light condition, a tripod is important, even though it’s a small one. This colourful photo of the Super Trees at Gardens by the Bay in Singapore was taken by placing the camera on a tripod for 30 seconds.
2. nd filTer: An ND filter can help slow down the camera shutter speed in daylight condition without overexposing the photo. This picture of the Merced River at the Yosemite National Park in California was taken using an ND400 filter attached to the camera lens, which resulted in a smooth and silky river flow. 3. Zoom lenS: It is a bonus to carry a zoom lens when travelling as it allows you to get really close to the subject without degrading the picture quality. These cute Madagascar Lemurs were taken at the Sydney Zoo using a 70-200mm lens at 200mm focal length, giving a detailed and sharp image of the animals.
4. UnderwaTer caSing: If you plan to go for an island trip where there are corals and snorkelling sessions, it will be great to bring along an underwater casing for your camera. This photo of colourful five-banded damsel fishes in the clear waters of Krabi, with a part of it showing the landscape above, was taken using a dSLR fitted into an affordable general purpose camera casing.
5. fiSheye lenS: This lens will be useful if you plan to take pictures from high places such as a tower overlooking a city, or in tight places. I always carry it when travelling because it might come in handy such as when I was standing on the second level of observation platform at the Eiffel Tower in Paris. The lens which has a very wide and globe-like view gave a perfect picture of the surroundings.