where there’s smoke there’s fire

Shooting wide while traveling light

Very often we carry only a camera or two with just a couple of lenses in our pack while we are shooting. It is especially true nowadays for photographers who travel by air with the size and weight restrictions by most airlines as well as airports. Just today I read the news that the US is going to pass a bill to restrict electronic equipment larger than a smartphone for carry on luggage. At this moment we are already paying for the extra weight and baggage outside of the allowable limits. So one can imagine how this will affect all photographers like us.

As a traveling photographer, I always encountered the question of what to bring for a particular shoot based on what I can carry all the time and not left in the car, coach or hotel. It is pointless to carry equipment that is not with us all the time or don’t have time to change over due to the circumstances. Worst still if we are tired out every-so-often that we have to take a break every 45 minutes or so to rest our body and feet, while others are moving ahead.

I wouldn’t dispute that prime lenses or professional zoom lenses are better due to their specific design or larger aperture opening. But most of the time we will have to carry more lenses or weight, especially the latest range of zoom lenses which uses filter size that is larger than 77mm. This also affects the number of accessories like filters that we have to carry.

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