TRAVEL PHOTOGRAPHY TIPS FROM THE PROS
Just how good are you at visually documenting your travels and adventures? It’s not easy when there are many other things to focus on, like driving, setting up camp, cooking, and breaking down camp. We asked three of the best adventure travel photographers out there how they managed to get those wow-factor images. This is what Craig Kolesky, Chris Collard, and Bartek Kolaczkowski had to say.
How to capture the essence of a journey:
Craig: It's important not to force anything. Go with the flow, and always have a camera ready to go at any given moment.
Chris: Adventure photography provides a mental vacation from our daily grind. Some may never cross Antarctica, but a well-composed image and captivating personal account can allow others to experience it from afar.
Bartek: Being in nature and discovering unknown places helps me to be creative. It’s not easy to show the journey, but I always go with my emotions, and that’s what I'm trying to express in my photography and videos.
What photography equipment should you pack?
Craig: If I’m on the move a lot, I will have three cameras with lenses ready to go: wide, medium, and long, so I’m pretty set up for any shot. This all depends on the gear you own, of course.
Chris: It depends on where I’m going. My standard travel kit includes Canon 5Ds bodies (x2), 70-200mm f/2.8L IS telephoto zoom, 1.4x extender, and 13-35mm f/2.8 L wide angle; all are nearly impervious to the elements. I also carry an iPhone 15 Pro Max, and while it has an amazing little camera for certain situations, it can’t compete with a quality DSLR.
Bartek: Regarding photography equipment and advice for beginners, less is more. I have one setup for photos and one for video, both with zoom lenses. If you're starting out, keep it simple initially, and then, as your skills improve and you learn from your travels, you can expand your gear. You will find out what works for you over time.
Tips on capturing a great moment:
Craig: Always be ready and know your gear; this comes with years of experience photographing different subjects and shooting for a company like Red Bull or Front Runner. It does prepare you for the unexpected.
Chris: We first need to put ourselves in the environment, be constantly aware of our surroundings, and have the right body/lens combo in hand. Decide what you want the viewer to experience in advance. Tack sharp detail of a big horn sheep leaping off a cliff or animated motion of a spinning tire. Each requires different settings and equipment.
Craig: It’s so important to show the journey with your images. You can do the same trip or route multiple times and find something different every time. The trip we took to Namibia now was the driest I’ve ever seen; on previous trips, it was always greener with way more wildlife around.
Bartek: Everything depends on the shoot. When it’s a client shoot, I prepare a shot list, do the research, identify potential spots, and check out satellite images of where I am going. When traveling alone and shooting for myself, I love following the light, working with others, and inspiring them.
Why do research beforehand?
Chris: With the immense amount of information on the Internet, there is little excuse not to learn about an area in advance. However, there is no substitute for local knowledge. Talk to everyone you meet. Ask about interesting aspects of their homeland: an unknown waterfall, a hole-in-the-wall pub from the 1500s, an indigenous basket weaver, where you can source the catch-of-the-day from local fishermen.
How do you back up images while on the road?
Craig: I travel with a laptop and three drives. I prefer SSD drives as they’re more stable on rougher terrain. If I’m going on a 10-day trip, as an extra backup, I will have ten memory cards. I will back up the cards to drives every day, tape the card closed, and mark it per day or with a date. It sounds complicated, but it becomes natural once I get into a routine.
Chris: I download and back up every night to my MacBook Pro and a SanDisk solid-state drive. Redundancy is crucial, and I never store them in the same place; SSDs are often in a zippered pant pocket.
Bartek: My backup is old-fashioned - using my MacBook and a minimum of 2 external drives, one that I always have with me and the other I leave in the car.
Tips for shooting in tricky conditions like the desert or snow.
Craig: Filters are a must when traveling. NiSi filters are great and a good investment. Many photographers fear filters, but once you understand how they work, they will help you get unique images.
Chris: These scenarios are akin to shooting a wedding (black tux and white dress), and the trick is balancing exposure. If you expose the tux, there will be little detail in the blown-out dress, and vice versa.
Turn on your camera’s zebra settings, which will put stripes across overexposed areas of the frame. Then, adjust the aperture, shutter speed, and ISO accordingly to balance highlights and shadows. Fortunately, newer cameras have incredible dynamic range, and lost details can often be recovered in the digital darkroom.
What are helpful on-the-road camera or photography accessories?
Craig: The first thing I pack is my travel cleaning kit. I also use the compressor to remove dirt. You're not getting the shot if your gear is not getting dirty.
Chris: The mind and a smile are the photographer’s most important tools. It’s not the camera or accessories that tell a great story but the eye behind the viewfinder. A smile and friendly disposition can gain you access to places otherwise off-limits to outsiders.
How do you create enough power on a trip to charge batteries?
Chris: Each of my vehicles is equipped with dual batteries and a 2,000-watt inverter, and I dedicate a small area to charging stations. If I’m stationary for a few days, a collapsible Merlin solar panel will keep everything topped up.
Bartek: I use a portable battery with portable solar panels. Thanks to the alternator, I also charge my dual battery while driving, and when I camp, and it’s sunny, I use solar panels. This solution covers my needs for cameras, drones, and small devices. I’m happy with this solution for my production car.
How to safely store gear while on rough tracks.
Craig: For safety, the Front Runner drawer system has been great as it locks, and the tailgate locks as a backup. The back seat is good when driving and shooting, with some pillows to help absorb the terrain. When you stop the car for a shot, you don’t want to waste time opening bags or cases to access a camera. Have a system and know where your gear is.
Chris: Call me a rookie, but I keep my camera wrapped in a sweatshirt between the seats, which is always handy. For everything else, I use heavy-duty plastic boxes with foam inserts. They’ve kept my gear clean and dry in conditions ranging from Class V rapids of the Zambezi River to monsoon downpours in Cambodia.
Bartek: Everything is always in one place, in a special backpack for photo gear, and it’s always behind the front seat so I can quickly access it.
What was the most challenging assignment ever?
Craig: In 2022, two good friends of mine, Ryan Sandes and Ryno Griesel, ran around Lesotho. Adrian Saffy and I supported their 16-day run. We had everything thrown at us: rain, snow, hail, mudslides, flooding, and, of course, the Land Rover breaking down. This made it super hard to get to the meeting points; at one stage, it took us 19 hours to drive 350km; this is an adventure we will never forget.
Chris: Although the sub-zero conditions of the Antarctic Plateau were physically challenging, shooting the Rainforest Challenge in Malaysia was a real bugger. Heavy rain, midnight slogs through rivers and deep mud, sleeping under tarps in the jungle, high humidity, and temperatures made it one to remember. It was one of those experiences I look back on with rose-tinted glasses and say, “I think I had a good time."
Bartek: My most challenging shoot to date was a recent assignment in the Sahara Desert. The sandstorms were extremely testing for the gear. It was freezing shooting the sunrises and then boiling in the middle of the day.
Capturing the essence of a journey through photography requires a delicate balance of preparedness, creativity, and adaptability. Whether you're documenting breathtaking landscapes or action-packed adventures make sure to equip yourself with the right gear to embrace the unexpected challenges of the road ahead.
As you embark on your photographic journey, remember to stay curious, stay inspired, and most importantly, stay ready to capture life's most memorable moments.
