Travelling (within Australia) hasn’t been possible for months and may not be for some time yet. Due to border closures, overseas travel is off the agenda for the next couple of years. It’s enough to make you sell your camera. Except no one would buy it because it’s lockdown, and they can’t take photos either. It’s impossible to do travel photography when restrictions to movement are implemented to halt the spread of Covid-19, which means I can’t go further than 5km from my front door.

The Great Pandemic

I love history and find it fascinating. I like to read about it and watch documentaries. However, I do not enjoy being part of it. We are living through the ‘Great Pandemic of 2020/21’ and, in the future, will probably feature in a school curriculum.

A small silver lining

On Facebook and Instagram, along with many others, I have been sharing previous travel photography as “armchair travels”. One silver lining of armchair travel is, inspired by the locations others are sharing; I am now compiling a list of places to see – for when we can all start moving again.

Photography and travel planning are all we can do now, and I happily spent hours researching destinations and planning itineraries. Costing is something that can’t be done yet as we have no idea what hotels and airlines etc., will charge once they re-open for business. But whilst we can’t travel, we can plan, research, learn, and be ready for when restrictions are lifted, and we can finally head off on a trip.

Location vs Gear

Many people who are into photography subscribe to the theory that they need a better camera or lens to get a great shot. And it’s partly true. But travelling to new destinations or locations is more important than gear. There is no point in having a whizz-bang $5000 camera if you then can’t afford to stray far from home once you have bought it. You may live in a fabulous spot – but you can only photograph the Wanaka Tree so many times.

Planning is everything

Plan your trips. Learn about where you are going and when is the best time to go. Even if it’s a “family” holiday, you can still do travel photography on your trip without spoiling it for them. It’s your holiday too.

1. Research areas, read books, and google the locations. Get as much info as you can before you pick a location. The family will have fun on just about any beach, but if it’s just a stretch of boring white sand, will you?
2. Seasons matter! If somewhere is awesome in autumn for the trees or fantastic in spring for the waterfalls, you are shortchanging yourself being there in summer. Match your destination to the season you are travelling.
3. Plan your road trip stopovers around scenic locations. Ok, you have to sleep somewhere on a road trip, but if one hour further down the road or one hour closer has a fabulous sunrise or sunset spot, that’s the place to lay your head.
4. Take the road less travelled. A secondary highway going through small towns is much more interesting and scenic than mile after mile of main highways. A case in point is the painted silos and water tanks popping up all across Australia. You’ll find them in the towns, not the highway.
5. Slow down and look around as you go through the small towns. Small towns often have quirky old buildings.
6. Pick your accommodation handy to scenic spots. If doing a sunrise or sunset, you are far better off being close to your location rather than looking at a one-hour drive in the dark or getting up at extra stupid o’clock to be there for sunrise
7. Try for a balcony or patio when booking your accommodation. I have gotten some of my best bird shots in the early morning, just sitting on my veranda in my ‘jammies’. It helps to travel with a bag of wild bird seed 😉
8. Talk to the locals and ask for location suggestions But be mindful that they aren’t necessarily photographers. What is a pretty spot to them for a sunrise doesn’t mean it’s ‘worth a shot’. Scout out the location before you want to shoot it. While we found a great spot in Nagambie thanks to a local’s suggestion, we totally failed with a “great sunrise spot”, as suggested by the manager at Mungo Lodge. It was a great spot to see the sunrise, but a terrible location, with no foreground interest, regarding photographing it.
9. Return to locations at least once. You may have got a nice pic – but next time, you may get an even better one, going back in a different season, or if the conditions are just right
10. The early bird gets the worm. The light is soft at sunrise and sunset, but there are fewer people around at sunrise, and you stand a better chance of having the place to yourself. At iconic locations – where even at sunrise there will be a row of tripods and keen photographers, make a thermos of coffee and get there a good hour before sunrise. Find your perfect spot, set up your tripod and camera, and enjoy your coffee while everyone else arrives late and rushes to set up. (again, this is where scouting out the day before helps)

Safety Matters

Early morning starts, and travelling to places for ‘that shot’ is part and parcel of the landscape or travel photographer’s life. But you need to consider your safety and avoid risk where possible. For example, you can’t take that great photo from a coffin or hospital bed.

1. Your car needs to be reliable. Don’t do 4WD roads in a 2WD car. And if you are doing 4wd roads, travel in a convoy. Nothing is worse than breaking down in the middle of nowhere, especially if you are alone. Which leads to #2
2. Don’t go to unsafe or risky areas alone. Early morning shots of the city with empty streets are fabulous. Not if you come across an aggressive or drug-impaired person. No judgment on them, but from experience, it’s scary. Luckily we were in a group. Find a fellow photographer to go out with or join a group.
3. Stay on designated paths and behind the fence. I know there is a great shot to be had by climbing the barrier. But it’s there for a reason. Too many times have I seen on the news where photographers climbed the barrier for a shot, and it ended up a rescue or body retrieval
4. Dress for where you are going. Flip Flops are not recommended footwear for scrub or bush. Snakes, insects, and rocks all love exposed feet. Long sleeves, sunglasses, sunscreen and a sunhat for summer. Warm clothes, and even better yet, tactical gear that’s windproof, splash-proof, and a down coat with a minimum 650 loft for winter. Like they say in Norway, “there is no such thing as bad weather, just bad clothing”
5. Buy a rain jacket. Keep a rain jacket in your camera bag. They roll up small and are handy for the unexpected shower, sitting on when the ground is wet, or putting your bag on.
6. Always carry water.
7. Invest in two-way radios If you and your travel buddy are likely to be going off the beaten path with no phone reception. It helps to keep in touch if you are out of sight of each other. If travelling in a convoy, keep one in each car.
8. Put your phone in a ziplock bag. If you are walking with it in your pocket, it could make all the difference if it falls out on a muddy trail
9. Keep spare shoes in the car. It’s no fun driving for hours in wet shoes and socks. Or bare freezing feet. I stopped for some shots once, and my shoes were sodden by the time I got back to the car. Luckily, I had a spare pair in my luggage because we were off for the weekend. Lesson learned.

Camera Bag essentials

I always have a small ’emergency’ kit in my camera bag, which comes in handy on more than one occasion. They take up very little room – but make all the difference if you need them and are an hour’s walk from the car. You’ll thank yourself for packing them in your camera bag.

• Small tubes of sunscreen and insect repellant
• Painkillers
• Torch and/or headlamp (check that it’s working and carry spare batteries)
• Mosquito/fly net for your hat
• A few bandaids and a small container of antiseptic
• A small bag of salt is also handy to have if you are going into a damp or rainforest area known for leeches and you don’t have a smoker in your group. Your insect repellant will also work if it’s DEET.
• Allen key for your tripod if it takes one
• Chocolate or protein bar. Breakfast biscuits are good, too, to fill you up if hunger strikes.

This, too, shall pass

Stay positive. Lockdown won’t last forever. And hopefully, before too much longer, we will be back on the road. Meanwhile, take a landscape course, watch YouTube tutorials, start planning where you will go, and work out what you want to shoot while there.

In the meantime.. stay safe.