The Travel Photography Gear I Use & Love

One of the things people most commonly ask me is, “Which camera do you use?” or “which lens did you use for that shot?”. At the same time, so much of what makes a photo interesting and exciting is a blend of location, skill, and luck with things like weather and a lack of crowds. You can do so much to control how photos will turn out, like choosing the right photography equipment. Here is a list of the travel photography gear I use and love. I take these with me whenever I travel. I’ve included examples of the photos each of these lenses/cameras takes below each item.

Above: Tulip from Holland Tulip Time Festival in Holland, Michigan

This post contains affiliate links of things I have purchased from the exact shops I bought them from, things I routinely use, and they are all things I personally love. At absolutely no extra cost to you, I receive a small portion of the proceeds from any purchases you make by clicking these links, which helps support my work. 

Canon 5D Mark IV
This is my main photography camera. I love how crystal clear and sharp images turn out, and the colors in the photos I create with this are as true as it looks to my eye. It shoots in 4k video at up to 60 fps, making it an excellent choice for videographers, bloggers, and photographers. This camera is also weather-sealed, meaning it can resist light rains, high winds, dust, snow, and other weather conditions that would cause other cameras to fail or corrupt. Plus, it has a vast temperature tolerance, meaning it can work in extreme cold and extreme heat. I take this camera with me everywhere I go.

This camera requires CF Memory Cards; Sandisk is my go-to brand, as they are swift and reliable. I use this UGreen reader and this attachment to make it compatible with my laptop.

Nearly all of my images are taken with this camera. See examples of how these photos look in my photography portfolio here.

Above: Olympic National Park, day trip from Seattle, Washington

Canon 50mm Lens
I primarily use this lens for photographing people, my outfits, and sometimes food photography. It is a great lens for photographing people because it doesn’t distort the human body as much as some other lenses do.

Above: Left: Picnic at Mission Point Resort on Mackinac Island      Middle: Sunflower Fields      Right: Picnic at Grand Hotel on Mackinac Island

Canon 16-35mm Lens 
I love using this lens for my day-to-day photography needs. This is generally the lens I carry when taking photos of things close to me, like food, buildings, and botanicals. If I’m not photographing a person or something far away, I use this lens 9 times out of 10, especially when traveling. If you’re only going to invest in one lens, let it be this one. 

Above: Osaka Castle in Osaka, Japan

Canon 70-200mm Lens
This is my favorite lens to use when photographing far-away things or doing macro (close-up) photography of something like plants or sometimes food.

Above: Melt Falls on the Isle of Skye, Scotland 

Zhiyun Stabilizer
This stabilizer is one of the very best money can buy (and it’s not even that expensive!). I use this for making videos, primarily.

Laptop
I use a MacBook Pro to edit my photos and videos and to write all of my posts. It’s fast, compact, and the screen colors are as true to real life as I’ve found. I’ve tried editing on my husband’s gaming laptop, and even with its advanced graphics cards, the photos didn’t quite look right. Of course, people who see my images will notice they look a bit different from device to device based on what they’re using to look at it, but that’s unavoidable. 

Dynamic Tripod
This tripod is amazing – it’s lightweight, very sturdy, and can be configured into a myriad of positions, allowing me to shoot straight up, straight down, at a 90º angle, and everything in between. For only $39, this is the best tripod I’ve found for traveling and photography, and I’ve tried nearly a dozen different tripods over the years.

Waterproof GoPro
I love using this GoPro as a quick and easy way to film things or for underwater photography. It’s lightweight, compact, and an excellent camera for beginners or those who want an easy and reliable way to capture their travels. I recommend buying a stabilizer stick, 5-10 extra batteries, a double battery charger, and a lens cap to keep it safe.

Above: Gran Cenote in Tulum, Mexico

Extra Camera Batteries
I have 10 camera batteries, and if I spend a full day shooting with this camera, I may go through 3 or 4 at the absolute maximum. The battery life with these canon batteries is insanely long and much better than any other camera I’ve ever used. I have so many batteries because sometimes, when I’m away from a power source, like when I’m hiking, camping, or staying somewhere without reliable power access, like when clamping or at eco-chic resorts like Azulik in Tulum, I may not be able to keep all of them charged easily.

Each battery lasts about 4-6 hours of continuous use and takes about an hour and a half to recharge. In colder temperatures, batteries do not last as long, and their use may be cut by as much as 80%, depending upon how cold it is, which is true of any battery. So, if you are traveling or live somewhere where it regularly dips well below freezing, buy twice as many batteries as you think you may need. No matter how good the savings may be, never buy off-brand batteries. They could damage your camera irreparably or void the camera’s warranty. 

Portable Hardrive
This Samsung Solid State Drive is something I use each day when traveling to back up my photos, make extra room on my laptop or memory cards, and protect my work.

Camera Bag
When I’m somewhere it might rain, I keep my memory cards stored in waterproof silicone Stasher bags, my camera, and lenses in resealable plastic bags with moisture-absorbing packets at the bottom, and I use this camera bag. Of course, if you’re going somewhere stormier or where you might fall or drop your bag into water ( for example, when sailing or hiking near a river), I recommend a waterproof bag like this one.

Above: Art Institute of Chicago in Chicago, IL    Middle: Louis Vuitton Bandoulière at Grand Traverse Resort in Traverse City, MI    Right: How I Pack My Cosmetics

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