We are self-taught travel photographers and bloggers. We are still learning every day how to be better. In 2018 we started with a GoPro Hero 4, and since then we developed a passion for capturing every moment. So what is in our camera bag?
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What We Started With
Over the years, we slowly started to gather the equipment that we use now, but we started with our Samsung Galaxy S7, A7 and a GoPro Hero 4 that we borrowed from Jonathan’s parents. For a very long time, we were happy with this. After about 6 months, we decided it was time for an upgrade. The next step was a camera. Our main problem was that we didn’t have the money to buy a brand new camera, so we started asking around. We ended up borrowing a Nikon D7000 camera from Jonathan’s dad. You will be surprised what people have that they aren’t using. Ask around if you need something because you never know who is willing to borrow you their things. Even though it’s an older camera, we can’t find anything wrong with it. It takes beautiful pictures.
In the meantime, we have upgraded from the GoPro Hero 4 to a GoPro Hero 7 Black. This was the equipment we used for about a year. Even though we gathered all this equipment we still didn’t have many accessories, such as a tripod and things. So we learned to be creative with the camera. This meant propping it up with stones or balancing it on branches. We learnt how to use what we had to make beautiful content. Just because we don’t have all the fancy equipment we were going to let it stand in the way of creating beautiful photography. Only recently, we got some more accessories. Here is what we carry in our camera bag:
Our Travel Photography Equipment in our camera bag.
Nikon D7000 camera and AF-S 18-105mm Lens
Our main camera is the Nikon D7000 camera. We use it with an AF-S 18-105mm lens. The Nikon D7000 was released in 2010. It is a heavy camera so if you have the money we would recommend buying a mirrorless camera as these cameras are lighter.
Some beautiful pictures we took with our Nikon D7000 while travelling:
Many people claim that the Nikon D7000 is very user-friendly and handles better than most other cameras in its range. It’s a perfect camera for beginners because you don’t need to be a pro to find the settings that you might need. This camera is also known for its accurate focus system. We use our Nikon with the Nikon AF-S DX Nikkor 18-105mm lens. The Nikon AF-S DX Nikkor 18-105mm lens is a standard 5.8x zoom less. It features Vibration reduction and a silent wave motor technology. We only use this one lens for our travel photography.
❥Also Read: Nikon D7000 Camera
GoPro Hero 7 Black
We use a GoPro Hero 7 Black for pictures but mostly for videos. We found that GoPro Hero 7’s footage looks incredible without any editing. Because of its Hypersmooth stabilizer, you don’t need a gimbal to get smooth videos. This GoPro is completely waterproof down to 33ft (10m), which is perfect for us because we are always in the water. This is our most used camera because of its small size and the high-quality video and pictures it takes. It has a 12MP camera, and it takes 4K videos. We love our GoPro Hero 7.
❥Also Read: GoPro Hero 7 Black
Taken by our GoPro Hero 4
Taken by our GoPro Hero 7 Black
Samsung Galaxy S10 and Samsung Galaxy A9
We also use a Samsung Galaxy S10 phone and Galaxy A9. The S10 takes beautiful pictures and videos. Sometimes if we come across something worth capturing, and we don’t have our camera or GoPro with us, we use the Samsung Galaxy S10. You also always have your phone on you, which is why we use it all the time. And playing around with the right camera angles, you won’t even know it’s not a proper camera. A lot of our Instagram worthy pictures we took with our Samsung Galaxy S10. The A9 doesn’t have the best camera, so we mostly use it to run our Instagram, Pinterest, Facebook and our website.
The Nikon camera, GoPro and Samsung phones are the only equipment we use for taking our travelling photos. But we’ve also collected a lot of accessories for the camera and the GoPro over the years. These accessories include two tripods, a dome, a polaroid lens, an extra battery for the GoPro and of course, a selfie stick.
Our Travel Photography Accessories in our camera bag.
Deawa D-A33 Lightweight Tripod and VF WT3110A Tripod
We have two tripods. The small one, the VF WT3110A, that we use for our phones and the GoPro. It’s a no-name brand because we bought it for very cheap from a Thai market, but it doesn’t matter to us because it gets the job done. We rarely use it, but it’s nice to have it when we need it.
We also have a big tripod, that fits our camera. The Deawa D-A33 Lightweight tripod, this tripod has a maximum height of about 170cm and weighs about 2 kilograms. We use it for taking our couple’s photos. We only bought this tripod very recently, so before we had to be very creative. The tripod does make it a lot easier, but it’s not needed. You can be creative by balancing it on a tree stump or something.
GoPro Polarised Lens by PGYTECH
The polaroid lens is for our GoPro Hero 7. This lens helps the GoPro to take clear pictures and videos in bright daylight without having a glair or light orbs. The polarised lens adds more colour to all the videos and pictures. It is particularly helpful during midday when the sunlight is at its brightest or even on cloudy days.
GoPro Vlog Flip Screen Mirror
The Flip Screen Mirror is something that we only bought recently, but it’s so helpful. It’s a simple and basic piece of equipment, but you will be surprised by how well it works. This Flip Screen Mirror can be used on the GoPro Hero 5, 6, 7 and 8. It’s particularly useful for selfies and vlogging as the flip-up mirror reflect what is shown on the GoPro screen and thus you will be able to see exactly what you look like.
❥Also Read: EqualSimple
PolarPro Dome
We also have a PolarPro Dome. The PolarPro Dome is made to capture split-level photos and videos, below water. It’s designed to push water away from the camera lens, so you can capture what’s above and below the waterline, in one picture.
Type of pictures taken by the PolarPro Dome:
Lowepro Flipside 200 Camera Bag
Then our favourite and the most used item in our camera bag. It is big enough to hold all of our camera equipment and accessories except for the big tripod. It has so many different compartments to keep all of our things in the right place and stop it from getting damaged. Our favourite thing about this bag is that the zip sits against your back. So your equipment is completely safe, and no one can touch your things as long as you have your bag on your back. It’s perfect for travelling.
Spare GoPro Battery
Another must-have piece is a spare battery for the GoPro because the battery doesn’t last that long. The GoPro Hero 7 will last for about half a day if you are continuously capturing pictures and only a few hours if you are continuously capturing videos.
Preparing Our Pictures For Social Media and The Website
As you may know, photo editing tools are used in the photography world. Unfortunately, those tools aren’t cheap, but this didn’t stop us. We use the free Lightroom app that you can download from the App store. The best part is that the app is free! You can only use the app on your phone, and the free version has limited features but it’s more than enough for us. We have used the free version of the app for years, and we love it. We highly recommend getting it.
Another great app we use is Snapseed. What we like the most about this app is its ability to edit out certain things that you might not want in the picture. It isn’t nearly as good as other editing tools, but it’s the best free one that we found.
Now to answer the question on everyone’s minds, Do you need a lot of money to take beautiful travel photos? No, you don’t. Most phones take pictures that is good quality pictures and videos, which will be perfect for Instagram. You don’t need the best camera or all the accessories to take a beautiful picture. Our camera is 10 years old, but it works perfectly for us. Don’t be afraid of an older camera. If you are still in the process of learning what you are doing, having expensive and pro equipment can make your pictures worse, because of the complexity of the camera, and you might not get the settings right on your camera.
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