8 Hacks From A Travel Photographer To Help Lighten Your Load And Save You Money

Camera gear is expensive, sometimes heavy, and usually bulky. For the travel photographer who is working on a travel photographer’s budget, those three things can really get in the way of things. Luckily, these eight tips from professional travel photographer, Brendan van Son, will give you some options to help you workaround the roadblocks. As Brendan explains in the video, some of the hacks may not give you the finest results possible, but they are still solid alternatives that will save you money or at least help you travel a little lighter. And Brendan knows what he’s talking about. In about 5 years time, he’s photographed over 80 countries on 6 different continents and his work has been featured in many international publications.

8 Travel Photography Hacks for More Budget and Versatile Photography Gear

Use a $5 piece of welding glass in lieu of a neutral density filter. Depending on which shade of glass you get, it will block around 10-16 stops. Here’s instructions on how to you can do it yourself.
Rather than lugging around a dedicate macro lens for close up shots, which you will probably not use very often, grab a pair of extension tubes instead. Saves space and your budget.
Use extension tubes to get more versatility out your existing lenses.
Use a tripod that can double as a monopod, such as the Brian Blue 3-Legged Thing.
Use a TriggerTrap instead of an intervalometer. The TriggerTrap is less expensive and takes up very little space.
Twist your lens and body caps together to use as a container!
Use an EyeFi Card on DSLRs that do not have built in wifi.
Crop sensor advantage gives you more range on your zoom lenses.