Tag Archives: travel

Commentary, Equipment

Photography Gear For Travel

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This is the time of year when people plan their summer travels. Recently I’ve noted people trying to figure out what gear will work for photography while traveling, what kind of camera and what lenses to take. What is the best approach? Take the whole kit? Just use your smartphone? Get something special just for travel photography?

I do a fair amount of travel photography, and I wrote an article sharing some of my ideas: Travel Photography Gear. Click the link and take a look!

Je Suis Bleu, Paris
“Je Suis Bleu” — Sidewalk, graffiti covered wall, and women (virtual and real) on a Paris street

A starting assumption: There is no one “right” or “best” approach to photography while traveling, and what works for me may be far from ideal for you. It depends a lot on your goals and the role photography plays in your travels. The article explores some of the options and variables.

I’m hopeful that this article may help you figure out what will work for you.

COMMENT OR QUESTION? Scroll down to the comment form.

G Dan Mitchell is a California photographer and visual opportunist. His book, “California’s Fall Color: A Photographer’s Guide to Autumn in the Sierra” (Heyday Books) is available directly from him. Blog | Bluesky | Mastodon | Substack Notes | Flickr | Email

All media © Copyright G Dan Mitchell and others.

Photographs: Europe, Photographs: Portugal, Photographs: Travel, Photographs: Urban/Street

Travessa de Sâo Miguel

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Travessa de Sâo Miguel
“Travessa de Sâo Miguel” — Narrow streets and tall buildings in Lisbon’s Alfama district.

This is another photograph from the Alfama district of Lisbon. The neighborhood is the original center of historic Lisbon, though it later became home to lower income people. It escaped the destruction from the 18th-century earthquake that leveled large portions of the city, so it retains the narrow lanes, steep hills, and older buildings of an earlier era.

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Photographs: Architecture, Photographs: Europe, Photographs: Portugal, Photographs: Travel, Photographs: Urban/Street

Alfama Rooftops

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Alfama Rooftops
“Alfama Rooftops” — Looking down at the red-tiled roofs of the Alfama district, Lisbon.

Certain architectural features seem to characterize various cities. In Europe, from what I’ve seen, these include the materials available locally for construction, the types of roofs, and the color scheme. This view of the Alfama neighborhood of Lisbon is a case in point — with mostly white-walled buildings and red-tiled roofs.

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Photographs: Europe, Photographs: Portugal, Photographs: Travel, Photographs: Urban/Street

Trolleys and Tuk Tuk

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Trolleys and Tuk Tuk
“Trolleys and Tuk Tuk” — Trolleys, tuk tuk,, and crowds near Miradouro das Portas do Sol, Lisbon.

We walk a lot when we visit cities, and on this Lisbon day we had walked to and then through portions of Alfama. This neighborhood is full of very old streets and buildings. It is built on a hill rising above the water, so many of those lanes are quite steep. Overall it was a slow and mostly quiet walk… until we emerged on this busy street!

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