Backpacking and photography

I always thought backpackers were those spiritual people with blonde dreadlocks who travel country to country with a backpack full of flip flops and colourful patterned dresses. But actually, I've come to realise that by taking the decision to travel for a long period of time with just my backpack, I indeed became a backpacker. And if there's one thing I've realised, it's that the two things backpackers lack are space and money - arguably the two things you need to be a photographer.

Lac des miroirs, Hardelot, France

I've always had an interest in photography, and travelling to the stunning landscapes of Australia gave me the perfect opportunity to get a few nice shots. But wait, I've only got my backpack, I guess I'm going to have to leave the camera gear at home... no! This is my kit:

Taken on a potato

Panasonic GX7 (Mirrorless compact system camera)
Panasonic 14-42mm lens
Panasonic 45-175mm powerzoom lens
11mm + 16mm macro extension tubes
46mm UV filter
46mm circular polarising filter
GoPro Hero
GoPro floating bobber (£2 on ebay)
GoPro chest harness
Plenty of memory cards

It all fit in hand luggage, stuffed into my laptop bag.

When listed, it sounds like a lot, but to summarise: 1 small but awesome CSC (mirrorless compact system camera - uses interchangeable lenses like a DSLR but is a lot smaller) with 2 small lenses, and an action camera that technically belongs to my partner, but still extremely important for my trip (just wait until the shark cage diving videos!)

But Beth, I spent all my money on flights, accommodation and booze so I can't afford that, can I?
Anyone who knows me knows that I don't really like to spend a lot of money. The Panasonic gear I managed to get a good deal on, but now that it's not the current camera in the market, you can find it second hand for cheap as chips, as well as the lenses. The GoPro was my birthday present to my partner, who I decided didn't need the luxury of added wifi and a back LCD screen as in the more expensive GoPro Hero 4, so was bought for a little under £100. Sure, if you have the money, it's great to go for a more expensive camera that might get you a better picture. But you'd also have to fork out for extra insurance on it, as we know that we backpackers are well known for our carelessless for breaking things, losing things, and being a great target for greedy theives.














Don't I need a huge DSLR with battery grip, flashgun and 10ft long lens?
How dare you insult my GX7! Only joking. DSLRs have their perks, but when looking at the budget range, a smaller body CSC or enthusiast compact camera can not only take a brilliant photo, but will fit in your bag easily and discreetly. Other great CSC options are the Fuji X-T10, Sony A6000 or Olympus OM-D E-M10 II. Here's the difference in size of my camera compared to a similarly priced and specced DSLR.

Knowing that my little camera will take just as good a photo as this, I would much prefer to use the extra space in my bag for my favourite pair of shoes.

Now Beth, don't tell me I can get every shot with just 2 lenses. I need at least a million!
The 2 lenses I own cover wide angle to telephoto. Of course there are times I wish I had longer reach, a brighter aperture or an extremely wide angle but then I get over it because I remember I'm here to enjoy myself and not to try compete with David Bailey's kit bag. How do I get the whole landscape in my photo without a wide angle lens? The built-in panaroma mode on my camera does the trick just fine.

Valetta, Malta. ISO 200, Panoramic mode

Toowoomba, Queensland Australia. ISO 200, Panoramic mode

I also love to shoot macro, and so purchased some fantastic little macro extension tubes on ebay for just £20. Of course having a dedicated macro lens will get you a better shot, but I was surprised at how well these things work, allowing you to get in a lot closer on the subject, giving beatifully blurred backgrounds. The ones I purchased (made by Fotga) support autofocus, however when shooting macro I find it a lot easier to manual focus for optimum precision.

Duh Beth, you forgot about a tripod. How can I take steady pictures without a tripod?
Days before my trip, I actually acquired a Joby Gorillapod - which are really cool mini tripods with bendable legs for gripping onto poles, branches or anything else. If you're going to take a tripod travelling, this is the perfect one. However, I decided I needed the extra space in my bag rather than take the tripod with me, and as much as I'd love to have it sometimes, I realised that my need for a tripod when on the move is unlikely. Mostly I shoot during the day in good light when a fast enough shutter speed can be used. Even night shots can be done well without a tripod. If manual settings aren't your strong point, many cameras like mine have a really effective night scenery or night portrait mode which are not only good at night, they are useful in any darker environments where you may struggle to get a steady picture. If long exposures are your thing, then you're going to have to get creative (use a rock, a bench, or a kangeroos head to steady the camera)

Malta at night, taken handheld using night scenery mode ISO 3200, F3.5, 14mm, shutter speed 1/15

I'd love to know what other people use when they are travelling! Leave a comment or post some pictures of your favourite travel shots. 

Roadtrippin' Australia

When you "roadtrip" in the UK, it usually means cramming your mates in a car to drive to the next town for a cheeky Nando's and bants. In Australia, it's a little different. Australia is big. Sometimes the next town is over an hour's drive away, and there's no chando's there.

2 days ago, Joe and I set off from Melbourne to head to Toowoomba, near Brisbane. If you're not so clued up on your Oz geography, its here:

We've named the van "Hodor", because it's big, it carries us, and Joe and I are avid Game of Thrones fans. As I mentioned in a previous post, fuel is ridiculously cheap here compared to the UK. So far we've paid a low of 97c and a high of $1.19. This is the equivalent of about 50p in sterling, so hopefully we're saving a few bucks on this journey too.

Before heading off, I was doing a bit of research on the interwebz for tips and advice. The one thing everyone seemed to agree on was to get up early and do your driving before it gets dark to avoid kangeroos jumping in front of your car. On our first day of driving, we didn't heed this advice, and sure enough darkness fell and on our way to the campsite there were kangaroos - everywhere! As an animal lover, it was awesome to see creatures in the wild like this that I'd never seen before, but trying to avoid them on the windey forest road was frightening.

So what to do when night falls? Set up camp. Australia has plenty of free campsites, and they were easy to find with the help of the satnav, and the smartphone app "wikicamps". A satnav in this area of Oz in invaluable. Unfortunately I broke ours just as we were leaving Melbourne, so we had to buy another for 150 bucks. Though I'm not sure how helpful it'll be when we head out into the outback.

Hodor at Forbes campsite

The van loaded with enough food and water to feed 5000 hungry crocs, I took some easy to eat snacks up front and found that M&Ms are the best roadtrip snack. Loaded with protein, sugar an fat for energy, the family-sized pack fit nicely in the cupholder next to bottle of water. I soon found that whilst the water became hot enough to make tea, the outer shell of the m&ms doesn't melt in the the heat, meaning the snacks remain perfectly round and crunchy, with a warm, melted, nutty centre. A welcome treat in the hot, sweaty car. Joe explained to me that m&ms were originally used in military ration packs for that reason. "Is that what you were living on in the army?" I asked him. "Nah, that was the US packs - we had Yorkie bars and they melted everywhere!"

So far we've camped at 3 different sites. A $25 a night caravan park on the outskirts of Melbourne (they don't allow free camping in this area), a free spot in scenic Tallarook state forest; with cobweb infested hole-in-the-ground toilets with the odd dead huntsman hanging about, and a lovely spot by a river in a small town called Forbes - which is where I got engaged! It would have been the perfect free camping spot if it wasn't for the 6 mosquito bites that my legs suffered.

So another few hours down the road, and with 500km left, brings us to where we are now. Joe driving, and me scribbling away on a scrap of paper I found in the passenger seat footwell. The aircon has decided to no longer work so we might die, but by the time you read this, I will have reached by destination and you'll know I'm safe and sound. Until next time...