Pics or it didn’t happen! Seriously, for real, if you’re going to become a travel influencer like moi! It needs to happen. (Okay, we’ll be better about posting on Instagram now!)
Being an influencer means treating it like it is serious business. There's no need to have a full production studio—yes, it helps!—but it does mean having the basics in order. Here are the things that we travel with (and a lot of other travel creators travel with) to make life just slightly easier.
One of the main things that make travel photography unique is that a lot of the equipment needs to be lightweight and mobile. It is far different from rigging a camera setup in your kitchen as a food content creator.
Besides traveling with your suitcase, you are also traveling with stuff.
In general, if you are going to jump into the deep end, prepare to invest in at least five different types of devices, not including accessories, batteries, an endless amount of flash cards, the editing software, and a good backpack to carry it all in.
If you're starting out, our tip is to invest slowly, one device at a time. In particular, these are the gadgets in order of importance: camera phone, a decent DSLR or mirrorless, pocket camera, drone, and the sunglasses, in that order.
(The drone is the serious investment piece, IMO.)
Hot tip! Technology has grown in leaps and bounds over the last decade, and not only has optical technology grown at light speed, the level of acceptable standards of video quality have decreased over the last few years, meaning it is more than absolutely okay to buy gear second hand.
Much of our gear is either previous generation or refurbished, and it has been like this for years. By the time a product becomes less current, a lot of value has depreciated on the open market. (This is true for cars and technology.)
Factory refurbished products are also typically manufacturer refreshed of opened items that were returned, or slightly defective. These are usually our choice when our budget is tight.
Quick note: Photo equipment is expensive. It is also hard to ignore the fact that our entire equipment list adds up to $2,801 total, some of it on sale.
How would you take this photo yourself?
A very good camera phone (our choice: Google Pixel 8a) ($490)
It is possible to go far for full-on social-mediaing with a very, very good phone.
But it is not enough.
Phones, not matter how great they are, aren't able to capture as much depth as a device with a image sensor with optical zoom, but they are still essential for posting to TikTok or Instagram.
But... a phone with a killer camera, like the Google Pixel 8a or most phones in that line, is going to do laps around any old iPhone.
Look, I am not here to argue over good versus evil; there's enough space in the iOS and Android ecosystem for everybody. Free will is a thing.
In general, we are find Google Pixel sensors and optics are far superior to the iPhone line. This also includes the photo enhancement software Google offers, including Magic Eraser, which we love for erasing tourists without loading up the Photoshop.
(Sorry, not an iPhone girl.)
Ray Ban Meta Glasses ($329)
This Ray-Ban is taking a photo!
The Ray-Ban Meta sunglasses will turn you into Bond, James Bond.
Think of it as a better Go Pro: Not only do they blend seamlessly into life, there are dual 5 MP cameras that enable hands-free photo and video capture, all connected through Bluetooth connectivity.
In our opinion, the video quality definitely can't compete with a DSLR camera or even the latter mentioned DJI Osmo Pocket, but they are fantastic for on-the-go social media content creation, especially when adventuring.
(It's also a constant pain to stop, pull out a camera, take a photo, and then put it away. These, you can just store on the top of your head à la Clueless when not in use.)
Functionality-wise, these sunglasses excel in scenarios where hands-free operation is key. The voice command feature allows you to capture moments without reaching for your phone, and there were quite a few times where this came in handy on our trip to Iceland.
The ability to store media directly on the device and sync to the Meta View app adds another layer of convenience, though app dependency and limited storage might pose minor inconveniences.
However, it really is the poor low-light performance and lack of video stabilization that gets our goat, which means it is type of video that we'd relegate for the B-roll.
If anything? They're just plain, pure fun, and they also happen to be a write-off. 😛
DJI Osmo Pocket 3 ($519)
Honestly, we still own the first version of the DJI Osmo Pocket for us.
The magical thing about any of the DJI Osmo Pocket is that it is the modern-day version of a camcorder, with the ability to shoot up to 4k, and in-built image stabilizer.
For example, in the footage below, you can see how smooth the transitions are:
It also does really cool things like timelapses, slo-mo, and more: It is basically dumbed down for the average user. It also has selfie mode and the ability track an object... say like, me!
And yes, in pocket form.
DJI Mavic Air 2 (or any type of drone) ($984)
Finally, for the fun stuff!
In our opinion, DJI is the best drone manufacturer out there, though there are plenty makes and models. Prioritizing a model like the Mavic Air 2, which is emphasized for its more travel-friendly form, is important.
If you’re new to droning, there are, surprise, lots of things to learn that you never knew before. Mostly, they revolve around aviation laws, getting a pilot license, and of course, practicing so you don’t lose your drone – yes, even if it has GPS!
(Getting acquainted with a drone will help you learn all the intricacies, like packing tons and tons of extra batteries, as well as learning when it’s the best time to bring a drone in for landing, even though a drone may have this have this feature in-built already. An instruction manual would take us 100 years to write!)
Here is some raw footage from the first DJI Mavic Air, as you can see us getting used to the controller:
Working with a drone does open up fun and creative new ways of thinking, like learning how to think vertically visually and playing with different features like object tracking. (Think about those gorgeous video shots going up and down a seaside cliff – hope the waves don’t catch it!)
Even though it is possible to operate a drone solo, sometimes it is easier with two people to manage a drone. Usually, you’re looking so intently on the screen, that it is easy to keep track of where the drone actually is!
Canon EOS Rebel T7 ($479)
Truth be told, it doesn’t really matter whether it is a DSLR or a mirrorless. The point is, you need a camera with a proper lens and zoom.
Learning photography basics is the first priority, followed by learning travel-specific photography techniques.
Though I’m a firm believer technique doesn’t replace the gear—it really doesn’t!—a digital zoom can never replace an optical zoom. The former will always lend itself to more noise and pixelation in a photo.
How else will you ever blow up that photo to hang on your wall?
Stoking the fires at Jodo-ji Temple in Onimichi, Hiroshima prefecture. Shot with a DSLR. (Erica Ho / Map Happy)
In our years of shooting photos, Nikon and Canon have been pretty interchangeable in the world of DSLRs, while Sony has done well in the mirrorless camera category.
The specific make and model matters less in our book, and will have to do more with the extra lens set you may already be packing. For us, this would be a quick Amazon purchase that we wouldn’t overthink, if at all!
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