Beginner Photographer Travel Bag Checklist

If you’re prepping your photographer travel bag then you want to be sure you have the essentials. You only have so much room so it’s important to pack smart and efficiently in order to be prepared but also without having to lug around massive and heavy bags. The contents of a photographer travel bag with differ from person to person depending on the area they’re traveling to, what kind of photographer they are, and many other considerations. In addition to these items for your photographer travel bag, of course, you’ll need your basic essentials such as clothes, money, chargers, etc. However, these are some basics that a beginner should make sure they have in their photographer travel bag!

1. Camera Backpack

Lowepro ProTactic BP 350 AW II Camera & Laptop Backpack, 16L, Black

The first item you’ll need for your photographer travel bag is, obviously, the camera bag itself. There are many different options out there so depending on your budget you might need to do some research. If you want to spend somewhere in the middle so you get a quality bag without getting a worried call from your bank then here’s a good choice. This ProTactic backpack by Lowepro is great for a photographer travel bag. It’s an incredibly sturdy design with some impact absorption for those accidental drops as well as some weather protection such as rain and snow. It stores about four lenses in addition to your camera and even a laptop up to 13 inches! The straps are comfortable and won’t put too much strain on your shoulders and back. The backpack has multiple access points so you can quickly grab your camera without missing a shot! One of the great things about a brand like this is that you can get lots of additional attachments as your travels evolve. A great and fairly affordable choice for a beginner photographer travel bag!

2. A Good Camera

Canon EOS Rebel T7 DSLR Camera with 18-55mm Lens, Built-in Wif-Fi, 24.1 MP CMOS Sensor

If you’re just getting into photography and are interested in traveling then you’ll need to make sure an have the right camera! An important choice to make is whether you want to start with a digital camera or a DSLR. A DSLR is a digital single-lens reflex camera which essentially means the camera has a mirror(s) inside to reflect the light into an optical viewfinder so you can see the in-time image of your photo. There’s no lag between what you’re seeing and what picture you take. Another great aspect of DSLR cameras is the interchangeable lenses! This is especially important for travel photography because having back-up and different lenses can be very useful. The Canon EOS Rebel T7 makes a great choice for beginner photographers with its easy use and many great functions! It has a very high, 24.1 megapixel CMOS sensor to give you very high-quality photos and videos with vibrant colors and details! The ISO range (the camera’s sensitivity to light) is slightly lower on this camera than other affordable cameras as it maxes out at around 6400. Overall though it’s a solid DSLR camera great for beginner photographers and thus in your photographer travel bag.

3. Additional Lense(s)

Canon EF 75-300mm f/4-5.6 III – Telephoto Lens

One of the usual features of a photographer travel bag is the storage spaces they have for additional lenses. When doing travel photography you never quite know what kind of lenses you’ll want for certain shots so it’s great to be prepared. An obvious example of a type of additional lens to carry in your photographer travel bag is a telephoto lens! This canon telephoto lens has a max focal length of 300 millimeters as well as a multicoated lens coating. It’s very sturdy and will last a long time as long as you take care of it. There are also many different kinds of extra lenses to carry such as fisheye or wide-shot. Special lenses such as this can be quite expensive but worth investing in if you’re really pursuing photography.

4. Travel Tripod

ZOMEi M5 Camera Tripod Lightweight Travel Tripod Monopod 2 in 1 Portable Camera Tripod Stand with 360 Degree Ball Head, Remote Bluetooth and Phone Clip Cameras, Smartphone

When packing your photographer travel bag you can’t forget a tripod! When traveling around taking pictures you’ll find many shots that would look incredibly better with if not require a tripod to capture. You don’t want to just buy any old tripod because you need to remember you’ll be lugging this around with all your other photography gear. You want something compact and lightweight that you can either slip inside your bag or attach it to the outside without weighing you down too much. This lightweight travel tripod by ZOMEi is a great choice for your beginner photographer travel bag. It only weighs about 2.7 pounds and when compressed it’s about 13.8 inches tall. You can even invert the center axis so you can “micro photography” shots at really low angles! If doing some hiking photography then you can convert the tripod into a monopod for hiking and taking pictures on the go. It’s a durable tripod and affordable choice for your beginner photographer travel bag.

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5. Camera Cleaning Supplies

Movo Deluxe Essentials DSLR Camera Cleaning Kit PRO

You want to make sure you’re prepared and able to keep your camera clean while traveling. A cleaning kit such as this Movo deluxe essentials DSLR camera cleaning kit will definitely save you if you find yourself with a dirty lens. The kit comes with some ultra-bright LED’s to be able to see those microscopic particles on your lenses, as well as a formula you can use to effectively clean them without hurting them. There are also some microfiber cloths for smudges and fingerprints. The kit has a lot of different supplies for super cleaning your DSLR but be careful to understand what you’re doing before you just start swabbing and pouring formulas.

6. Backup Supplies (Memory card, batteries, etc.)

SanDisk 128GB Extreme SDXC UHS-I Card

It never hurts to be prepared for a worst-case scenario. For travel photography one of those could be a dead battery or a corrupted memory card which leaves you SOL. Make sure you have at least one extra (and most importantly, charged) battery and also a backup memory card. They’re not terribly expensive so grab yourself a backup such as this SanDisk extreme 128GB SD card. It has plenty of storage space so just make sure to keep it nearly empty in case you need it for your next shoot! Of course, make sure of the type of memory card that your camera uses before committing to anything!

Any additional things that beginners should have in a photographer travel bag? Share them in the comments!

Featured Image Source: Photo by Persnickety Prints on Unsplash

Tags: checklistPhotographertravel

4 years ago

Samuel Anderson

I have a passion for helping others and see journalism as a great way to reach and impact many people. Born in Texas but raised in the San Francisco Bay Area! Then with a short detour in Boulder, Colorado to get my bachelor's in Journalism with a minor in political science. I'm a determined, motivated individual striving to make a difference in this world. I have hopes to play a role in the continued development of journalism and in maximizing efforts to inform and inspire the public. Check out my articles on Society19!