17 Tips from a Travel Photographer’s Spouse


Travelling is awesome.  Especially for photographers.  Not as much for a photographer’s spouse.  Check out these great tips we came up with that have really helped us.

  1. TRAVEL LIGHT

Leave some of that camera gear behind to help with the rest of the luggage.

  1. DON’T LIMIT YOUR PLANNING TO PHOTOGRAPHY SITES

5. Downtown San Jose Del Cabo (33)
I was able to take plenty of time to shoot this cathedral in good light because my family had plenty to do in the city square and nearby shops.

Make sure you plan to photograph sites that offer activities to keep your family entertained while they wait on you.

  1. GET UP EARLY OR GO OUT LATE

Sacrifice some sleep to shoot the sunrise or night sky while the rest of your family sleeps.

  1. NOT EVERYTHING NEEDS TO BE PHOTOGRAPHED

Really think about whether you are going to make a great image before you decided to hold everyone up so you can make a mediocre image.

  1. DON’T FORGET TO GET IMAGES OF YOUR FAMILY

5. Downtown San Jose Del Cabo (11)-2
This snapshot of my daughter showing off her new doll in Mexico is more important to me than any of the shots I made of the Cathedral down the street.

Images of your family will mean more to you (and your family!) than your other images and your spouse will enjoy you having the camera more if she gets great family photographs.

  1. KNOW YOUR CAMERA SETTINGS

Take time to get efficient with your camera so nobody is waiting on you to fidget with settings.

  1. BE WILLING TO SHOOT IN AUTO

If you are going to be passing your camera around or taking images in changing light, put some of your settings on auto to make it easy for anyone to use your camera without help.

  1. SHOOT IN RAW + JPEG

Your spouse will appreciate being able to post images on social media or send them to others before you get time to edit them.

  1. GET YOUR SHOT QUICKLY

IMGP4078 (2)
It would have taken a lot more effort and time than was worth to try and get a great image of this palace in Copenhagen given the conditions. In this situation, I grabbed a quick shot and decided nothing more was warranted.

If you still want to make an image that won’t be epic, at least be quick about it.

  1. GIVE YOUR SPOUSE A BREAK TOO

If your spouse gives you photography time during your vacation, repay the favor.

  1. ORGANIZE YOUR IMAGES

You can see my editing system on the full article, but whatever system you use, make sure your spouse understands it.

  1. SPEND TIME WITH YOUR SPOUSE

Make memories that go beyond your camera lens.

  1. DON’T COMPLAIN

You may not be having the best photography luck, don’t let that ruin everyone’s vacation.

  1. SIMPLIFY YOUR GEAR

Think about bumping up your ISO instead of pulling out the tripod or try sticking to one lens to save time.

  1. DON’T FORGET ABOUT ACTIVITIES

3.1 ziplining-026
I used a Peak Design clip and Heavy Leather NYC strap to hook my X-T1 and 27 mm lens to my harness. I took plenty of photos of us and our friends, but didn’t even bother unhooking the camera to take anything more than a snapshot of us coming down the ziplines.

Do something fun that requires you to put the camera down.

  1. BE CLEAR ABOUT YOUR EXPECTATIONS

Your spouse will be a lot more accommodating if they have mentally prepared for what you intending.

 

 

  1. HAVE A PHOTOGRAPHY OUTLET BESIDES FAMILY VACATIONS

If you know you will get other photography opportunities during the year, you won’t be so stressed about making thousands of images on vacation.

2. Narrows-147-Pano
I have never been able to dedicate so much time to photography as the week I spent in Zion National Park last year with other photographers.

To see our favorite travel accessories, check out our Recommended Gear.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Recent Posts