Travel Photography Gear

I’ve been working as a travel photographer & blogger for 10-years, so I get a lot of questions about what kind of photography gear I use. Take a peek inside my camera bag!

Now, when you’re reading this list, please understand that I’m a working professional freelance photographer. I own a lot of gear. Much more than I first started with.

Most travelers don’t need backup cameras, drones, and multiple lenses.

If you’re simply interested in a good portable camera for traveling, make sure to check out my complete guide to the best travel cameras for every budget.

I also share some photography gear recommendations for beginners at the end of this post, and you can check out my personal Amazon Shop to see all my photography & travel gear.

Keep in mind that I don’t pack absolutely everything on this list in my camera bag all the time, instead I pack according to each trip and shooting scenario.

My Travel Photography Gear In 2022

Sony A7R III – Main Camera Body

I was a Canon fanboy for years and started my backpacking adventures back in 2010 with the Canon 7D. However, when Sony came out with their smaller (and superior) mirrorless A7 line, I made the switch.

Since then I’ve been using Sony cameras & lenses for the past 6-years.

Sony’s camera & sensor technology is often far ahead of competitors these days — in fact, even Nikon uses Sony sensors in their cameras!

The Sony A7R III is built for high-end landscape photography with a massive 42.4-megapixel full-frame sensor. This sensor is HUGE! But the camera body isn’t, which is pretty incredible.

Frankly, this is far too much camera for most travelers though.

If you are trying to save some money, another great option is picking up a used Sony A7 III or Sony A6600. Both are amazing cameras for travel photos.

Camera Lenses

Sony 16-35mm F2.8 – Wide Angle Lens

The 16-35mm F2.8 is the lens that’s on my camera 75% of the time. As a landscape photographer, I love shooting wide to capture as much of a big landscape as possible.

But you can also get decent portraits out of it zoomed in to 35mm and stopped down to F2.8. This lens works well for night and star photography too.

There is a less expensive version of this, the Sony 16-35mm F4 which is another decent option too.

Sony 24-70mm F2.8 – Medium Zoom Lens

Occasionally I need a little more reach. Or, I only have space for one lens (like on bigger hiking trips), and want the best of both worlds.

The 24-70mm F2.8 isn’t quite as wide, but often wide enough for most landscapes. With the added ability to zoom in to small subjects far away, or to compress the background making mountains “look” bigger.

This is also my go-to portrait lens for taking photos of people!

Sony FE 100-400mm F4.5-5.6 GM – Telephoto Zoom

The 100-400mm F4.5 is my wildlife photography lens, outdoor portraits, or to compress big mountain ranges. I don’t use it that often, and don’t bring it along on every trip. If weight is an issue, it’s usually the first to be left behind.

But if I have a particular shot in mind that requires a telephoto, I’ll bring it.

By adding a Sony 1.4X teleconverter, I can increase the range to 560mm (which is nice for safari photography).

Additional Photography Equipment

Sony RX100 VII – Backup Camera

For a long time, I only traveled with one camera. But as I began getting hired for professional photography gigs, I realized that a backup camera was a wise investment.

The Sony RX100 is a tiny point & shoot pocket camera with professional features. It offers full manual control, and the ability to shoot in RAW format.

I also use it for shooting time-lapses, vlogging, and for certain situations where I don’t want to bring my large camera with me. Like sketchy parts of town, into bars/nightclubs, etc.

For most travelers, this would be a perfectly fine primary travel camera too! It’s super small, but super powerful. It even has a 200mm zoom for wildlife!

GoPro Hero 9 – Action Camera

I’ve been using a GoPro since I started traveling ten years ago. I’ve owned almost all the models! Currently, I travel with the GoPro Hero 9.

GoPro cameras are great at capturing hands-free action or “b-roll” and you can attach them to almost anything. Plus, they are waterproof and shockproof!

I use my GoPro for surfing, mountain biking, hiking, snowboarding, snorkeling, scuba diving, cliff jumping, interior and exterior moving-vehicle footage, and more.

Just owning a GoPro is not enough to get great images and video. The magic of these cameras is in the multitude of accessories that are available for them!

DJI Mavic Air 2 – Flying Drone

The perfect tool for capturing aerial photography and video, while costing much less than renting a helicopter! Drones have really come a long way.

I couldn’t be happier with the DJI Mavic Air 2.

It flies super fast, is extremely reliable, and shoots high-quality RAW photos and 4K video. Not to mention it folds up crazy small!

The 360-degree sensors help stop you from running into things while flying, so you can concentrate on the shot. Active track and intelligent flight modes can do a lot of the work for you.

Top Online Photography Courses

Want to improve your photography? Fancy gear is nice, but learning from other photographers is a better investment.

Click Here For Free Guide

Camera Bags For Travel Photography

Peak Design Travel Backpack – Camera Daypack

It took me a while to find a great camera backpack that I really loved, and I went through many different ones.

I finally found a winner in the Peak Design Travel Backpack. It holds everything I need it to, sits comfortably on my back, and has the perfect amount of weatherproofing and gear protection.

You can strap on a tripod, hiking poles, and other day-hiking gear. There’s a dedicated laptop pocket, room for a jacket and snacks, plus it opens from the back for easy access on the ground. It’s perfect to carry-on airplanes or walk around a city with my photo gear.

Now, it’s not really set up for long-distance trekking or overnight camping though. For that, I use a different setup.

Peak Design Range Pouch – Camera Lens Bag

This is a special lens pouch, and the large size is big enough to keep a 100-400mm zoom lens safe & secure.

Or you can fit two smaller lenses in it (with a divider) or even a drone.

I use this specifically for long-distance trekking adventures, when I want to bring along an extra lens or my drone, but I also need to carry a regular hiking backpack filled with food, clothing, and camping gear.

It’s also handy for safely packing a camera lens in my suitcase, if my camera bag is going to be too heavy for some smaller airplane flights (specifically tropical islands!).

My Lightweight Camera Tripod

Peak Design Travel Tripod – Lightweight Tripod

As a landscape photographer, a solid yet lightweight travel tripod is a key piece of my photography equipment.

I use my Peak Design Travel Tripod (full review here) to stabilize the camera in low light situations and with high f-stop settings (for maximum focus range). It allows me to get shots I just can’t achieve hand-held.

Sunsets, sunrises, the northern lights, star photography, and motion blurred waterfalls are just some of the situations where having a tripod is important.

I also use it to film myself for vlogs, as well as to shoot travel selfies when I’m hiking on my own. There are cheaper tripod options available, which I share in my guide to the best travel tripods.

Favorite Camera Accessories

Peak Design Capture Clip

I love this thing so much! Basically, the Peak Design Capture Clip allows you to “clip” your camera onto your belt, or on the shoulder straps of a backpack, for easy access (and to keep your hands free).

I use it constantly for day hikes, long-distance trekking, walking around cities, and basically, anywhere I know I’ll want quick access to my camera. While I still use a camera strap sometimes, this is the primary way I carry my camera. You can even run with it!

It’s also a great photography gift idea, if you’re unsure what a photographer would want.

HINT: If you have a larger camera, the Peak Design Pro Pad makes carrying it on your belt MUCH more comfortable.

Peak Design Camera Strap

When I’m not using my Peak Design camera clip mentioned above, I snap on this Peak Design Leash Camera Strap and sling it around my shoulders it like you’d wear a rifle.

The Peak Design quick release system allows me to easily remove the strap if it’s getting in the way, or snap it right back on. Adjusting the strap length is also super fast. It’s pretty minimal and doesn’t take up much room in a camera bag. 

Camera Rain & Snow Protection

So, if I’m carrying my camera on my backpack straps, what happens if it starts raining? While my Sony A7R III has decent weather sealing, in bad weather I throw on my Peak Design Shell Rain Cover. This helps protect my camera from the elements, while also keeping it ready to access.

Now if the rain or snow is REALLY coming down, or I’m shooting near the ocean (like in Antarctica), or maybe under a waterfall, I also pack a simple plastic rain sleeve like this.

External Microphones

For video, the internal microphones on cameras just aren’t very good. In fact, they’re pretty terrible. Because audio is SO important for creating a good video, I pack two different external microphones.

One is the Sennheiser MKE 400 Shotgun, which goes on the top of my camera. Great quality, and very small.

The other is the Tascam DR-TL Lavalier. This goes on my body, so I can get great audio even if the camera is far away, the room has a lot of echoes, or if it’s super windy out. You can than easily sync the audio to the video later while editing.

LED Video Light

This tiny but powerful Aputure ALM9 LED Light mounts to the camera’s hot-shoe and allows me to shoot video at night. It takes up almost no space and can be recharged via USB cable.

Camera Lens Filters

Lens filters help you achieve certain photography effects that just aren’t possible with software yet. Think of them as sunglasses for your camera.

I carry a Hoya Fusion One Polarizing Filter to help reduce glare & reflections on water, glass (like through helicopter windows), and to darken up the blues and clouds in a sky.

I also carry a Tiffen Variable ND Filter (neutral density) which cuts down the amount of light going into the camera to different degrees, depending on how much you spin it. Why? To create special effects like motion blur in a waterfall, even when it’s sunny outside.

Wireless Remote

One of my favorite pieces of gear is the Sony Bluetooth Remote. This allows me to shoot photos or video remotely, when I’m away from my camera.

I used to own a wireless radio intervalometer remote, but newer Sony cameras have the time-lapse function built into their camera software (FINALLY!), so it is no longer needed.

However I do still like to shoot photos of myself, or group photos, with the ability to auto-focus, and this Bluetooth remote does that perfectly without any special camera attachments!

Memory Cards

Because I shoot in RAW, with very large camera files, I use very fast memory cards. I own a mixture of Sony High-Performance 64GB and SanDisk Extreme Pro 64GB class 10 cards which read/write at around 300 mb/s. 

Spare Batteries

There is nothing worse than running out of battery power during an epic photography moment! That’s why I always carry spare batteries for my cameras.

I own 4 batteries for my Sony A7R III, 2 batteries for my Sony RX100, 3 batteries for my drone, and 3 batteries for my GoPro.

Portable Hard Drives

I travel with an Apple Macbook Air 13″ with a 2TB SDD, which is usually plenty of room for the images & video I shoot on any given trip.

To back that up, I also pack a super small 2TB Sandisk Extreme Portable SSD. Once I get back “home”, I move everything over to a larger desktop RAID system.

Cold Weather Protection

I bought a cold-weather jacket for my camera a while back, for a few winter projects I was working on. Like camping on a frozen lake in Manitoba, and snowmobiling through the Russian wilderness.

It keeps your camera, batteries, lens, and your hands nice and toasty while shooting outdoors in below-zero temperatures. It’s a bit of a specialty product, and only makes it into my bag when I know I’ll be shooting in very extreme weather conditions.

Clear Accessory Pouches

I own a few Think Tank Camera Accessory Pouches to keep all my cables, battery chargers, and GoPro Accessories organized. The clear sides allow me to quickly figure out what’s inside.

Camera Cleaning & Maintenance

Microfiber Lens Cloths

There’s nothing worse than a foggy or smudged camera lens! I pack no less than 3 of these K&F Concept Microfiber Lens Cloths on every trip. Two go in my camera bag, one goes in my pocket for easy access. 

I always end up losing them too, so it never hurts to have more than you need laying around.

Air Blower

The problem with changing your lenses on mirrorless cameras is that the mirror is exposed to the elements, and they’re a magnet for dust. Dust on your sensor leaves you with “dust spots” on your photos (or worse, video).

A few quick bursts of air with this Camera Air Blower on your sensor can help clear that dust away.

Sticky Sensor Stick

When the air blower doesn’t work, and the dust on my sensor is too stubborn to blow away, I break out the big guns, my Eyelead Sensor Stick. It’s kind of like a gummy bear on a stick that pulls the dust away.

Budget-Friendly Camera Kit Examples

Yes, I own a lot of camera gear now. But that wasn’t always the case.

When I first started traveling, all I used was a Canon 7D, a wide angle zoom lens, a tripod, and a GoPro.

If you are still new to travel and adventure photography, don’t get discouraged by this giant list of gear-porn that I’ve accumulated over the years!

I do this professionally, so I can afford to go a little crazy.

For those of you traveling on a tighter budget, I’ve put together my ideal “starter travel photography kits” below — which won’t cost you an arm and a leg.

The Minimalist Backpacker Kit

• Sony RX100 VII – Compact Point & Shoot
• Joby Gorillapod 3K – Compact Tripod

Travel Photography Enthusiast Kit

• Sony A6600 – Compact Mirrorless
• Sony 18-135mm F3.5-5.6 – Travel Zoom Lens
• MeFoto Backpacker S – Travel Tripod
• Peak Design Everyday Sling – Mirrorless Camera Bag

Improving Your Travel Photography

Ok! That was a big post. But people kept asking about my gear, so there you go.

However please remember that gear isn’t everything.

The best way to improve your travel photography is to practice as much as possible and learn new skills.

Even after ten years doing this, I’m still learning new techniques to get better.

Joining some online photography classes can really help you improve your images, as well as learn about the business side of photography.

Finally, check out my top travel photography tips for beginners too! ★

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This is a post from The Expert Vagabond adventure blog.

Photography Tips

Want to become a better photographer? Stuck at home in lock-down? Try joining these great online photography classes & courses created by pros to improve your photos.

So, you’ve bought a nice camera. You’ve watched a few YouTube videos.

But why doesn’t your Instagram feed look as good as the professional photographers you follow?

Well, aside from the many years of experience and practice they have under their belts, another likely reason is the hundreds of hours they’ve spent working under mentors, attending workshops, taking college courses, or joining online photography classes.

The key to getting better at something — is to never stop learning.

Even after 10-years working as a freelance travel photographer, I’m still actively learning new techniques to improve my images. Photography classes, courses, and tutorials are a big part of this.

So I wanted to share some of my favorite online photography courses.

These photo tutorials go into extreme detail on topics like planning, composition, advanced techniques (focus stacking, time-lapses, long exposure, etc.) post-processing skills, social media tips, and even making money with your photography.

There are also classes here that are perfect for photography beginners.

There’s no need to spend thousands of dollars on a college photography degree when you can study from home using these great online photography courses produced by working professionals.

Hi, I’m Matthew Karsten

I’ve been traveling the world for 10+ years as a professional travel photographer & writer. This is my travel blog. Enjoy!

About The Author

Top Online Photography Classes 2023

1. iPhone Photography School

By Emil Pakarklis

The best camera is the one you have with you. For many people, that means the smartphone in their pocket! Smartphone photography has come a long way over the years, and it’s certainly possible to take great photos with an iPhone — if you know how.

Photographer Emil Pakarklis has put together a wonderful course for people who want to take better photos right now with the phones in their pocket — called iPhone Photography School. It’s perfect for beginner photographers who don’t have a bunch of fancy gear yet.

buy emil pakarklis’ course here →

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2. Adventure Photography Masterclass

By Jimmy Chin

Jimmy Chin has had a long and successful photography career, shooting for National Geographic and other major publications around the world. He even won an Emmy Award for his cinematography work on the documentary “Free Solo”.

Learn about Jimmy’s different creative approaches for commercial shoots, editorial spreads, and passion projects. He also shares tips on gear and perspective in his Adventure Photography Masterclass.

3. Adventure Photography Pro

By Alex Strohl

Alex Strohl is one of my favorite outdoor adventure photographers, so when I learned he created his own online photography class called Adventure Photography Pro, I signed up ASAP! Alex shoots professionally for some HUGE brands, so it was super interesting to learn about this part of his business (along with actual examples on location with clients).

He spends a lot of time going over the storytelling process, the importance of planning & scouting before shooting, reaching out to potential clients, building an audience, his editing techniques, and much more.

DISCOUNT CODE: Use my code VAGABOND20 to get 20% off the listed price!

4. The Business Of Photography

By Chris Burkard

Chris Burkard, if you’ve been living under a rock, is one of the most accomplished travel & adventure photographers out there right now. Not only is his photography incredible, his business chops have made him a household name.

From prints, to books, to movies, to huge commercial projects with brands like Apple, Toyota, Sony, The North Face, Patagonia, CitiBank, Microsoft, Volkswagen — Chris seems to do it all!

Well, now you can too, with his Business Of Photography Course that explains when and how to grow your business, diversifying revenue, working with agents, modern marketing techniques, and more.

DISCOUNT CODE: Use my code VAGABOND20 to get 20% off the listed price!

5. Wildlife Photography Workshop

By Charly Savely

Professional wildlife photographer Charly Savely captures some of the most incredible photos of animals I’ve ever seen. And, she’s recently decided to share her secrets with the world through her online Wildlife Photography Workshop recorded in Alaska’s Katmai National Park.

Learn how she chooses her lenses, framing for impact, camera settings for handheld or tripod use, using art to influence your style, where to find wildlife, how to photograph animals safely, shooting in the cold, and how she edits her images for an emotional reaction.

DISCOUNT CODE: Use my code VAGABOND20 to get 20% off the listed price!

6. Mastering Lightroom & Photoshop

By Andrew Kerns

Every professional photographer uses post-processing techniques to make their images stand out. In fact, editing & post-processing your images is a major part of the photography workflow. You can’t ignore mastering the skills of photography software if you want to make a living with photography!

Luckily Andrew Kerns put together an amazing online class to help you learn the latest Adobe Lightroom & Photoshop techniques that professionals like him use: manipulating luminance, contrast, color, curves, split-toning, re-touching tips and much more.

DISCOUNT CODE: Use my code VAGABOND20 to get 20% off the listed price!

7. A To Z Of Selling Your Photos

By Lola Akinmade

Lola Akinmade is an award-winning travel photographer who’s work is regularly published by brands like: National Geographic Traveller, Travel & Leisure, The New York Times, Vogue, Outside, Smithsonian Journeys, the BBC, and The Telegraph to name just a few.

She’s also put together an excellent online photography class that goes into detail about HOW to sell your photos to these types of organizations. From approaching brands, how to deal with copyrights, working with editors, obtaining model releases, seeking out grants and much more.

8. Photographing The World

By Elia Locardi

Elia Locardi is a very successful landscape photographer who’s been traveling the world for years. His course Photographing The World is packed full of tips & post-processing techniques he uses to create his landscape and travel photography.

With 15 lessons and more than 12 hours of video content, his photography tutorial takes you from the on-location capture (in places like Iceland & New Zealand) all the way through his post-processing techniques in the studio.

9. The Travel Photography Course

By Laurence Norah

Want to learn how to compose a better image while telling a story with your camera? Or the technical side of photography like understanding what aperture, shutter speed and ISO really do? These are just some of the topics travel photographer Laurence Norah goes over in his Travel Photography Course.

The course is structured well for complete beginners to photography, but with helpful tips for the business and professional side of things too. With 10 weeks of content and over 60 individual lessons, you’ll have plenty to keep you busy!

Free YouTube Photography Tutorials?

Subscribe to my YouTube Channel for new Adventure Travel Videos!
(Click to watch Northern Lights Photography Tips on YouTube)

Yes, there are thousands of free photography tutorials on YouTube (in fact, here’s one of mine!) While you can certainly learn from them, I find that investing in a paid course provides the highest quality experience.

Maybe I’ll share some of my favorite free photography tutorials in a future article. Because there’s a lot of crap on YouTube too…

The BEST online photography courses demand a TON of time and knowledge to put together, and when done well, they’re just as useful as working under a mentor or taking classes in person.

Developing Your Photography Style

One of the most important aspects of becoming a professional photographer is developing your own personal style of photography. Whether that’s subject matter, editing style, or both.

By learning from other photographers through online classes, you can pick and choose parts of their workflow and style that you like, then adjust for your own use. We all get inspiration from others — it’s just the nature of art.

Learn as much as you can about the craft, then use that knowledge to develop your own signature look and make your work stand out! ★

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READ MORE TRAVEL PHOTOGRAPHY TIPS

I hope you enjoyed my guide to the best online photography classes! Hopefully you found it useful. Here are a few more photography articles that I recommend you read next:

• How To Photograph The Northern Lights
• Is Instagram Ruining Travel?
• What’s In My Camera Bag Right Now
• Tips For Improving Your Travel Photos
• How To Become A Freelance Photographer
• 15 Unique Gift Ideas For Photographers

Have any questions about these online photo courses? Any good ones I missed? Join the conversation on Facebook, Instagram, or Twitter to share!

This is a post from The Expert Vagabond adventure blog.

Photography Tips

Have you ever dreamed about seeing the colorful aurora borealis dancing in the night sky? Here’s how to find & photograph the amazing Northern Lights in Iceland!

Witnessing the magic of the northern lights at least once is a bucket-list experience for most people. I’ve been lucky enough to see and photograph the “Aurora Borealis” multiple times in a few different countries — including Iceland.

The northern lights can transfix you for hours, watching their mysterious green glow dance in the sky over the mountains or the sea.

Tracking down and shooting amazing photos of the northern lights in Iceland is always a top priority when I visit!

However many people don’t realize that this incredible natural phenomenon can often be elusive and unpredictable.

So to help you improve your chances, I’ve put together this guide on how to see and photograph the Northern Lights in Iceland. I’m going to share a few tips on how to find them, where to see them, as well as the camera settings and editing techniques I use.

Northern Lights Photography Guide

How To Find The Northern Lights In Iceland

So why are the northern lights so difficult to see, even in Iceland? Well, it’s because there are many different factors involved.

For the optimal northern lights experience, you need a combination of dark skies, clear weather, and strong aurora activity. Ensuring that all these requirements come together takes some planning.

Seek Out Dark Skies

For the same reason star-gazing is better when it’s dark out, viewing the northern lights is best in the dark too. Light pollution from cities & towns hinders the experience.

Yes, you might be able to see the lights from Iceland’s capital city of Reykjavik occasionally. However you’ll have more luck in the countryside away from man-made light sources.

Avoid The Full Moon

If you can, try to avoid seeking out the northern lights during a full moon. The brightness of the moon can make it more difficult to see the aurora in the sky.

Also, remember that the moon rises and sets like the sun. So you can try and time your northern lights hunting when the moon is hidden away below the horizon for maximum darkness.

My favorite smartphone app for checking the moon rise and moon set schedule around the world is called The Photographer’s Ephemeris.

That said, sometimes a little bit of moonlight from a 1/4 moon can light up the background landscape just enough to create some spectacular images too!

Wait For Clear Weather

If the weather is overly cloudy, you won’t be able to find the northern lights. So pay attention to the weather forecast, especially cloud cover (infrared satellite maps help a lot).

While you might still see some aurora lights if it’s only partly cloudy, you’ll have the best chance when there are no clouds at all.

My favorite smartphone app for checking cloud cover conditions around the world is called MeteoEarth.

Check The Aurora Forecast

Because aurora activity comes down from the sun in space, scientists are able to predict how strong it will be by looking at our sun’s solar wind, and the strength of the Earth’s magnetic field. This “KP-Index” ranges from 0-9.

In my experience, you might have some luck seeing the northern lights in Iceland when the KP Index is 3 or 4. If you are lucky enough to be there when a solar storm hits (KP 5+), then you’ll have quite a show!

My favorite smartphone app for predicting the aurora is called My Aurora Forecast Pro.

It gives push notifications when there’s a chance to see the lights near you!

For worldwide aurora predictions, Space Weather Ovation is also good.

Self-Drive vs. Group Tour

You should be able to go hunting for the northern lights on your own by renting a car in Iceland. Another option is renting a camper van, which allows you to get far away from towns and their street-light pollution.

Experience driving in snow is helpful if you’re visiting Iceland in the winter, as conditions can sometimes be very harsh. Big snowstorms are common.

I prefer exploring on my own, as it gives me the freedom to stay out all night or move locations on a whim.

However, if you don’t feel comfortable driving in Iceland at night, there are plenty of organized northern lights tours available too.

Best Time To See Northern Lights

Iceland’s best season to see the northern lights is the fall/winter months from September to April. The absolute darkest months are between November & February, but these months can also have the worst weather.

Remember that you need a combination of darkness away from towns, clear skies, and strong aurora activity to see the northern lights.

Witnessing Iceland’s northern lights during summer months is pretty rare, due to almost 20-hours of sunlight per day near the arctic circle.

The more time you spend in Iceland, the better your chances are of spotting the lights. If you’re only visiting on a 2-day stopover, you’ll need a LOT of luck to see them. I recommend spending at least 7 days in Iceland if you want to find the northern lights.

Even then it can be difficult. Some people can visit Iceland multiple times and never see them!

You probably won’t see the northern lights if you’re bar hopping in Reykjavik.

A primary reason why I was able to capture such great photos of the aurora borealis is that I stayed outside all night, for multiple nights, driving around searching for them. It takes some dedication.

For example, when I visited Iceland’s famous plane wreck in the middle of the night.

Where To Look For The Aurora

The best places to see the northern lights are in the northern latitudes. Think near the Arctic Circle.

The best viewing latitudes are between 68 degrees north to 74 degrees north. This includes Iceland. But some other good locations are the northern regions of Norway, Sweden, and Finland.

Greenland, Russia, Alaska, and Canada are also prime northern lights travel destinations.

Remember To Look North!

While it may seem obvious, remember to look North! The lights dance along the magnetic bands near the arctic circle, so you need to keep your eyes North to see them.

Often the lights start off weak at first, slowly increasing in intensity.

Weak aurora activity will look grey to the naked eye. Much like wispy clouds or fog moving in the wind. They can be easy to miss if you don’t realize it.

Aim your camera at the grey stuff and shoot a long-exposure photo (20 seconds or so). If those “clouds” come out green in your image, they aren’t clouds! You’re witnessing a weaker version of the northern lights.

The stronger the aurora activity, the brighter the colors will be.

The most common northern lights color you’ll see is green. However, if you’re lucky, they can also be blue, red, and orange depending on which atmospheric gasses happen to be prevalent.

Northern Lights Photography Tips

Once you find the Aurora, capturing decent images of it is a whole new challenge. Here are some tips to help you photograph the northern lights in Iceland.

Best Photography Gear

In most photography situations, the quality of your gear doesn’t matter too much. However for northern lights & star photography, it does.

Here’s a list of my recommended photography gear you’ll want to produce some great low-light shots. You can also see all my photography gear here.

• Digital Camera with Manual Mode & High ISO Capability
• Wide Angle Lens (24mm or wider) with Fast Aperture (2.8 – 4.0 minimum)
• Sturdy Tripod
• 2-3 Extra Batteries
• Cold Weather Clothing
• Hand-warmer Heat Packs

You’ll want a quality camera (brand doesn’t really matter) with a large sensor for minimal noise at high ISO settings.

A wide angle lens aids in photographing large landscapes with the night sky.

A fast lens aperture allows the maximum amount of ambient light to enter your lens.

Sturdy travel tripods allow you shoot long exposures without producing camera shake.

Extra batteries give you the flexibility to stay out all night waiting for peak activity — plus cold weather drains them faster.

How To Focus Your Camera At Night

Even with the best camera gear and knowledge of the optimal settings, without proper focus, your northern lights photos won’t come out crisp/clear.

There are a few different methods for focusing your camera at night, but my favorite is to focus on a distant landmark (like mountains) on the horizon.

This is easier to do right before the sun sets, so it isn’t too dark.

Most cameras have an infinity focus setting (∞), but it’s not always accurate. Zoom in as much as possible and adjust the focus manually if needed.

Once you have it locked in, remember to switch “autofocus” off and don’t touch the lens focus ring. Sometimes it helps to “tape” down your focus ring so you don’t move it by accident later.

Northern Lights Camera Settings

Make sure to watch the video above for examples of my camera settings.

Because the intensity of the light and amount of movement is constantly changing, you’ll have to experiment with your settings throughout the night.

Your camera should be set in Manual Mode, giving you the power to change each particular setting on its own.

IMAGE FORMAT
Most professional photographers shoot in RAW format rather than JPG, as it provides the maximum amount of information allowing for greater flexibility with post processing later.

It’s not necessary, but it does give you more wiggle room when editing the images.

APERTURE (F-STOP)
You want to capture as much light as possible, so use the widest (fastest) aperture your lens has. I recommend an aperture between F4.0 and F2.8.

To learn more about aperture, click here.

SHUTTER SPEED
Depending on how fast the lights are moving, or how bright they are, you’ll want to adjust your shutter speed (exposure) accordingly. Anything from 2 seconds to 13 seconds is a good place to start.

The faster the lights are moving, the shorter the shutter speed should be. Otherwise, you’ll end up with a massive blob of the overexposed green sky…

ISO
The last setting you should adjust for northern lights photos is ISO. Increasing ISO allows your sensor to capture more light. The downside is that the higher your ISO is, the more sensor noise you’ll get, resulting in a grainy image.

Generally, I shoot my northern lights photos using an ISO of 1000 – 4000 which seems to work best.

Post-Processing Your Aurora Images

Once you have a decent image, you can enhance your Iceland northern lights photos with post-processing software. I personally use a combination of Adobe Lightroom and Adobe Photoshop, but there are others.

They all basically do the same things. How much processing you do to your photos is a matter of preference. Remember, art is subjective! You and I may not like the same things.

Post-processing is a huge topic though, so I’ll just give you a super quick overview of what I did to enhance my northern lights images to really make them pop.

• Adjust White Balance
• Increase Exposure
• Brighten Shadows
• Brighten Whites
• Darken Highlights
• Increase Clarity, Vibrance, and Saturation
• Adjust Curves
• Noise Reduction
• Sharpening

Happy Northern Lights Hunting!

The Iceland northern lights photography featured here was captured in the fall, over multiple trips while driving around Iceland’s famous Ring Road.

The lights would usually start off weak, increasing in intensity over the course of a few hours. The best shots were captured at peak aurora activity, which usually only lasted for about 10-15 minutes.

Patience & dedication is soooo important for northern lights photography… you need to stick around long enough for the good stuff to show itself.

With a little planning, a lot of waiting, and a dash of luck, you too can witness this amazing natural phenomenon in Iceland called the northern lights.

There’s nothing like seeing the northern lights in person! It’s magic. ★

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READ MORE PHOTOGRAPHY & ICELAND TIPS

I hope you enjoyed my guide to photographing the northern lights in Iceland! Hopefully you found it useful. Here are a few more wanderlust-inducing articles that I recommend you read next:

• Check out my ultimate Iceland Ring Road itinerary to learn about all the top highlights along the way.
• Planning a trip to Iceland, but not sure when to go? Here’s the best time to visit Iceland organized by seasons.
• If you only have a few days, a better option is to drive Iceland’s Golden Circle as a day trip instead.
• Did you know that many citizens of Iceland believe in elves? Here are some other strange facts about Iceland.
• Bookmark my favorite Iceland photography locations to get that perfect shot for Instagram!
• Save some money and learn about the best places to stay in Reykjavikwhen you visit the city.
• Want to improve your photos? Read my best travel photography tipsand guide to picking a travel camera.

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Have any questions about seeing the northern lights in Iceland? Or how to photograph them? Join the conversation on Facebook, Instagram, or Twitter to share!

This is a post from The Expert Vagabond adventure blog.

Travel Photography Tips

Looking to improve your travel photography? I’ve spent 10-years shooting photos from destinations around the world. Here are my favorite travel photography tips for beginners.

Some people collect souvenirs when they travel, I prefer to collect beautiful images with my camera.

Travel photography is like a time machine, freezing memories from a journey that you can look back on and enjoy for years. Plus it can help others find new inspiration.

Every travel destination has its own look, culture, history, people, feelings, landscapes, and stories.

Learning how to capture these subjects through photos helps convey the spirit of a place to others, giving them a glimpse of what it might be like to venture there.

I never went to school for photography. And yet here I am now, making my living as a professional travel photographer who regularly licenses images to tourism boards, brands, and occasionally glossy magazines.

I’ve slowly learned the techniques of travel photography over years of reading books, watching online tutorials, and regular practice to improve my craft. You can learn this way too — if you put in the effort!

Below you’ll find my favorite beginner travel photography tips to help improve your images during your next vacation!

Why listen to me? Experience! I’ve been traveling around the world for ten years as a professional travel photographer, licensing images to brands like NatGeo.

Matthew KarstenThe Expert Vagabond

Travel Photography Tips For Beginners

1. Wake Up Early, Stay Out Late

The early bird gets the worm. I’m sure you’ve heard that phrase. Well, it’s also very true for travel photography. Light is the most important ingredient for great photography — and soft, warm, morning light creates amazing images.

Waking up early also means you’ll have to deal with fewer tourists and other photographers. Want an epic postcard shot of a famous landmark like the ruins of Chichen Itza or the Taj Mahal? Just get there early right when it opens and you’ll pretty much have the place to yourself!

Sunrise isn’t the only time to catch good light. Sunsets are also great (check out these shots from Lofoten). The hour after sunrise and the hour before sunset are nicknamed “golden hours” because of their soft, warm tones and eye-pleasing shadows. “Blue hour”, is the hour after sunset (or before sunrise) when the sky is still blue, but city lights are turned on.

In comparison, shooting photos at noon on a bright sunny day is probably the absolute worst time for travel photography! In fact sometimes I’ll just take a nap during the middle of the day so I have more energy for early morning and evening photography missions when the light is best.

2. Pre-Trip Location Scouting

Read travel guidebooks about your destination. Scour the internet for articles and blog posts to help give you ideas for photos. Talk to friends who have been there. Reach out to other photographers. Become more knowledgeable about which images will capture the essence of a place.

Some of my favorite tools for travel photography research are Instagram, Pinterest, and Google Image Search. I use them to learn where iconic locations are. Actual postcard racks are also a great tool for helping to create a “shot list”.

Once I know the names of potential photo locations, I’ll do more research. Which time of day has the best light? How difficult is it to reach certain vantage points? What time does an attraction open, and when will tourist traffic be low? What will the weather be like?

Wandering around with no plans has its place, but being well prepared with research beforehand saves time so you can fully commit to producing amazing travel photography once you’re there, and maximize your time.

3. Ask For Permission From Locals

Photographing local people in a foreign country is tough for many photographers. What if they don’t understand you? What if they say no? Will they get offended? It took me a couple years to get comfortable shooting portraits of locals, and even now I still get a bit nervous.

But I’ve learned the key is to talk to people first. Say hello. Ask for directions. Buy a souvenir. Compliment them on something. Chat for a few minutes BEFORE asking for a photo. It’s far less invasive this way.

Always ask permission for close-ups too. Spend 15 minutes learning how to say “can I make a photograph” or “can I take your portrait” in the local language before you arrive. People really appreciate the effort, and it’s a great way to make a new friend.

Some people will say no. Some will ask for money (I sometimes pay, but that’s up to you). It’s not the end of the world. Thank them for their time, smile, and move on to someone else and try again. Actually the more you get rejected, the easier it gets to ask!

4. Never Stop Learning

Enroll in some online photography classes. Invest in a travel photography workshop. Go out and practice on a regular basis. This is how you get better – not because you have the latest gear or use popular Instagram filters.

Even though I’ve been earning money with my photography for many years, there’s always something new to learn. I regularly invest in online courses and books about photography to improve my craft. You should too.

Think you know everything about landscapes? Then go out and challenge yourself shooting portraits of strangers. Stalk animals like a hunter for a taste of how difficult wildlife photography is. Stay up late experimenting with long-exposures of the Milky Way.

You’ll become a more skilled and resourceful travel photographer when you take the time to learn new techniques and skills from other genres of photography.

Online Photography Courses

Want to improve your photography? Fancy gear is nice, but learning from other photographers is a better investment.

Click Here For Free Guide

5. Rule Of Thirds In Photography

One of the most basic and classic of photography tips, understanding the Rule of Thirds will help you create more balanced compositions. Imagine breaking an image down into thirds horizontally and vertically, so it’s split into different sections.

The goal is to place important parts of the photo into those sections and help frame the overall image in a way that’s pleasing to the eye.

For example, placing a person along the left grid line rather than directly in the center. Or keeping your horizon on the bottom third, rather than splitting the image in half. Remember to keep that horizon straight too!

Composing using the Rule of Thirds is easily done by turning on your camera’s “grid” feature, which displays a rule of thirds grid directly on your LCD screen specifically for this purpose.

Now, before you compose a travel photo, you should be asking yourself: What are the key points of interest in this shot? Where should I intentionally place them on the grid? Paying attention to these details will improve the look of your images.

6. Pack A Lightweight Travel Tripod

I think more people should be using lightweight travel tripods. A tripod allows you to set your camera position and keep it there. With the camera fixed, you can then take your time arranging the perfect composition.

You can also adjust exposure settings, focus points, and really spend time paying attention to the image you want to create. Or use advanced techniques like HDR, focus stacking, and panoramas.

Tripods give you the ability to shoot much slower shutter speeds (waterfalls, low-light, stars, etc) without worrying about hand-held camera shake. You can keep your ISO low (for less sensor noise) and use smaller apertures, so more of the image is in focus.

You’ll have greater creative control over your camera’s manual settings when using a tripod. This doesn’t mean you have to lug a tripod around with you absolutely everywhere. I don’t.

But for tack sharp landscapes, low-light photography, self-portraits, flowing water shots, and sunsets/sunrises, a travel tripod makes a huge difference.

7. Experiment With Composition

You can almost always come up with a better photo composition after some experimentation. Sure, take that first shot standing up straight. But then try laying on the ground for a low angle. Maybe climb up something nearby and shoot from a higher angle.

Along with different angles, try shooting from different distances too. Start with a wide shot, then a mid-range version, and finally, get up-close and personal. Never be satisfied with your first idea for an image!

Try to include powerful foreground, mid-ground, and background elements too. If your subject is a mountain range — find a flower, river, animal, or interesting rock to include in the foreground. This gives images a 3-dimensional feel and helps convey scale, drawing a viewer’s eye into the rest of the photo.

Focal compression is another great compositional tactic in travel photography. Compression is when a photographer uses a zoom lens to trick the eye into thinking objects are closer than they really are.

8. Make Travel Photography A Priority

Attempting to take quick snapshots as you rush from one location to another will leave you with the same boring photos everyone else has. Make sure you plan “photography time” into your travel schedule. Good travel photography requires a solid time commitment on your part.

If you’re traveling with friends who aren’t into photography, it can be difficult to find the time necessary to create amazing images. You need to break off on your own for a few hours to make photography your priority. I often prefer to travel alone or with other dedicated photographers for this reason.

Good luck trying to explain to a non-photographer that you’d like to wait around for an extra 30 minutes until the clouds look better. It doesn’t go over well. For organized tours, try waking up early to wander alone for a few hours, getting photos before the tour starts.

Even better, splurge on a rental car for a travel photography road trip. This allows you to control when and where you stop for photos. There’s nothing worse than being stuck on a bus while passing an epic photo opportunity, powerless to stop and capture it!

9. Don’t Underestimate The Human Element

People like to live vicariously through human subjects in photos. Especially if the viewer can pretend the person in the photo is them. It adds more emotion to an image, you feel like you’re experiencing the location yourself.

How do you accomplish this? By posing the subject in such a way that they become anonymous. Not showing the subject’s face. This is why Murad Osmann’s “follow me to” Instagram photos went viral. Viewers felt like they were the ones being led around the world by a beautiful woman.

The human element also gives a better sense of scale. By placing your subject in the distance, you can get a better sense of just how big those mountains really are. It’s why photographing “tiny” people in large landscapes does well.

Adding a human element to photos helps tell a story too. Images seem to be more powerful when people are included in them. You can completely change the storyline of a particular photo depending on what type of human element you decide to incorporate.

10. Patience Is Everything

Photography is about really seeing what’s in front of you. Not just with your eyes, but with your heart & mind too. This requires dedicated time and attention. Slow down and make a conscious effort at becoming aware of your surroundings before pressing the shutter.

Pay attention to details. Are the clouds in an eye-pleasing spot? If not, will they look better in 15 minutes? Sit at a photogenic street corner and wait for a photogenic subject to pass by. Then wait some more, because you might get an even better shot. Or not. But if you don’t have the patience to try, you might miss a fantastic photo opportunity!

When shooting the Northern Lights in Iceland, I spent all night camping in the cold at a perfect location, simply waiting for the magical aurora borealis to appear. When it finally did, I waited a few hours more to capture the brightest possible colors.

Good photography takes time. Are you willing to spend a few hours waiting for the perfect shot? Because that’s what professionals do. The more patience you have, the better your travel photography will turn out in the long run.

11. Protect Against Theft

Cameras are small expensive products. As such, they’re a prime target for theft while traveling. I’ve heard many sad theft stories from other travelers. Luckily I’ve never had my camera stolen, but I also take precautions against it.

First of all, buy camera insurance. This is the best way to minimize losses if your camera gear does wind up in the hands of a criminal. Your homeowner or rental insurance might already cover you. If not, organizations like the Professional Photographers of America offer insurance to members.

Keep your gear secured when not shooting, like in a hotel safe or hostel locker. Never check expensive photography gear under a plane, always take it carry-on. Try not to flash your camera around in sketchy or poverty-stricken areas, keep it hidden in a nondescript bag until ready for use.

Register new gear with the manufacturer. Copy down serial numbers and save purchase receipts to help speed up insurance claims. Include your name & camera serial number on image EXIF data, so if your camera is stolen, you can track it down online using StolenCameraFinder.com.

12. Shoot Travel Photos In Manual Mode

You’d think that modern cameras are smart enough to take incredible pictures on their own, in AUTO mode. Well, that’s just not the case. While they do a pretty good job, if you want truly stunning images, you need to learn how to manually control your camera’s settings yourself.

If you’re new to photography, you may not realize all the camera settings that need to be adjusted. These include ISO, aperture, and shutter speed. If you want the best images possible, you need to know the relationship between them, and how to adjust these settings on your own.

To do this, switch your camera’s dial into Manual Mode. This camera mode gives you much more control of the look of your images in different situations. By manually adjusting aperture you’ll have more control over the depth of field in your image.

By manually controlling shutter speed, you’ll be able to capture motion in more creative ways. By manually controlling ISO, you’ll be able to reduce the noise of your images and deal with tricky lighting situations. Here’s a good free online tutorial about Manual Mode.

13. Always Bring A Camera

There is a saying in photography that “the best camera is the one you have with you”. Be ready for anything, and always carry some kind of travel camera around, because luck plays a pretty key role in travel photography.

The difference between an amateur photographer and a pro is that the pro is planning in advance for this luck, ready to take advantage of these special serendipitous moments that will happen from time to time.

You never know what kind of incredible photo opportunity might present itself while you’re traveling. Maybe while out walking you happen to stumble upon a brilliant pink sunset, a rare animal, or some random street performance.

While hiking in Greenland I kept my camera ready and within easy reach with a 70-200mm lens attached. This helped me capture great shots of reindeer, rabbits, an arctic fox, and musk oxen. If it had been packed away in my camera backpack, I would’ve missed these opportunities.

Keep your camera on you, charged up, and ready for action at all times.

14. Get Lost On Purpose

Ok. You’ve visited all the popular photography sites and captured your own version of a destination’s postcard photos. Now what? It’s time to go exploring and get off the beaten tourist path. It’s time to get lost on purpose.

If you want to get images no one else has, you need to wander more. The best way to do this is on foot — without knowing exactly where you’re going. Grab a business card from your hotel so you can catch a taxi back if needed, then just pick a direction and start walking.

Bring your camera, and head out into the unknown. Check with locals to make sure you’re not heading somewhere dangerous, but make a point get lost. Wander down alleys, to the top of a mountain, and around the next bend.

In many places, locals tend to avoid tourist spots. So if you want to capture the true nature of a destination and its people, you’ll need to get away from the crowd and go exploring on your own.

15. Backup Your Travel Photos

Along with camera insurance, I can’t stress enough the importance of both physical and online backups of your travel photos. When my laptop computer was stolen once in Panama, backups of my photography saved the day.

My travel photography backup workflow includes an external hard drive backup of RAW camera files, as well as online backup of select images and another online backup of final edited images.

Sometimes, for important projects, I’ll even mail a small hard drive loaded with images back to the United States if the internet is just too slow for online backup of large RAW files or video. I use Scan Disk Extreme Portable hard drives for physical backup and DropBox for online cloud storage.

16. Get Better At Post Processing

There is a ridiculous myth out there that editing your photos using software is “cheating”. Let’s clear that up right now. All professional photographers edit their digital images using software like Lightroom, Photoshop, or GIMP.

Some do it more than others, but basically, everyone does it.

Post-processing is an integral part of any travel photographer’s workflow. Just like darkroom adjustments are a part of a film photographer’s workflow. Learning how to process your images after they’re taken is FAR more important than what camera you use.

Learn how to improve contrast, sharpen image elements, soften color tones, reduce highlights, boost shadows, minimize sensor noise, and adjust exposure levels (without going overboard) using the software.

If you are going to invest money somewhere, I’d recommend spending it on professional post-processing tutorials before you invest in the latest camera gear. Post-processing knowledge can really improve your travel photography.

17. Don’t Obsess Over Camera Equipment

Want to know what travel photography gear I use? Well, here you go. But if you went out right now and bought all that stuff, not only would it be super expensive, I guarantee it won’t improve your photography skills.

Why? Because the gear you use is not what makes a great photographer. Just like the type of brush a painter uses doesn’t make them a great painter. It’s knowledge, experience, and creativity that makes a great photographer. That’s why photography courses can be a great gift for photographers too!

Professionals use expensive gear because it allows them to produce a greater range of images. For example, extremely low light star photography. Or fast-action wildlife photography. Or because they want to sell large fine-art prints.

Instead of buying the latest equipment, spend time learning how to use your current camera’s settings. It’s a far better investment, and cheaper too!

Best Cameras For Traveling

Looking to upgrade your camera anyway? Check out my review of the best portable cameras for travel photography.

Click Here For Free Guide

18: Look For Leading Lines

Travel photos can be full of cool stuff to look at, but if you can direct the viewer’s attention THROUGH the photo, it makes for a wonderful experience. Framing your image using leading lines can help with this.

Basically, you try to use the land, objects, or other features to send people deeper into your photo, leading them to the main subjects. Some good examples of leading lines are roads, rivers, hiking trails, alleyways, or mountain ridges. The key is to draw the viewer’s eye into the frame.

19: Framing Your Photos

Occasionally I ask a random stranger to take a photo of me when I travel. This is usually pretty risky, because most people aren’t great photographers, even if they think they are. I always laugh when my legs or an arm is completely cut out of the frame! LOL.

Learning to properly frame a photo takes practice. Leave a little buffer space in the sky above that mountain. Make sure the horizon is straight. Don’t cut people’s feet off the bottom of the photo. Does something in the background look out of place? Don’t just focus on the subject, take a moment to glance around the rest of the frame to make double sure you’re about to take great photo!

20: Be Nice & Have Fun!

I’ve seen many travel photographers who take their photography VERY seriously. You probably know the type, usually semi-professionals blocking off famous photography locations with a wall of tripods, ignoring closed off areas, yelling at anyone who gets in their frame.

Try to remember that we’re all sharing these spaces with each other, and we have to learn to get along. Be kind to other photographers, practice patience and common sense. Try not to be the person that ruins everyone else’s photo, but treat other photographers the way you would want to be treated!

More Travel Photography Resources

To go along with my top travel photography tips, here are some of the tools I’ve used to improve my photography over the years. I hope you find them as useful as I did! Remember, never stop learning.

Post Processing Software

• Adobe Creative Cloud – Powerful suite of editing programs (Lightroom & Photoshop) used by most professional travel photographers.
• The Nik Collection – Awesome photography plugins for polishing your final images. Noise reduction, sharpening, color filters and more.

Excellent Photography Tutorials

• Adventure Photography Pro – Learn how to produce incredible images, edit them, and promote them. 20% Off Code: VAGABOND20
• The Business Of Photography – Learn how to turn photography into your career. 20% Off Code: VAGABOND20
• Landscape Photography In Depth – Detailed online course from one of the best landscape photographers out there.

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I hope you enjoyed my guide to travel photography tips! Hopefully you found it useful. Here are a few more photography related articles that I recommend you read next:

• Tips For Choosing A Travel Camera
• Reviewing The DJI Mavic 2 Pro
• How To Photograph The Northern Lights
• Tips For Starting A Travel Blog
• Best GoPro Accessories For Travel

Have any questions about travel photography tips? What about other suggestions? Join the conversation on Facebook, Instagram, or Twitter to share!

This is a post from The Expert Vagabond adventure blog.