Equipment & Clothing

CAMERA The camera systems on today´s market are many and varies in quality, price and functionality but in reality - and as an old saying goes - the best camera you can bring is the one you have on you.

Choosing one system over another can be a lengthy process - and one that is outside the scope of this e-book - but something that your personal guide will be gladly to talk to you about for good advice. To have full control of your exposure we do however recommend a camera system which is capable of Manual mode as some scenes could require you to get off the Auto settings for correct exposure. Having full control of the relationship between Aperture, Shutter speed and ISO is also something your guide will help you with on the tour. That said you can obtain quite amazing images from a smart phone when applying the right technique and settings.

LENSES Photographing the city often presents you with a variety of different scenarios and it can be difficult to plan what you are going to encounter. If you are planning for a day out doing street photography a short telephoto lens in the range of 50-100mm may be best choice but if you are aiming to shoot sceneries and cityscapes a wider choice of lens may be the best option such as in the range of 20-35 mm. Choosing a good quality zoom lens such as for example 28-70mm would be a good walk-around lens and enable you to quickly compose a scene without too much hassle.

CAMERA BAG We recommend carrying a relatively small backpack- or messenger style bag packed with only the essentials for the tour. A couple of lenses, extra batteries, cleaning cloth etc. As you will be carrying the equipment with you all the time think of the weight and distribution of the contents. Using a backpack keeps your hands free to operate the camera if a sudden photo opportunity arises. Although most people are honest by nature and we want to believe in the best in people - never leave your bag behind or unattended. I may not be there when you turn around.

TRIPOD We do not use or recommend bringing a tripod for any of our daytime tours as we will be busy enough photographing and exploring. The evening tour is a completely different matter though, where it is required to bring a tripod as we are concentrating on long exposures of the city lights, buildings and moving cars.

Finding the right tripod is a compromise between weight, height and stability. You do not want a tripod that is too heavy to carry but you do not want a tripod which is flimsy either. Carbon fibre tripods are light weight but often expensive so aluminium tripods can be a perfectly good alternative. Choose a tripod with a good height (preferably chest height or higher) and sturdy legs fitted with a ballhead which is easy to operate. Finally the size and weight of the tripod depends on the camera it needs to support. If in doubt ask your local dealer for advice and show them your camera so they can help you find the best match.

REMOTE EXPOSE TRIGGER For the evening tour it is also recommended to use a remote release cable or expose trigger which fits your camera. Vibration is the killer of any good long exposure shot so the best thing you can do is not to touch the camera at- and under the time of the exposure. If you do not have a remote release cable you can use the self-timer setting of the camera to achieve the same result.

CLOTHING It can be said relatively simple. Wear appropriate and comfortable clothing according to the local weather conditions. You will be on your feet for 3 hours or longer, carrying your equipment through the city so wear comfortable and practical shoes. Although none of our Photo Exploring tours are neither strenuous or exhausting we do cover a lot of different ground and changing surfaces. If it rains make sure to bring an umbrella large enough to protect not only yourself but more importantly your camera equipment from the elements. Tours are not cancelled due to weather as some of the most interesting images can appear right in front of you when the elements are the most challenging. That´s what drives us to make better photography! On that note an umbrella can also be a good shelter against the wind if you are shooting on a tripod.