The best camera for travel blogging (and other essential travel photography gear)

SEO

26 Oct

Here’s what’s in my camera bag as a full time travel writer and blogger.

I’m going to be honest with you; I’m not a professional photographer by a long shot.

There was a seven year gap between buying my first travel camera and learning how to shoot in manual mode. It was many years after that I bought a second lens. And it took even longer before I invested in travel photography essentials like a backpack insert and cleaning products.

It took me a long time to appreciate the value and art of travel photography. I spent a long time ignoring photos as a medium, because I had strong feelings about Instagram culture and trends like wearing floaty dresses on top of mountains.

I still strongly dislike anything that is done for the ‘gram, but I have grown to love taking photos.

My skills are a work in progress, but I have learned a lot since I got started. If you are also a beginner photographer, or just wondering what the best camera set up is for a travel blogger, here’s what I use.

There are many options out there, and this isn’t an exhaustive list — it’s just what I know and love. I hope it helps you narrow down the (frankly overwhelming) amount of travel camera options out there.

The best camera for travel photography

Or at least, the one camera I use and swear by.

The Sony a6000 is a mirrorless camera, which means it’s small enough to easily carry around.

It also doesn’t look as obvious or flashy as larger DSLR models.

My favourite travel photography lenses

I use one prime lens, and one zoom lens. Between them, I have pretty much all scenarios covered.

35mm prime: There’s a reason the 35mm prime is so beloved among photographers. It’s so small and compact I can fit this easily into any bag.

I do use this with a cropped sensor, which means my photos can be a bit tight sometimes (is that the right terminology? I don’t know).

This does mean I have to get creative with composition sometimes, which in my mind is a positive thing.

This prime is great for close ups (amazing bokeh), street photography, and portrait shots. It’s less good for wildlife photography or sweeping landscape shots.

Accessories for Travel Photography Gear

Lens cleaner

Compressed air blower

Tripods

Bags

Fjallraven 28L

Fjallraven Kanken Photo Inserts

SD cards

Simple but important, you want at least two in rotation. Backing up your photos often is also really important, not just to make sure you have space, but so you don’t lose any photos.