Before I left to volunteer as the Expedition Photographer in Nepal for Raleigh International, the main thing I was worried about was not having the right equipment, so I’m putting together this blog in the hope that I help another person before they head off on their Raleigh adventure!
Camera: This I would definitely advise not worrying about. I mean, don’t worry about anything, but definitely don’t worry about this. I have a Canon 5D MarkII, but a cropped sensor will also be fine. What I wouldn’t advise is relying on film, you may not be able to get it developed and the turn around needs to be pretty fast. If you have a compact camera I’d recommend bringing this on trek, my DSLR + lens weighs 2.8kg and was a pain in the butt.
Lenses: This is the most important bit. If all you have is a kit lens, fantastic. You need an all rounder. I use the 24-105mm F4 that I picked up second hand. I found being able to go wide was more important than a zoom, and 105mm was good enough. I also brought a 50mm but have rarely used it, apart from occasionally to film and do pretty portraits.
Lens accessories: Speaking of lenses, I would advise using lens hoods and lens filters to protect your lens from drops, bangs and the general environment. I’ve lost count of how many times I’ve banged my lens off something whilst scrabbling over a worksite or up a hill.
Bag: Bring a bag that has waterproof capabilities and is easily accessible, (i.e. probably not a backpack, though a backpack is handy to put this bag in when you’re not in need of instant access) Its going to get a bit dirty. Also, keep silica gel sachets in everything that your equipment gets stored in. You’ll be out in the rain or in humidity at some point.
Memory: This depends on what size your files are, mine are 25mb in raw format so in that case 50GB + would be good. If in doubt, go more than less.
Batteries: Bring plenty of spares. You may be somewhere without the ability to charge. Make charging your batteries your main priority.
Tripod: You don’t need a tripod. I have one because I wanted to film and also do long exposures. I bought this one because it was cheap, super lightweight and the tallest I could find within my budget. Its pretty good, I would have preferred it to be able to reach head height but overall I’m happy.
Laptop: Raleigh advises you bring your own and I definitely second that. I didn’t own one so I bought a Yoga Lenova thing which is really good for the price, but it only came with 128GB which is not enough, so I bought a 500gb portable hard drive. Make sure it has software to categorize and edit photos, create slideshows and put together video.
Some general advice:
- You are a photographer, but you’re also a volunteer manager. You’ll get stuck in, sweat, lead, advise and very much be part of a team.
- Photograph everything, but don’t feel guilty for not photographing everything. You’re only one person and there’s a lot of stuff to document!
- Insure your camera, I use Photoguard because it let me insure second hand stuff. Its more just for peace of mind, I never felt like my equipment was ever ‘in danger’.
- Learn how to ask permission to take a photo in the native language and encourage the volunteers to do the same.
Don’t stress, enjoy, be in the now and take the time to get photos for your own portfolio.
Saoirse
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