Logistical Nightmare.......I'll just list the variables and perhaps someone can clue me in on similar experiences, hopefully I can find more solutions rather than confirmation that there are problems here.
1. Traveling with Overland Tour companies such as Dragoman, Gecko, Intrepid, and countless nameless others scattered about the globe, for a full 3 years.
2. Limited time at each location to set up and shoot large format.
3. Permits required many times.
4. Slide film that I cannot keep in a cold or even cool place all the time.
5. Dozens, if not over 100 lf photographs taken every week, on the road, that need to be kept light proof and safely mailed back to the US for processing since I can't carry a lab with me on the road.
6. Living out of a bag with a weight and size limit for 3 years that must somehow include my Tachihara plus all necessary equipment to use it on the road.
7. Traveling through countries that pose a threat of my equipment being taken from me both by corrupt police as well as common criminals.
8. Buying and/or having shipped, hundreds of sheets of slide film constantly while on tour. Buying poses risk of inferior materials or lack of availability. Having shipped means setting up PO Boxes, etc... at forward locations without ever having actually been there in person and trusting that when I arrive all will be in order.
9. Keeping a LF camera, film, film holders, changing tent, lenses, etc... dust free in dusty desert environments.
10. Asking someone from a third world country who does not speak English to sign a model release.
11. Explaining to a postal clerk in a foreign country who does not speak english that I cannot open this because it contains unprocessed film.
12. Power source, lightweight small computer, large external hard drive, and internet access for the purpose of uploading fresh digital photos or downloading scanned images of photo's that have been processed in the US while on the road.
This list goes on and on as you can see. I am fully aware that this will be a nightmare, but I don't buy into attitudes of deciding not to do something because it's too hard. This is possible and I simply need to devise a process to limit my problems and think on my feet to confront them when they occur. Does anyone have any experience on this matter? All advice will be much appreciated.
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