The joys of digital and travel

[r.e.]

I am going to spend almost three months this summer in a somewhat remote part of the world. Last night I made a list of the photo stuff that I have to bring, and paused when it came to the part where one has to get the image from the film. Mostly, I need a way to edit ruthlessly so that I am not buried under a mountain of negatives at the end of the summer. It occured to me that I could just contact print. Not the best solution, because it will still leave me with a backlog at the end of the summer, and because I'll be shooting 35mm as well as 6x7 and 4x5, and I don't claim to be particularly good at evaluting 35mm contact sheets, but perhaps it's good enough. Instead, having embraced digital processing, I am leaning toward bringing, and then bringing back:

Computer and related paraphernalia
Two external hard drives
Eizo computer screen
Epson scanner
Epson printer

Do other people travel with all this stuff?

[Anupam]

You have to shoot a LOT of negatives to outweigh the gear you are planning to take. If you can develop and sleeve the negs, can't you just carry them back with you to scan/wet print? I brought back several sleeves of negatives from a short holiday and spent a week making digital contacts on a flatbed and then scanning the ones I wanted.

[r.e.]

I brought back several sleeves of negatives from a short holiday and spent a week making digital contacts on a flatbed and then scanning the ones I wanted.

That's what scares me. This is a long holiday :)

[Anupam]

If you can make digital contacts by laying the whole sleeve in the scanner, editing becomes a much easier job. Depending on your hit rate per roll, you can easily scan 5 to 10 or even more rolls of keepers per day. To me the risks of carrying that gear and the hassle of setting it up and spending holiday time scanning stuff doesn't make sense. Plus, there might be voltage issues etc in this "remote part of the world." Working on scanning at home with a cup of coffee and a CD on is just so much more efficient :) .

[Pat Kearns]

With weight restrictions getting tighter on airlines how are you planning to carry all the cameras, lenses, film, holders, plus all the computer equipment? I would ship the film ahead to the destination, pack film holders in checked bags, cameras in carry on bags and leave the computer equipment at home. I would spend more time behind the camera instead of in front of a computer. Go enjoy the trip, burn lots of film and worry about the digital conversion when you get back home.

[r.e.]

With weight restrictions getting tighter on airlines how are you planning to carry all the cameras, lenses, film, holders, plus all the computer equipment?

Tell me about it.

I think that I'm beginning to understand why the combination of a laptop computer and a 35mm digital camera is so popular.

This is becoming a real production. Arca 4x5, Mamiya 7II, Leica M3. Lenses. Tripod and head. Film and paper. Developer, fixer. Computer, computer screen, scanner, printer. I feel like I'm moving house.

The location is rural Newfoundland. I've bought a place there, and one of the things that I want to do is a photo essay about the local community. I don't think that I can do that effectively if I shoot blind for three months. For one thing, my subjects are going to want to see proof that I'm not making them look like gargoyles.

Now that I've got my head around this, it's beginning to seem more manageable. It's just boxes, lots of bubble wrap and styrofoam peanuts, and postal charges, right? Luckily, on Monday I'm going out there for a few days, so I can split the stuff that I want to take on the plane into two trips. Not sure how that's going to work on the way back, though :)

Then there's the fly fishing rods and the shotgun. Oh, and the binoculars.

[Blueberrydesk]

If you are going to be in one place while you're there, and it sounds like you are, then go ahead and take the kitchen sink. It sounds like you're going to set up a wet darkroom there as well, so go for it! Take everything. It's better to have it and not want it, than to...well, you know the rest.

Paul

[r.e.]

Take everything. It's better to have it and not want it, than to...well, you know the rest.

Thanks, I've been resisting the temptation to bring a couple of light stands and lights, but now you've got me wavering...

[walter23]

It sounds like you're unnecessarily complicating things. It's only three months.

[cyrus]

Do other people travel with all this stuff?

I don't do digital except for a pocket camera that I use as a backup and for color snapshot but in any case one of the best parts of travel is to spend the time sorting through the negatives aftewards, putting the trip into some sort of perspective.

[Frank Petronio]

can't you drive/ferry there?

[roteague]

It sounds like you're unnecessarily complicating things. It's only three months.

My thought as well.


one of the best parts of travel is to spend the time sorting through the negatives aftewards, putting the trip into some sort of perspective.

Ditto.

[Martin K]

I wouldn't take all that stuff. A laptop and spare drive, a bunch of DVD's and a thingy like an Epson p4000,or whatever number they are up to, photo wallet is all I would take.

[Nick_3536]

Why would you bring almost any of that pile?

If you decide you need it then go online and mail order it. UPS etc have row boats that go to the fishing towns -)

[r.e.]

I didn't mean this to be that serious a thread.

Frank,

Yes, you can drive/ferry there, and it's a beautiful trip. I'll have a car waiting in Newfoundland, so I'm not bringing a second one.

Nick,

Believe it or not, there are still a few towns on the coast where the only access is via a ferry that goes from community to community, and Canada Post does indeed deliver the mail.

Actually, I've come to the conclusion that this isn't going to be as bad as I thought it might be. The computer is indeed a laptop. The only thing that I think I might be able to dispense with is the printer. I've pretty much decided, hey, it's just one more thing. Besides, this is a small fishing community. I want to get my neighbours on side with what I see as a long-term project. The best way to do that is to show them what I'm doing with that old-style camera, especially when it comes to photos of them.

I do find it kind of amusing that I could probably buy an enlarger on the island pretty cheap, maybe for its value as scrap, and dispense with all this hardware. There's something ironic about that.

It is interesting that there are a couple of different types of personalities/philosophies at work here. A couple of you would take the shots and process them in the fall, and would take pleasure in that. For me, the prospect of dealing with three months worth of work after I get home is just plain depressing :)

It's amazing the stuff that is in this forum in the archives. One of the things that I want to do is take some photographs, from the water, of a friend fly fishing. Sure enough, there's a whole thread on tripod legs, water and grit, and what to do about it.

[jetcode]

That's what scares me. This is a long holiday :)

how long is long?

I've been gone for 3 months before with 35mm and 645 film cameras no other equipment. For my digital rig I bring along a small drive designed to archive data from CF cards. I have also traveled with 35mm and a 4x5.

After reading more I think you should bring it all since it appears you will be in one location and this not the average vacation tour. Plus the locals may want a print or two in return and what a nice gesture to be able to do that for them.

[David Luttmann]

how long is long?

I've been gone for 3 months before with 35mm and 645 film cameras no other equipment. For my digital rig I bring along a small drive designed to archive data from CF cards.

I was in the same boat. When I spent time is Asia, I brought along a old Delkin Picture Pad and skipped that laptop. The picture pad was enough for about 3000 Raw shots, which was just right for the amount of street work I wanted to do.

Now, CF cards are so cheap, that I just have a mountain of 4gb and 8gb cards. 4gb for the 10mp camera, and 8gb for the 15mp camera.

[Colin Graham]

I've very envious, I've always wanted to visit Newfoundland. Have a great holiday.

[Frank Petronio]

Of course you could forgo the 35mm and 6x7 and instead shoot with a DSLR, while reserving the 4x5 for only the most appropriate shots. Then you could get buy with a changing tent, some extra film boxes, and a laptop, back up HD and a smaller Epson printer... not too bad to move around and you could produce nice 8x10s for your locals.

After all, 4x5 is the easiest to edit after the fact, and it would give you something to do over the winter. I know I would be overwhelmed having three formats to choose from, especially since medium format tends to encroach on the others.

[jetcode]

Of course you could forgo the 35mm and 6x7 and instead shoot with a DSLR, while reserving the 4x5 for only the most appropriate shots. Then you could get buy with a changing tent, some extra film boxes, and a laptop, back up HD and a smaller Epson printer... not too bad to move around and you could produce nice 8x10s for your locals.

After all, 4x5 is the easiest to edit after the fact, and it would give you something to do over the winter. I know I would be overwhelmed having three formats to choose from, especially since medium format tends to encroach on the others.

that's how I would do it too ... I like the flexibility of an editorial style (DSLR) combined with the opportunity for fine art (VC)

[jetcode]

I was in the same boat. When I spent time is Asia, I brought along a old Delkin Picture Pad and skipped that laptop. The picture pad was enough for about 3000 Raw shots, which was just right for the amount of street work I wanted to do.

Now, CF cards are so cheap, that I just have a mountain of 4gb and 8gb cards. 4gb for the 10mp camera, and 8gb for the 15mp camera.

David do you mail the cards home when they fill?

[David Luttmann]

David do you mail the cards home when they fill?

When I don't bring a laptop, I have a DVD burner that accepts CF cards, otherwise, I just backup the cards to DVD....but I don't delete the files on the cards until I actually run our of CF space.....which is pretty much never.

[Jerzy Pawlowski]

I am in similar situation. Every year I am moving for summer and fall (4 to 5 months) to summer house on a small island. While I take huge amount of computer gear (no ferry, I have to use my own boat) to make an impression that my business is well and alive during these few months I am not attempting to setup any type of darkroom there. Main reason I use lake water and feel that that employing filtering system is too much work.
I come every few weeks to the town, few hours drive, and spend full day developing film. I find this very refreshing. Since you tend to forget some details after week or two, developing film appears to be like shooting once again, you discover stuff that you do not expect. I do not have the same pleasure with digital while looking at the screen few hours after pictures were taken.

[Hollis]

I am in the same boat of having to take gear with me on the road. I will be out travelling for close to a year here in a few days and I have my kit narrowed down to a laptop, a scanner (flatbed), 4x5, bunch of lenses, film, holders, etc. Canon 1ds mk3, 3 lenses, 2 small external drives, 2 large external drives and a Wacom tablet. All of the computer gear is going into my pelican 1650 while my LF gear goes into a smaller Storm Case. My canon is going to live in my shoulder bag which can also take my laptop when I want to carry one or the other or even both. The pelican will keep the dust out and vibration to a minimum while on the road while being large enough to actually work out of. As for the drives, I will be mailing them back to a friend who will be 'archiving' them for me in a safe deposit box probably once a month or so just in case.