Photo Management On Overland Tours

[ray.duke]

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.

[mrladewig]

Much of your trouble would be lessened by shooting quickload film. That would solve #5, #6 (in part, by reducing the weight of film holders), #11.

I wouldn't worry too much about the film. If your turnover is every few weeks, you're not going to kill it with a week at 120F. I would think there is some way to buy film worldwide from a company like B&H.

Have you traveled like this before? A testing run of say 2 weeks might be in order, just to shake out your gear and methods.

As you pointed out, you face a very real possibility of having your gear confiscated by corrupt government employees and loss by thieves. I would have to say, from what I've heard of train travel in places like India at least loss from theft WILL happen at some point in 3 years, if not on your first week. You must have some mechanism for replenishing your gear or stashing spares in a safe forward location.

Mel-

[katie cooke]

I usually travel independently, but have twice been on an overland tour, and I'd *never* do it again and try to make photos. You get chivvied about too much. Timing is all wrong: you end up in gorgeous places at noon in burning bright light and just don't get to go back at a more useful time to make pictures. Are you tied to going with a tour group, or could you go from place to place and base yourself somewhere for a few weeks at a time and then move on? Then you get to explore properly, and have all the time you want. Also, getting stuff sent to you at the main post office in each place becomes easier if you are not charging about at high speed like most tours do, which aim to cover the most ground in the shortest amount of time.

I spent three weeks in Morocco, just mooching about, making LF pinhole photos, and did fine (and I can't carry much weight at all. I had kit to develop as I went, but didn't manage to find chemicals.) I've done longer trips in the middle east, but not with LF, but on the same pattern: travelling independently, taking local buses, stopping in interesting places for days or weeks as seemed right at the time. (Gives you chance to do the laundry and catch your breath, too.)

I've sat on windy sand dunes with a changing bag, reloading holders, and managed nicely with minimal dust or scratches on the film. (Just lots of practice and a good system of labelling boxes with folds of tape so I can feel which is which by touch inside the bag.)

Learning to say "please don't open that, it's film" in a dozen languages isn't too hard. Get them written down if you can, too. (That said, sign language can often do the trick.)

[Joanna Carter]

10. Asking someone from a third world country who does not speak English to sign a model release.
Do you really think that anyone in a third world country will even know if you have published their photograph ?

[Michael Chmilar]

I have done two long trips with my LF gear. In both cases, I had to be able to carry all of my possessions in a backpack and small duffelbag.

The first was 3.5 months through China (6wk), Vietnam (4wk), Cambodia (2wk), and Laos (2wk). Transport was trains, busses, motorcycles, scooters, taxis, boats, and foot.

The second was 6 months through China (5wk), Australia (2mo), New Zealand (2mo), and Japan (3wk). Transport in Australia and New Zealand was mostly rented campervans, so that gave me more latitude in how much I could carry.

I used Quickloads, as suggested already. While this increased the bulk and weight, in general, it did eliminate some of the other problems. For example, in any customs situation, I always had a ruined film packet handy that I could pull apart to show what is inside.

I arranged for "film drops" to be sent to various cities along the way to refresh my supply. More frequently, I sent packages back home by post.

The film drops mostly worked well, but there were some screwups. In order to save on cost, I had the film sent by "express mail" instead of a courier service. Most postal services have a "post restante" or "Care PO" system, whereby the package is sent to your name, in care of the main post office in the city. They will hold the package for up to two months, so you don't need to arrive at an exact date.

However, my first package in Australia was sent to Alice Springs. It arrived on time (as I later learned), but when I went to claim it, they could not find it. For the next two months, I called weekly to see if it had arrived. Finally, on my last day in Australia, I was informed that it had been returned to sender a few days prior, as it had been unclaimed for two months! An additional package to Sydney was accidently sent as surface mail, which is very slow, and so arrived very late. Fortunately, it was addressed to a friend who lives in Sydney, and he was able to resend it to New Zealand for me. (Quickloads are very expensive, and a special order item, in Australia. They are not available at all in New Zealand.)

The lesson is: be prepared for accidents to happen with your resupply! These mishaps can be remedied, if you are prepared to spend some money. In my case, I had Badger Graphic send a case of film to me by Fedex, which was quite expensive, but reliable, trackable, and relatively fast. Note that a courier shipment will require you to clear it through customs where you receive it, and postal shipments (that are not from a business) are far less likely to require this.

I always sent my exposed film by surface mail, as I was not too concerned about speed. I have never lost a shipment of exposed film. I have never taken any special precautions with the film for heat, cold, time, etc. and never had a problem.

You can also take advantage of incoming and outgoing film shipments for other items, too, such as clothing for climate changes, guide books, souvenirs, etc.

I initially vastly overestimated the quantity of shooting I would do, based on what I can do on car-based trips in North America. In the end, I took about 450 shots on the 3.5 month trip, and 800 on the 6 month trip. That may sound like very little, but it certainly felt like I was very busy. Expect to spend less than 1/2 of your time in "shooting mode", once you account for the time you will spend travelling, dealing with logistics, and "being a tourist". You will learn patience!

All of my camera gear is in two Pelican cases. A small case for the camera, and a larger case for 4 lenses, light meter, quickload holder, loupe, tools, etc. The cases are bulky, but I have not suffered any equipment damage, and the cases are quite thoroughly beaten up. The tripod had no special protection, but I would remove the head and pad it with some clothing when travelling. The quickload film boxes were usually in a duffelbag, or sometimes one or two in the backpack.

I kept clothing and other stuff extremely minimal. If you subtracted the camera gear and film, all of my possessions would fit into a daypack!

I have all of my equipment insured, as damage or theft is a distinct possibility. Fortunately, I did not have any problems, so I never had to deal with logistics for making a claim or replacing gear while travelling.

I had phrases that I though might be important, such as "this is photographic film", written in a notebook in the native language for various countries (and they are typically in the mini-dictionary in the Lonely Planet books).

I found internet cafes to be more common than I expected. I did not carry a laptop, so I did have to deal with the vagaries of the equipment between cafes. I also have an unlocked GSM phone, and so I got SIM chips in China, Vietnam, Australia, and New Zealand and was able to make calls and send SMS internationally.

Power for charging cameras, phones, ipod, etc. is usually not a problem. Make sure all of your chargers handle 110-220 volt. You can always buy a plug adapter locally, or bring a multi-adapter with you.

When problems do arise, either locally or with your "supply chain", they can always be solved. Firstly, it involves patience and some willingness to compromise; secondly, money. More money means less patience and compromise.

Also, I was travelling independently, never with a group. I only booked my major international flights in advance. All other transportation, lodging, guides, etc. was arranged locally, as needed. This allows for a lot more flexibility in your schedule. I had a rough itinerary worked out, but I was always able to change it on the fly. However, I did do a huge amount of photographic location research ahead of the trips, so I always had a good idea about where I wanted to go, and what to expect when I got there.

If the guiding services are not specific to photography, with a very small group, I think you will become frustrated quickly. Especially if you are using large format! At most, I would recommend using the guide company for less than half of your target time in a location, and then strike out independently afterwards. I seriously would not expect to use the large format at all during the guided time. I would consider it as acclimatization and reconnaissance time.

If you have three years for travelling, you really shouldn't worry about using a guide company for the efficiency of having a tight schedule. If I was in your shoes, with that much time, I would revel in the ability to keep a very loose itinerary, do everything on the fly, and really immerse myself in the current location.

[Brian Ellis]

I don't mind challenges up to a point but sometimes overcoming challenges becomes an end in itself and the reason for attempting to overcome them gets lost in the effort. Trying to use a LF camera under the circumstances you describe here sounds like one of those times to me. I'd use a digital point and shoot camera, probably a Canon G9, instead of LF given the conditions you describe.

[Donald Miller]

I agree with Brian. There are tools and there are times for specific tools.

Photographing with both 5X7 and digital, I would recommend digital for this type of a venture. With my 5D an 8 gig memory card and a laptop computer I can shoot nearly 400 images (Jpeg and RAW) before downloading, download to my computer daily, recharge both the 5D and computer batteries anywhere in the world daily and not worry about all of the attending BS with LF film. When the HD needs some space, burn copies of the files to DVD and move on down the road. If you really want to have better images from digital, carry a lightweight CF tripod and a pan head. Stitch the images and you can have everything that you would want.

[ray.duke]

Great info Michael, that solves a few of my problems. When you had packages shipped with film, etc... did they show up damaged at all? Also, was the majority of your travel pre planned and reserved, or did you just find the most efficient mode of travel whenever you decided to move from one place to the next?

[David A. Goldfarb]

Lois Connor traveled all over China with a 7x17" camera, often strapped to the rack of a bicycle, and produced a significant body of work that took advantage of the unique visual qualities of that format--rich detail, the possibility of creating linear narratives, and the ability to record a whole panoramic view in an instant, among others.

Of course all travel photography was large format by today's standards for the first 60 years or so. If the will is there, the logistics can be managed and might very well be worth managing.

[ray.duke]

Awesome story David. Inspiring isn't it? Seems to me that the only down side to photography is the fact that we can't all just snap our fingers and instantly be transported to the most beautiful places on earth to capture it's moment in time. Luckily, for those who can open their eyes there is always something dynamic in their own "backyard" that can be just as gorgeous when a new perspective is taken on it. As long as I remain on this incredibly tiny little outpost in Afghanistan, stuck inside the barriers, thats what I'll be learning to do.

[Michael Chmilar]

The packages with the film were almost always "beaten up" to some extent. Usually, the beating was minor, but a couple of times the enclosing box had severe structural damage. One package I sent home from Australia had been crushed enough that it had a large hole torn into it. Fortunately, nothing was lost, as I had the foresight to put some small items into a small box, before placing it into the large box. I always kept the film in the original sturdy 20-sheet quickload boxes, and the film always arrived intact.

Packages sent by courier service were usually in very good condition.

The only pre-booked travel I had was for the long international flights.

My rough itinerary was made with ideas of how I would travel between locations, based on information from guidebooks (ie. "there is a train from city X to city Y; busses frequently depart from the station in city Y to village Z."). But I would change these plans on the fly as my situation changed (ie. I wanted to stay longer in one location, or cut out some other place). For example, in Vietnam I stayed longer around Hue, and flew to Saigon rather than take three days with ground transport.

I usually tried to make sure I had my transportation arranged a day in advance, such as buying bus or train ticket. Sometimes, it took an extra day because the transport was already full, the schedule had changed, etc.

Building itineraries and keeping schedules depends a lot on your personal goals and temperament. I tried to strike a balance between working to an itinerary, in order to see a broad range of locations, and "going with the flow" once I was at a location, in order not to be so tied to a schedule that I failed to "experience" a location. The best way to achieve this is to build in flexibility and "slack time" to your itinerary so you can adjust; you should also be willing to cut sections completely out of your itinerary, as necessary. Based on my experience, I recommend writing up an itinerary based on research for a trip that interests you, and then either doubling the amount of time, or cutting half of the itinerary. Seriously!

I will also re-iterate that large format photography was a principle goal of my travelling, and that, with proper planning, resources, and time, it can be done. I would also recommend that you schedule in time to "be a tourist", and partake of local culture and entertainment with no thought to photography, so that you finish the trip with more than just a collection of great photographs!

[Emrehan Zeybekoglu]

I just can't imagine traveling with a tour company and trying to do LF. It'll be a series of frustrations and irritation.

[Greg Miller]

I have traveled with many tours (that are not specifically photographic tours) around the world and find them very unsatisfying from a photographic standpoint. As another poster has already mentioned, you arrive at most of the interesting places when he light is at its worst and the crowds are at their worst and being hurried along by the tour director. These trips are fine for snapshots. For more serious photography they are frustrating and yield only the very seldom serendipitous moment where a fine photograph can be captured.

Sure, you might come away with a keeper or two. If you are primarily on the tour to be a tourist and don't mind lugging your gear along, then fine. If you are primarily going to get high quality photos then your effort/reward ratio will be quite low. I think there are many better or more rewarding ways to go about getting good photos.

[Frank Petronio]

Lois Conner had assistants and flexible time in China... cool lady no matter what.

A camera that could be used handheld, such as a Crown Graphic, would be far more useful given the time and tripod permit limitations. While Quickloads avoid dust, the prevent you from using 400 ISO Porta NC film which is essential in many situations, especially with less than ideal light. I think a 6x12 roll film holder and a stock of 120 film would be much more useful, and the exposed 120 film is somewhat more secure in transit than a box of large format film. One of the Fotoman, Horseman, or Linhof 612 cameras would be ideal. Even a Noblex would be cool and present a different point of view (albeit you would have to work harder to keep it clean and in good repair). And 6x9 Fuji rangefinders are compact and bullet-proof as well.

If you're committed to using 4x5, consider a couple of Grafmatics and a small Harrison changing tent. But I would drop down a format -- even a 6x6 Rollei has its charms -- and greatly simplify your travel while still producing high quality work.

Just sign the model releases "Mohammad" and don't worry about it ;-)

[otzi]

However, my first package in Australia was sent to Alice Springs. It arrived on time (as I later learned), but when I went to claim it, they could not find it. For the next two months, I called weekly to see if it had arrived. Finally, on my last day in Australia, I was informed that it had been returned to sender a few days prior, as it had been unclaimed for two months! An additional package to Sydney was accidently sent as surface mail, which is very slow, and so arrived very late.

I just about fell of my chair reading this, sorry it happened but, hey, welcome to Australia. The postal service is now private but was once Gov. run and still maintains a public service mentality. The problem is well known and a registered or priority service is in place to over come the problem. run separately with separate postal boxes and this service is pretty reasonable. - Don't worry it happens to us also. You sometimes can get more interest from the barman's dog. Any way trust you had a pleasant time besides.

[Hollis]

As for the initial worries in regards to a model release, I wouldn't worry about one unless you are trying to promote a product or the like. Secondly, ditch the tour company. The only photos you will have are of the back of retirees heads (they have perfectly fine heads, not against that, just the fact that they are always in front of the lens). Go it alone and wing it. As for issues with explaining film, I bet if you looked on certain film boxes you will find every translation for 'light sensitive materials - do not open', just print all those out and laminate it and put it in your wallet and point at it when you have an issue (worst case scenario).