Packing well for a destination wedding can be tricky to navigate. In my experience as a full-time traveling destination wedding photographer I have learned that how you pack can change per destination. I am always writing and rewriting packing lists to make sure that I don’t leave anything behind! I hope that as fellow traveling photographers you can learn from my experience and modify the tips below to create your own ultimate list! 

Packing for Traveling Photographers is a Special Responsibility

We’ve all been there. You arrive at your destination to photograph a wedding and realize that you have forgotten something. In some cases I have even packed the wrong something that isn’t even useful to me. I’ve found myself in foreign countries hunting down flash batteries at convenience stores because I accidentally left my spares at home. After experiences like these, having a foundational list that I can tweak per location became crucial to my travel photography success.

For travel photographers, you learn pretty quickly that it’s part of your job to be well-prepared for whatever may come so that you can capture a wedding in the best way. It’s our responsibility to provide comfort and relieve the couple of any unnecessary stress. I always pack a backup camera body, lens, and flash. It’s a lot of gear to travel with, but if you don’t have a second shooter and one of those has issues, you want to be prepared. That’s the biggest role we take on as traveling photographers–we have to think ahead!

#1 Tip for Traveling Photographers

Create your packing list in Canva then print and laminate it to make sure you never leave anything behind! I’ve totally forgotten an important piece of gear before because I didn’t double check my list! No matter the differences in travel style and location, the following are the basics that traveling photographers can use everywhere!

Start with the Basics

1. My goal is to avoid checking luggage. Instead, I travel light with only a personal item and a carry-on when possible. Purchase a great backpack or case for carrying your gear. After searching for weeks and polling hundreds of photographers, WANDRD and/or Pelican popped up as the best choices. I own the 31 liter PRVKE backpack (with the Pro Camera Cube) that can be used as a personal item. 
2. Get a carry-on bag that will last. Don’t be like me and have your entire checked bag fall open on the streets of Rome and everyone laughs at you! I felt like a vagabond with my underwear lying on the crosswalk! My favorites are Monos and Away.
3. Pack one statement piece for the wedding day, otherwise keep your clothing neutral and use pieces you can mix and match easily. 

1. Travel with a solid-state drive: they are small and protected even if you drop them. The drives make it fast and easy to backup weddings and sessions on the road. I suggest immediately backing up the same day as the session so that you have multiple copies. Sometimes, I even put my SD cards in my carry-on and the hard drive in my personal item so that if one gets stolen I still have a copy! 
2. Always pack extra batteries and chargers!
3. If you have the space, pack filters and other similar items (star filters, ND filters, black pro mist filter) that aren’t necessary but are helpful creatively!

Packing Differently Per Types of Locations

Traveling photographers are constantly on the go! I found that having a primary packing list provided the foundation I needed to tweak and modify per kind of location (domestic/international) and kind of travel (driving/flying). We all travel and pack differently according to the type of services we offer and how we plan to experience the location. You pack differently for an elopement in the National Gallery of Art in Washington, DC versus an elopement spent on a moped along the streets of St. Augustine, Florida! These are tips from my own experience capturing domestic and destination weddings as a travel photographer.

International Travel

Be wary of luggage weight limits in other countries! I was in Greece speaking at a photography workshop followed by a flight straight to Italy. The carry-on luggage weight restrictions caught me by surprise and I had to shove gear into my personal item just to clear security. If it weren’t for the other partially-filled bag I had with me, I would not have made my flight!

Research if you’ll need an adapter or converter since each country uses its own outlet types. Look at the amps and confirm that you have the necessary cords to charge your gear abroad. Read more tips HERE on how to prepare for international travel as traveling photographers.

Domestic Travel

For any travel photography jobs that are only six hours or less away from me I choose to drive. I typically spend the day before organizing and cleaning my car out to make it easy to find everything I need! Here are the different tools that can be used for traveling photographers to keep their car organized while on the road:

• Bins in the back of the car to store and easily access clothing or extraneous items.
• I store all of my gear in a Pelican case and then bring my WANDRD backpack to use if I have an additional session booked besides the wedding day. This allows me to not carry everything with me at all times! 
• With that in mind, I will still never leave gear, wallets, purses, hard drives, laptops, or any other valuables in the car! If I stop to shop or grab a bite to eat, I wear 60 pounds of gear on my back. It may look silly, but it’s just not worth the risk!
• Film is packed in a case to always ensure that it’s in a dry, dark environment when not being used.

I tidy up my car each day to stay organized like hanging my wedding day clothes to reduce wrinkles. I also take a small laundry bin or trash bag to keep dirty clothes sorted. For meals, I will either pack a small cooler or buy a styrofoam one to eat healthier on the road. Don’t forget to pack jumper cables too!

Looking for someone to help you think through your own travel routines? Book a coaching call and we will discuss travel tactics that will work best for you!