Which camera to take with you on a trip

a photo sexy take by DSLRs

When you think of taking a photo while traveling. Smartphones is probably the first devices that comes to mind. In this post, we’re going to focus on how to prepare for take a beautiful photos and capturing video on your next trip on Halong bay Or Halong bay tours. In this post, you ‘ll learn about the diffrent types of cameras you can take along and the pros and cons of each.It’s been said that the best camera is the one you have with you.

1.Smartphones and Tablets

For more and more travelers these days, that camera is the one in their smartphone. Most now record video in full high definition. Some even recore Ultra HD or 4K. That still Blows my mind. The advantage of using your smartphone to capture video is that you’re probably going to have it with you when travel anyways. It’s small and light, and you can share your video clips and photo directly to social media.

 Smartphone cameras have improved in recent years

 Smartphone cameras have improved in recent years The downside is that these devices have a relatively short battery life and limited storage space. Video files are big. Yes, you can upload them to the cloud but you may not have access to Wi-Fi or want to use cell service in the country you’re in. The other downside is that you have limited control over the image. Althought there are some good apps and accessories you can get to improve the quality of your recordings. We’ll check some out in the next post.

Galaxy S7 Edge is one of the best phone cameras out there.

So that’s the smarphone. It’s bigger cousins are the tablet and phablet like the iPad and the iPad Mini, Now they’re not the kind of thing you’re going to pack specifically to record video, but if you’re bringing one anyways to use the Internet, you have that option. I’ve seen people using them by the pool at resorts to record video and take a picture of their kids swimming, for example. And then thay go back to surfing the net or whatever it was that they were using their device for in the first place. The nice thing about the tablet is that you have a big screen, if you want to edit your videos and photos before you share them. But they have the same limitations as smartphones, limited storage space, battery life, and control over the image.

2.Compact cameras

Next we have the point and shoot or compact cameras. These are also small and light, and some are even waterproof. They’re fairly easy to use and cheap. You probably won’t lose a lot of sleep if yours gets lost or stolen. Some even have Wi-Fi technology so you can share your videos without having to transfer them to a computer. One downside is that many of them don’t have viewfinders. You have to use the LCD screen to frame up your shot. If you’re in a bright sunny location like the beach, it can be hard to see what you’re recording. You also have no way to attach an external microphone for recording better audio. And sound is a big part of creating quality videos.

3.DSLRs

If you’re a serious photographer, you will likely be taking a DSLR with you. These capture stunning video, you have a lot of control over the image, and you can attach different lenses. And newer models have mini jacks for attaching external microphones and shoes for attaching lights to help improve the quality of your videos. The downside is, DSLRs can be bulky and heavy, especially if you attach big lenses like this one which i plan to take to Africa on my safari. They’re also pretty expensive. You don’t want this kind of stuff to be lost or stolen or damaged, for that matter. These aren’t waterproof or drop proof. And if you’re a novice, they can be a little more complicated to use.

4.Camcorders

Camcorders are made for shooting video. on the plus side they’re small and light. Some of them fit right into the palm of your hand. And you can usually get one for a couple of hundred dollars at the low and of the price range. They capture beautiful high-definition images. All but the most basic models include litte ports for attaching microphones and shoes on top for attaching lights or microphones. Most will let you take photos as well and some have Wi-Fi for sharing images directly from the camera. Some of them even have infrared night vision so you can record video in the dark. I plan to use that feature on my upcoming trip to Africa when i go on evening game drives. The downside of camcorders is that they can be expensive, and of course they can be damaged by the elements. They also have a fixed lens. If you’re a serious photographer, you’re probably not gonna want to use a camcorder for your photos, which means bringing along another camera.

5.Action cameras

Finally, we have action cameras like the GoPro, Xiaomi Yi Camera, HTC RE Camera. The advantage of these little cameras is that they are pretty much indestructible. The camera is encased in a plastic housing, which protects it from water, sand, dust, snow, you name it. You can take it pretty much anywhere and you don’t have to worry about damaging it if you drop it or get it wet. They record video in high definition, even 4K, and most let you take photos as well. In fact, you can create some pretty incredible time lapse videos with these. Some of the higher end models can be controlled remotely with your smartphone or other device. One downside is that some models like this one don’t have an LCD screen, so you can’t see what you’re recording. It makes it difficult to frame your shot. The other negative has to do with audio. When you’re using the waterproof housing, the camera picks up little if any sound. So your videos are silent. You’re going to see in the next post why sound is such an important part of video storytelling.

6.Finally

So that’s a quick overview of the different types of cameras that you can use to record video, and their strengths and weaknesses. What you take with you ultimately depends on which halong bay tours or Halong bay cruise you’re booking and what you’re planning to do. For example, you’re booking halong party cruise, we recommend using action cameras.

Travel Photographer on The Beach: More Than a Camera-Toting Tourist

 This tutorial is about how to take a sexy shot when you're travelling in

halong bay tours

, respectful, and most of all, happily productive.

So, how do you photograph somewhere where the economy is in decline? Or social norms are radically different than your own? What's the best place to photograph an amazing spot you've heard of but that's just a little too far off the beaten path?

Check Your Privilege at the Boarding Gates

Though you might see yourself as a travelling photographer, everyone else will see you as a tourist. That's okay: you are a HaLong Party Cruise.

When we visit somewhere, we can often almost take ownership of that place and expect the world to make allowances. We get excited about photographing, and it's easy to forget that we're guests. As a visitor, you have to act accordingly.

As much as you can, learn what's expected of you as a photographer. Look into local laws and customs regarding photography and video before you go. When you arrive, ask someone you trust about how you should act, and if there are any sensitive things or places you should be aware of.

Though it may seem like everyone and their cat has a camera these days, many people in the world cannot afford cameras. Cameras are a symbol of affluence, as is technology in general. If you're travelling to a place where your presence with a camera will cause unwanted attention or put you (or worse, others) in danger, then don't bring the camera. Safety first, always.

Respect the Boundaries

On a recent trip to the Isle of Skye, I was told in conversation that the Mountain Rescue team had been called out on several occasions already this year for people who either let their dog run off the lead and it got into trouble, or for people trying to cross the river who then got stuck! Nobody wants to be the embarrassed one who gets hauled down a mountain or carted off by the police for walking into trouble. You might not be aware of certain factors in a new place but it's still your responsibility to find out and respect them.

If you're unsure of an area, find someone local who can help you. Many picturesque places run special photo workshops where someone can accompany you safely to beauty spots and help you to get the best possible pictures at the best times. Tour guides are often available in more remote places, too. You can find these by researching online prior to travelling or if you're already at your location, ask a trusted source such as your hotel staff or a travel agent representative.

Courtesy goes a long way when photographing people. It's best practice to ask before taking someone's picture, and this is doubly true when travelling. Find a way to ask, even if you don't speak the same language. Only take the picture if you get consent.

No picture is worth getting into trouble for, especially when you're overseas and the penalties might be different from what you're expecting. There was a case recently about some French tourists who were arrested for stripping off at the Angkor Wat temple in Cambodia. They may have thought they were just larking around but the consequences were serious, with them eventually being given a suspended sentence, a fine and being deported from Cambodia. Pretty serious stuff for what I'm sure seemed like a big joke at the time.

It may sound trite or even sexist but safety tips are even more important for women. Personal safety is not the time to worry about politics. The reality is that many places in the world are not good places for women in terms of equality,  respect, and personal security.

Be Open to Adventure

In places where people often live below the poverty line, tourist zones are set up. These are self-sustaining areas that a traveller who just wants to soak up the sun never has to leave. While these can be a good ‘safe’ base, if you spend your holiday in them you’ll never see the true country you’re visiting.

Sexy bikini girl

In Sousse, Tunisia, where I spent two weeks last September, the tourist zone had police guarded borders at either end. These were designed to protect the tourists from extremists who believed that the Muslims working in these areas were too lenient in their acceptance of holiday makers. Just the year before, someone had blown themselves up on the beach near the hotel where we stayed in an attempt to kill some locals and make their point. Thankfully they didn’t succeed in hurting anyone but did cause an increase in security. This all sounds scary but we face crime in all parts of the world and it doesn’t mean it’s a reflection on all people.

Do some reading on the place before you visit and learn as much as you can to stay as safe as you can and of course, to get the best experience possible. Don't be the foreigner that justifies the stereotype.

Be Alert

Consider the implications of what you see. As a photographer, you will notice things that others do not. These things could be incredible photo opportunities. Or they could be a non-photographic chance to learn more about the place you're visiting; learning more always seems to lead to better photo opportunities, too.

Abandoned hotels littered the area in Tunisia where we were visiting. There were 11 on the 1km walk from our hotel to the medina alone. They made incredibly interesting photography but they also made me think. The hotels were not that old and they weren’t small. Clearly some sort of tourism boom happened maybe 30 years earlier and the hotels sprang up all over the town. Then, something happened – quite possibly what lead to their revolution a few years before my visit.

Sousse simply wasn’t bringing in the tourists anymore and the hotels couldn’t survive. Most were literally abandoned where they were, fully furnished. They shifted the tourist area a few miles up the road, you could almost see a line where one ended and one began. When you consider this, and that their currency is 35p to 1 Tunisian Dinar then you really start to get an idea of just how poor this country has become. I was happy, on a composition level, with my photographs of the hotel, but they also tell part of a larger story about the place. That helps me remember my trip with more vivid detail and nuance.

Be Respectful, Especially With Self Portraits

It’s only natural to want pictures of yourself in these fascinating places you’re visiting. Always take into account your surroundings and consider, is what I’m doing appropriate? Remember the girl who took the smiling selfie in Auschwitz? She’d always wanted to go there with her father, wanted a picture there because of that, and quite naturally for  a photo, smiled. It was on her profile a month before someone spotted it and it went viral. She even received death threats. Ridiculous considering the genuine ignorance and size of her ‘crime’ but when it comes down to it, though her actions are mundane in the everyday they were not appropriate for the place. 

dachau

Former concentration camp, Dachau - Dachau, Germany [photo: Marie Gardiner]

In Tunisia, being a Muslim country, there were many mosques. To visit them, men must have their legs covered and women must have their head, hair and all their flesh covered apart from their face and hands. They provide you with traditional abāyah (long robe) and hijab (head scarf) for free. I think the very least we can do when someone is willing to openly share a part of their culture or religion is to respect their rules. I spotted this lady below having her portrait taken outside of the prayer hall (where non-muslims are not allowed).

mosque selfie

A mosque 'selfie' that seems inappropriate for the surroundings

Small considerations can go a long way to ingratiating yourself with the locals. We had a great chat with the man looking after the entrance to the mosque and learned things about Islam that we’d not known previously.

Be Considerate and Responsive

We spend a fleeting moment on holiday in another country and sometimes it’s easy to forget that how we behave and that what we do can have implications; even if that’s just an impression we leave behind. 

Sometimes I’m embarrassed by the ‘Brits Abroad’ mentality that I’ve seen – Brits who just want to go to a hot country, get a tan and eat as much as they can; all the while refusing to speak a word of the local language and being rather rude. That’s not everyone of course, but enough to have left an impression.

If you are respectful and considerate of your surroundings you will get the most out of the places and people you’re surrounded by. In places where your countrymen have a bad reputation, you'll find being the exception to the rule can open doors for you.

As my partner and I attempted to speak a little French and Arabic in Sousse it was commented on by several locals that it was unusual, that Brits usually don’t bother. It made me sad for the impressions that we sometimes leave on others. Sad for the missed opportunities for enrichment that come from cultural and interpersonal exchanges, too.

Conclusion

Travelling as a photographer is a lot of fun. It's exciting, being in a new place, and the excitement can fuel some fantastic pictures. Some of the most powerful magic of photography is bringing back pictures of far-away places.  

When you photograph while travelling remember that you are a guest. Take care in the places you visit and be courteous with everyone you meet. Be alert, open, prepared and switched-on. Yes, you are time-limited, but the photographic opportunities will come. Don't force it. Make friends in the places you visit. Most important of all, stay safe - don't risk yourself or others. And have fun!

Irati

ALL ABOUT HALONG BAY AND VACATION HERE

HaLong Bay is northern Vietnam's biggest attraction, one of the world magnificent natural heritages of the Far East with 3000 limestone and dolomite islands rising from waters of the Gulf of Tonkin. The vegetation-covered islands, which are spread out over an area of 1500 sq km, are dotted with innumerable beaches and grottoes created by the wind and the waves. Visitors have compared the area's magical landscape of carboniferous chalk islets to Guilin in China and Krabi in southern Thailand.

The meaning of "Ha Long", in Vietnamese, Ha means "descend", and "Long" means "dragon", so the word HaLong means "where the dragon descends into the sea".

HaLong Bay Descending dragon

Legend has it that the islands of HaLong Bay were created by a giant dragon who lived in the mountains. As he ran towards the coast, his flailing tail gouged out valleys and crevasses; as he plunged into the sea, the areas dug up by his tail became filled with water, leaving only bits of highland visible. The bay is even said to be inhabited by a mysterious marine creature of gargantuan proportions known as the Tarasque. HaLong Bay affords some of Vietnam's most spectacular scenery, including beautiful limestone formations, rock arches, gin-clear water, virtually scenery lagoons, sheer cliffs, peaceful coves, eerie caves, secluded strips of white, powdery sand, and thousands of limestone islets. Like sculpted cartoon characters, these islet are fancifully named: Frog Island, Face Island, Isle of Surprise, etc.

PROTECT YOUR CAMERA ON THE BEACH WITH THIS GREAT TRICK

The below technique works well when you want to let your creative spirit flow, but unfortunately the beach you chose is not the safest place in the world. Once you are done with pictures & videos, put your camera in the bag or simply wrap a towel around it and jog for a few minutes. While you are jogging look back from time to time to make sure that nobody is following you. In this way you will ensure that once you reach your new spot nobody will know that you have the camera on you. I used this technique in Rio de Janeiro and it worked perfectly well. You may think: “nobody will steal from me”. Well, this may be true. However, if your equipment is expensive and beaches you plan to visit are perceived to be a bit more dangerous (e.g. Rio or Barcelona), then I encourage you to test my approach. Unfortunately, I still see many situations around the world where people flash photos and make videos on the beach only to put the camera in the bag and lie down. At that point every thief on the beach knows that the camera is securely packed in that nice green bag resting next to the deckchair. It becomes an easy target for an expert and there are many of them. Especially when you travel with halong bay tours to Halong bay, one of the most popular beaches in Viet Nam. I will never forget when I was in Copacabana and saw 2 guys flashing their iPhones and fancy cameras in front of everybody. On the top of that they had T-shirts with Norwegian flag. All of this was like a gigantic neon sign saying: “Rob me please. I came from a rich country and brought some fancy things with me. Don’t worry, I will not fight for them”. I really hope that these guys avoided the trouble. Nevertheless, showing your wealth is the last thing you want to do in certain places.

WHAT IS SECRET POCKETS AND WHY WE NEED THEM?

Anywhere has bad people and good people. Secret pockets are amazing as they enable you to hide most of your cash & documents and leave only the necessary amount in your regular pockets. The idea behind it is that if somebody is trying to rob or simply pickpocket you, he is unlikely to get to the core of your cash.

Whenever you find yourself in a position where you need more money, simply go to the toilet and take it out from your hidden pockets. In this way nobody will even suspect that you have them. If you are a woman you can also hide the money inside your bra, in the padding, blanket.

I’ve visited many places perceived to be quite dangerous, and trust me, when you are strolling along crowded streets full of pickpockets this approach gives you a priceless peace of mind. There is no better feeling than the awareness that nobody will get to your documents and cash. It makes it easier to focus on enjoying your trip. If you are still hesitating I will show you what happens when things go wrong. Secret Pockets also helping you keep your cash when you swimming of Halong party cruise or any tour of halong bay tours

Let me tell you my story: Lost in BangKok at night

In February my friends and I went to BangKok Water Festival and managed to dance on the official parade. One night we decided to celebrate and joined a street party in the central part of BangKok. It can get
quite rough at night, especially when you are solo. Well, that night I made a mistake of initiating contact with too many locals and not taking the phone with me. It resulted in losing all my friends in the crowd. I found myself in unknown territory, slightly intoxicated, without a T-shirt, a phone, and as I realized, no money.
Guess what? That night I didn’t put any cash into my secret pockets. It was a terrible mistake, which forced me to walk for hours through treacherous neighbourhoods. Let’s leave the full story for the next time though. The point is that even a small pile of  Thai Baht  in my secret pocket would’ve saved me a lot of trouble. I learnt the lesson.

HALONG BAY – DESCENDING DRAGON

HALONG PARTY CRUISE

HALONG BAY HAS EXPERIENCED AT LEAST 500 MILLION YEARS IN VARIOUS GEOLOGICAL STATES OF OROGENY, MARINE TRANSGRESSION AND MARINE REGRESSION

LANDSCAPE

Most travellers  booking halong bay tours don’t stay in town, preferring to spend a night out in Halong Bay.

The bay has a 120km long coastline  with about 1.960- 2.000 islets, most of which are limestone, with thick jungle vegetation, rising spectacularly from the ocean.

Several of islands are hollow with enormous caves. The largest is called Hang Dau Go(Wooden stakes cave).

There are two bigger islands, Tuan Chau and Cat Ba, and a number of beautiful beaches on the smaller islands. Many of islands have acquired their names as a result of interpretation of their unusual shapes. Such names include Voi islet(elephant), Ga Choi islet(fighting cock), Khi islet(monkey), Mai Nha islet(roof), Kissing cocks,…

Other is the abundance of lakes inside the limestone islands. For example, Dau Be island has six enclosed lakes.

FLOATING LIFE

A community of around 1.600 people live on Halong bay in four fishing villages: Cua Van, Ba Hang, Cong Tau and Vong Vieng.

Halong Bay Tours

HALONG BAY AND CAT BA ISLAND WITH TREKKING

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HALONG BAY ON LEGACY CRUISE WITH SCUBA DIVING

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HALONG IMPERIAL LEGEND CRUISE

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IF YOU ASK US FOR A TOUR TO HALONG?

Halong Bay is the single most popular side trip, only 165kms from Hanoi. With many tour options and transportation, it’s easy for you to go to Halong city after about 3,5 hours on-route, and then have boat trip to explore 4000 square kilometer body of water.

You will be rewarded with some of the most spectacular and memorable sightseeing of your trip. Moreover, it is easy to find peaceful places to swim, fish, or just relax without seeing another soul, yet surrounded by majestic scenery.

If you have an extra day, you can add a night of wildlife sanctuary nearby Cat Ba Island.

Although having a plenty of vacation or tour options to discover Halong bay with uncountable quantity of cruises or junk boats or boats, and although itinerary detail of all may be different from each other, they all have the same point is that after the trip you’ll have enjoyed Halong Bay ‘s splending beauty. Tour price for 3 days 2 nights is just from $150 and for 2 days 1 night just from $110.

According to our experience in tourism for many years, we highly recommend a trip from 3 days 2 nights to Halong, including 1 night on boat and 1 night on bungalow(in a resort in private island).

Please notice that we offer Group tour, private tour and Tour on request. We also offer tours on other Cruise/ Junk boat/ Boat upto your request. So please dont hesitate to contact us via this IYA FACEBOOK or our email add iyatourcentre@gmail.com , we’ll get back to you right the way!