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Tropical Photography
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Hi all,
I was wondering does anyone have practical advice, do’s & dont’s, tips etc about photography in this climate. Going to the Phillipines in August for a month..the camera is giddy with excitement!Cheers
I read somewhere that the problems occur at sudden temperature changes so if you keep the camera at a roughly consistent temperature problems should be minimised. Think I read of a photographer keeping his kit out the hotel balcony overnight too (that was finland but the same principle applies). Enjoy the phillipines – sounds like a lot of fun, pretty sure Ciaran was there last year too so he might have more info.
Make sure you bring as many of those silica gel things, that soak up moisture in your camera bag, as you can!
Also be careful with DEET based insect repellants, they will rot the rubber on your camera and/or the glue holding it on and some plastics also. Wash the plams of your hands after applying it.
You should have a great time, we were in Borneo last year and it’s quite a different pace of life. We visited Turtle Island which used to be an island of the Phillipines. The days are short all year around which was a bit odd (7am-around 7pm if I remember correctly), we’re used to long sunny days during summer, they have short sunny days with heavy rain pretty regularly. In fact the rain was so predictable we planned our day around shopping for a few hours each afternoon while it rained.
The high humidity can be a problem but my Nikon D200 showed no effects except in the tropical forest where the lens steamed up after taking it out of my bag. You could keep in in a plastic bag, that way when you take it out of your bag you leave it in the bag for a minute or two and the condensation will form on the plastic bag, not the camera body.
Be careful flashing an expensive camera around though I found it bizarre that people would stop their cars to talk to you about your gear then drive off with a smile! There’s some extreme poverty, people living in boats and shacks on the coast so be aware of wandering too far off the beaten track.
Have a great time!
thanks for the advice lads, much appreciated. I had thought of ‘flashing around the camera’ thing, its a nikon d80 so it would appeal to someone wanting to make a few bob. I never travelled outside of europe before, I am a bit wary of it but there is no way im wrapping it up in cotton wool either, a camera should be used, end of. I don’t want my reluctance to limit my shots but then again i don’t want to cross the line either. i paid the bones of 2k on the kit so i think im wise insuring it, anyone have tips on that?
Just posted that very question in the thread above Asterix. Have the same kit as well…so want to know if anything happens to it that I’m not going to be 2 grand out of pocket. Be bad enough being devastated being ripped apart from my Nikki..but having to fork out to replace it would make it even worse..;-)
don’t own a house, so ill have to look at other options..maybe ill look into what i can include in my travel insurance..
Just get out and use the camera…don’t be worried about losing, getting it stolen – that sort of thing happens to cautious people more often. Just use common sense. Just watch for bringing it into and out of air con’d rooms…the lens will fog up for a while.
With the advent of consumer slr’s it’s unlikely you’ll be the only person with a ‘big’ camera around.markcapilitan wrote:
With the advent of consumer slr’s it’s unlikely you’ll be the only person with a ‘big’ camera around.
That is so true…just walk around Dublin Zoo for a morning…all you can see are Nikons and Canons and every other make of DSLRs..usually with bloody big lenses attached. :D
I was in Manilla last year and although it was extremely humid. I never noticed any fogging or problems in whatsoever with my D200. There’s good advice on offer above anyhooo .
In terms of getting out and about with the camera , it wasn’t secrutity or fear for my safety that stopped me. I didn’t get out and about much anyway .. just a couple of times, and I was inhibited more by the fact that I was so affected by the poverty and conditions for people that I really couldn’t settle comfortably into taking pictures. It was very shocking to see how difficult it is for people living in the city and the risks for children and girls etc.. I wasn’t really prepared to see this side of things and felt very unsure about photographing in in terms of the serious nature of what I saw and what the “purpose” of me taking the pictures would be. A personal dillemma.. but maybe it would have helped to be prepared.
People definately noticed us wandering around and only once did we feel nervous, but in retrospect – we stuck out like sore thumbs as westerners wandering through a part of town which was really a shanty town, with houses made from corregated Iron leaning against a wall, and I’m guessing wouldn’t see alot of tourism, r at least not the type with cameras. But it was just looks, there was nothing really intimidating
That said, its was truly an amazing experience, the people we met were so gracious and polite and really lovely and if I’d had more time there I would definately have gotten over my discomfort.
In terms of saftey be careful as you would anywhere with your personal safety and enjoy it :) I’m a bit envious really :)
L
thats great, cheers for the advice everyone, my mind is at rest & im looking forward to it even more now!
I’d have to agree with Lorraine. I’m just back from 2 weeks in Malaysia and while there are alot of great opportunities for cracking pictures, the poverty in some parts is a little unsettling, especially as I found in Borneo, but not sure what you would encounter in the phillipines.
The humidity can be a bit annoying but with only fogging up twice in the 2 weeks i was there it wasn’t really an issue.
Just enjoy and takes as many pics as you can.My dad is filipino, and it is a 3rd world country. Most tourists only see the lovely island side of things, same is true for alot of asian countries. The dvd ‘War Photographer’ about James Nachtwey has a piece where he followed a homeless family around, where the father had only 1 leg and 1 arm I think and they lived between 2 sets of rail lines. Emotional stuff, but the family were friendly towards Nachtwey…can’t remember what country it was, but somewhere in SE asia. Enjoy the experience, if that’s the right word (enjoy).
cheers, i will..im going to around Davao, in south Mindanao and staying with someone whos been there a few years so hopefully ill see the real Phillipines..i’ll post up a couple of nice shots on my return
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