Summer is here, school is out and everyone is pursuing their favorite warm weather interests. Regardless of what your favorite warm weather interest is, you will likely be taking that new digital camera along with you. We decided that we would explore some summer gear for traveling with your digital camera, the kind of stuff that you can really use to not only take great pictures but store them too.

Most people use cameras between 3-8 mega pixel ratings that are easily transported and stored yet take great photos. Here is a check list that you can use to insure that you are getting the most out of all those pixels while you are away from home.

1) Fresh Batteries. These will cost you between $5 & $10 and are an invaluable part of your picture taking experience. I would hate to be on a trail and come upon the scene of a lifetime with dead batteries. If your camera has rechargeable batteries, check you manual and see if there is an alkaline compatible solution that will allow you to keep shooting even if you are miles from the closest electrical outlet. While on our search for the “right” battery for our camera we came across this excellent link from Duracell. If you don’t have your manual or don’t want to look up the compatible alkaline battery for it Duracell has made it incredibly easy for you by following this link. If your camera has a compatible alkaline battery it is obvious that these guys want you to know about it. Go to http://www.duracell.com/battery_finder/find_device.asp and simply look up your camera, camcorder walkie talkie etc. and you’ll find the right battery for it.

2) This also brings up our next item. Safety is always a concern and if you are going hiking, even with a partner, take a high powered walkie talkie or better yet a cell phone. This will give you the ability to call for help or just call and brag about the great shot you got of the Bear fishing for salmon right in front of you. Either way don’t go out without some form of communication with the civilized world. You can check to see if the area you plan to go hiking in has cell phone coverage by going to your cell phone provider’s website and checking available coverage before you venture off.

3) Get yourself a camera travel bag that has some protection. There are a lot of low cost camera bags out there. Keep in mind where you are going. You camera should be kept dry and safe as you travel. If you plan to go somewhere urban and have a place to store you gear, take a pelican case with you. These cases are waterproof and can be shipped in the cargo hold of a plane. They can be locked with a standard padlock and then stored at your base camp or in your hotel room without worry of your equipment being either damaged by the weather or stolen along the way.

While the Pelican cases will keep you dry and protect you they aren’t real practical for hiking or even just a beach walk. They are bulky and would require an assistant to carry. If you are looking for something a little more portable that is at the very least weatherproof, look at lowepro. Lowepro has an entire line of travel related backpacks, sling packs and fanny packs that reduce your load and allow you to keep you stuff dry and usable.

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4) Once you have gone on your first shoot you will want to download some of those photos to CD or DVD. There is a great little device that we honestly wouldn’t be caught without when we shoot that allows you to burn a CD or DVD right from your media card using just battery power. The Apacer Steno has been around for a few years and is now in its’ 3rd incarnation. We recently purchased the DVD version of this unit the model 300 that allows you to burn DVDs of your media cards as well as actually watch a DVD if you wish. The unit retails for about $300 but comes with its own remote control and can be connected to a video out for display on a TV. There is also a full color 1.5” screen on the front panel that will allow you to review you images on the spot or even run a mini slideshow.

5) Finally if you really want to take a photo safari style vacation but you aren’t sure where to go or what to see, check out the following websites that offer photo adventures. You will not only go to some of the most beautiful places on earth, but you will be sharing your experience with like minded individuals traveling for the shear pleasure of photographing the landscapes around them. This makes your trip not only a pleasurable one but a learning experience as well.

* http://www.luminous-landscape.com/workshops/index.shtml
* http://www.washingtonphotosafari.com/
* http://www.classicafrica.com/
* http://www.eyesonafrica.net/safari-photography.htm

We hope your summer of photography is everything you are looking for in adventure, imagery and fun. Aloha