Whether you’re planning a small weekend trip or a month-long excursion, summer is a great season for traveling. School is out and the sun is shining! We have spent all year longingly looking at travel photography accounts and planning our trips. So the time has come… but what gear should you bring?! It’s a constant balance between bringing everything, just in case, and trying to keep everything light and packable. Well fret not! We have pulled together some YouTube videos from the experts. These Sony ceators are sharing tips on the cameras and lenses you can’t leave behind, how to pack it and fly with it, and what kind of images to make once you arrive at your destination. Continue reading to become a well-prepared travel photographer! And for more inspiration and advice, be sure to subscribe to the Sony Alpha Universe YouTube Channel.

These YouTubers are showing how to pack and fly with gear, the cameras and lenses you can't leave behind & what kind of images to make once you arrive.

Skills To Learn Before Your Trip

Albert Dros

Albert is a professional photographer from The Netherlands with an extreme passion for landscapes. He so beautifully captures landscapes in a way that is unique and almost has you wondering if they’re actually from a real place. He shares his breadth of knowledge on his YouTube channel. In the video below, Albert is walking through how to use the focus bracketing function on the Sony Alpha 7R V from when to use it all the way to how to put it together in post production. This is the perfect video to check out before your travels. That way, when you come across a stunning scene, you’ll be able to capture it in all its glory.

James Popsys

James Popsys is a travel and adventure photographer based in the UK. His YouTube Channel focuses on landscape photography, with a dash of humor. James is pushing the tradition with landscape photography in the video below. He states that “shallow depth of field is one of the best tools we have as photographers for storytelling.” He goes to a beautiful landscape with a lighthouse in South Wales, shooting with the Sony 35mm f/1.4 G Master, Sony 20mm f/1.8 G, and Sony 70-200mm f/2.8 G Master all wide open, to try and answer one question: Are fast lenses good for landscape photography? Check out his video to decide for yourself! If you like it, this could be a useful technique to use on your own travels.

What Gear Should You Bring?

Kyle Watts

If you’re interested in vlogging your adventures, you’ll likely want to bring a dedicated vlogging camera. In the video below, filmmaker, videographer, photographer, audio engineer, music producer and adventure vlogger Kyle Watts shares his favorite vlogging camera. He tests out the Sony ZV-1 by taking it to Puerto Vallarta, Mexico. He calls it “the perfect travel vlogging camera.”

Jason Vong

Jason Vong is a YouTuber and content creator who creates videos that show his travels, provide creative advice or go behind the scenes of his creative adventures. It’s not all vlogger style video with Jason, he also creates beautiful cinematic footage using his knowledge of the gear and his ability to create an epic Sony system rig. With all his travel, he and his wife decided to start traveling only with carry-on bags. In the video below, he walks through what tech and camera gear he brings. Jason packs the Sony Xperia 1 IV, Sony 14mm F/1.8 G Master, Sony 24-70mm f/2.8 G Master II, Sony 28-60mm f/4-5.6, Sony Alpha 7S III, Sony Alpha 1, Sony ECM-B10 and Sony ECM-B1M Digital Shotgun Mics, and much much more.

Tips For Packing Your Gear 

Sidney Diongzon

Sidney Diongzon is a TikTok and YouTube content creator. Diongzon loves sharing stories through his camera and helping others do the same. His account has practical tutorials, cinematic visuals, gear reviews and behind-the-scenes vlogs. He’s a great resource for learning new skills and for gear reviews. In the video below, he shares a light kit for flying. In a single backpack he brought his laptop, Sony WH-1000XM4 Headphones, Sony Alpha 7 IV, Sony 16-35mm f/2.8 G Master lens, video mic, ND filter, lens hood, and other accessories like a phone holder for flying.

Drew Tooley

Drew Tooley is a story-driven, filmmaker and photographer. He’s based out of Denver, Colorado but travels frequently. In this video, he shares all he’s learned about traveling internationally with camera equipment. He uses a carry-on pelican case to carry his gear: the Sony Alpha 1, Sony Alpha 7S III, Sony VG-C4EM Vertcal Battery Grip, Sony 16-35mm f/2.8 G Master, Sony 70-200mm f/2.8 G Master, Sony 90mm f/2.8 Macro G, Sony 24-105mm f/4 G and the Sony 50mm f/1.8 lens. If you’re flying with a lot of camera gear, you’ve got to check out this video!