Getaway Gear
So you’re going on vacation. You’re getting out of town. You’re taking some time off the grid. You’re taking a day trip. Do you take your camera along? If so, what gear do you pack in your bag? Of course much depends on suitcase space, weight, locale, flying versus driving. And yet, decisions must be made.
My deciding factors come down mostly to versatility and vision. My family recently took a road trip to Nashville, TN, then Mammoth Cave National Park, KY and a quick stop in Cincinnati (for our youngest, a Bengals fan :) On our most recent vacations I’ve found that using my iPhone as a primary camera serves me best. It allows me to be in the present moment and still capture spontaneously due to its proximity (in my pocket) and portability. I DID bring my Canon R6 Mark II along with a couple of lenses. Here’s how I captured the trip…
Strolling through downtown Nashville during CMA Fest was, well, an adventure. Nashville definitely has it’s own vibe including TONS (like, every single bar simultaneously, with the windows/doors open at noon on a Sunday) of Live music. Growing up with a musician as a dad I have a depth of appreciation for performing and expression through music. The energy on Broadway was unmatched. As most of my family was finishing up lunch I took my Lensbaby Edge 50 out of my bag and captured a few images between the raindrops.
Since we arrived in Ketucky prior to our check-in, I found a short sink-hole hike (Don’t worry, I didn’t fall in!) outside of Mammoth Cake National Park before we headed to the rental. I grabbed my camera out of my bag with the same lens: light, little pop out macro feature, easily walkable.
After a 4 hour, 4 mile Cave tour, as the kids were resting in the rainy afternoon, I set out to discover what wildflowers Kentucky had to offer. According to the sign at the park I was 2 months late for the Wildflower Festival and yet I’m thankful I persisted! This time I used the Lensbaby Edge 50 and then switched to the Lensbaby Sol 45 (Spoiler: these are the only 2 lenses I used on the trip!) popping on the macro filters at times. Because, well, that’s what I do!
Upon arrival at our last stop, we were informed that our hotel had no hot water. Unable to pivot at that late notice, we unloaded and were pleasantly surprised by a great view of Cincinnati (that was the only pleasant thing about the hotel, I must say!) As the family regrouped and packed after dinner I took a few moments on the balcony for some creating. (including some slow shutter speed with intentional camera movement).
I found that carrying light creative lenses on select, short outings during vacations provides the optimal balance of capturing the experiences and memories while maintaining presence and engagement. For the other parts of the trip I use my iPhone and continue to view the world with wonder engaging my imagination as light and shadows, movement and layers bring the stories of the scene to life.
As I was reviewing and sharing my roadtrip images I discovered that I had captured atypical subject matters for me (street, cityscape) - refreshing and sparking art in unique places. Wherever you are, may you find yourself exploring the world with fresh eyes and abundant appreciation.
