A Love Letter to Photography

Over the last ten years, my Nikon camera has been a travel necessity as essential as my toiletry bag. It’s accompanied me on long Texas road trips across the Hill Country and out to Big Bend, and it’s been by my side along the California Coast and across the ocean in London, Paris, and Rio de Janeiro. For me, travel photography isn’t just a way to capture memories of far-off places, it’s a way to immerse myself in them. 

But how do you know you have the best gear for the job? Travel photography is full of variables, but thanks to resellers like MPB, you can find hundreds of options at affordable prices and build the perfect kit for your needs. 

Looking through a viewfinder or a digital display, things leap out that you might’ve missed before: the gentle curve of a street you drive down every day; the bright blue door at the entryway of an old church; a slight gap in someone’s teeth when they smile; or a rock formation that, from just the right angle, looks like a bird taking flight. No matter where you are, you see the world differently with a camera in hand. 

Ten years ago, I walked into my college’s camera shop and rented my first DSLR. I hadn’t used anything more sophisticated than the basic point-and-shoot my family took on vacations, and all I had to go off of was a note from a photographer friend defining basic terms like “aperture,” “shutter speed,” and “ISO.” I didn’t know much, but that camera was all I needed to start exploring the city I’d just moved to. While I taught myself how to frame and edit photos, I got to know Austin through my lenses.

Snapping and sharing photos from your phone is so easy that for many people, it’s become almost a reflex. And in the age of social media, it almost feels like a requirement to post a photo if you’ve left the house, let alone the city. Traveling with a camera gives you the perfect excuse to disrupt that cycle, put your phone down, and really connect with the environment. 

Photography has a way of slowing things down. Traveling is hectic, chaotic even. There's the stress of packing your bags, possibly taking the wrong exit, rushing to make a flight, trying to stick to a packed itinerary and forgetting something important an hour into a road trip. It’s easy to forget to stop and take a look around, getting to know the place you’re visiting by spending an hour just walking around a park or city square. Be on the lookout for colors, faces, and shapes that call your attention, and follow where they lead. When you’re not worried about making it to the next big destination on your list, you might find that you stumble onto something even better: a cozy restaurant, a scenic trail, a cool vintage shop, or a bar with great live music. 

MPB is committed to sustainability and accessibility, recirculating more than 570,000 items every year. So whether you’re a new photographer or a seasoned pro, you can find quality camera bodies, lenses, filters, and accessories at affordable prices, or you can extend the life of your used gear by trading it in for something better. Their product specialists carefully inspect each item, giving sellers and buyers the reassurance they need to know that they’re getting the best deal possible. 

Any budding photographer will tell you that the biggest barrier to entry isn’t the know-how, it’s the cost of the equipment. When you’re just starting out, you might feel inclined to shell out on brand new items, but opting for used gear means you don’t need to break the bank while you’re still figuring out your style and learning the ropes. 

Maybe you’ll find that you’re really into landscape photography, and want to trade in your 35mm lens for a wide angle or zoom. Or maybe you really like taking portraits, so you want to trade in your current lens for one with a bigger aperture. Either way, you get to experiment with your style at a lower cost. Even for professional photographers, used gear is a great way to maximize your investment. Instead of buying a lens brand new, you can find one on sites like MPB for a lower price, and spend the rest on accessories.

One of the first things you’ll need when you start traveling with your camera is a good bag with enough pockets to carry your basics, plus dedicated padded compartments to keep your camera and lenses safe. Peak Design’s Everyday Backpack is a favorite among photographers, and MPB has them for nearly half the price. 

Lenses can add a lot of weight to your bag, so consider adding more portable ones like Nikon’s Nikkor Z 26mm f/2.8 or Canon’s EF-S 24mm f/2.8 to your kit. Also, consider bringing along a solid zoom lens like Canon’s RF-S 18-150mm or Nikon’s Nikkor Z 18-140mm — they might be pricier, but they’re also very versatile. 

Round out your kit with a lightweight travel tripod from Manfrotto, and a polarizer to reduce glare on sunny days, and you’re ready to go!