What Lenses to pack for a month in Europe - The Photographer’s Dilemma
We have just returned from a month spent in Europe. Perhaps the one thing I agonise most over as a photographer is that perennial question when going away on a backpacking trip. What camera gear should I take with and specifically, what lenses should I pack?
Photographers always say the best camera is the one you have with you, but I often find myself agonising over the fact that I left behind a lens I wished I had packed. Generally speaking though, if you are mostly wondering around the streets of Europe and visiting a few cathedrals and other impressive buildings, I think a couple of wide angle lenses might just be what you need.
I shoot with a Canon R6, and have a selection of both EF and RF lenses that work well. After much deliberation I packed both the RF24-105mm f/4 and the EF 16-35 f/2.8 and threw in my nifty fifty for good measure. This took up 6kg of space in my backpack! I find the 24-105mm a great versatile travel lens and the one I turn to most often. Sometimes though in tight spaces like the narrow alleyways in Europe or in an artisan’s studio, I have been glad I packed the wider 16-35mm. I’ve barely used the 50 prime.
I didn’t pack a tripod on this trip. I wasn’t expecting to be photographing the night sky but there were times when for example, I found a perfect reflection at sunset where I could certainly have used one. But, this was also an opportunity to be creative. I would often use a bench or any flat surface where I could safely balance my camera for the additional time I needed to open my shutter for a long exposure.
There are also times when travelling, you don’t really want to be bothered by heavy gear. The Europe trip was a perfect opportunity to see how my phone images stacked up, especially if I was mainly creating some record shots of say, a day spent at the beach in Crete. I hope by sharing some of my images, I might succeed in convincing you that sometimes it is ok to leave your best camera and lenses at home, even when you have access to them. The phone images were shot with my iPhone 14 Pro Max, which has a RAW option. Sometimes, if I think I might wish to do some serious edits on some of the images, I turn on the RAW function.
The other bit of gear that I did not pack was my drone. I wasn’t sure if there would be many places in Europe where flying a drone would be allowed. The work around for this of course is to try and get to some high vantage points. Often there are many towers and hills that you can climb that give you some spectacular views of the city. I hope you enjoy the images I have shared here.
All images created by @Nilmini De Silva Photography. If you wish to follow my on instagram, my handle in @nilmini_de_silva_photography. My website is narratives4change.com.au