Travel Photography Part 4: Post Trip Ritual

Everyone has their own post trip ritual and I am no different. At the end of each trip I unpack all my camera bags and lay everything out on my desk. I then set up my back up drive and copy all the files onto my main drive.  I will need another post to describe my back up set up but suffice to say I have three drives in two different locations.

While the files are backing up, I clean all my lenses and cameras.  I do not clean the sensors again unless I spotted (pun intended) an problem. Most of the cameras will get a rub down with a lint free cloth. This is to wipe off any oils or moisture that was left on the cameras. 

The lenses get a full cleaning.  Once completed I put all the cameras and lenses into an air tight tub with a Desiccant moisture absorbing package. The idea is to remove any moisture that has found its way into the equipment. I will leave the lenses off my cameras and leave them all uncapped. I leave it this was for a minimum of two days but often times will leave it this way for a week if I was in a very humid environment. 

On the next sunny day, I will expose the lenses to some direct sun light.  I have a UV light which I can use in a pinch but find that laying them out in direct sunlight works much better. The idea here is to decrease the chance of fungus growing on my lenses. I have some old lenses which are more prone to fungus, exposing it to some UV light helps a great deal. 

I then clean all the peripheral equipment such as lens caps, filters, cables, tripods and tripod heads. This is your chance to get all the gear in good working order.  I will also charge my batteries or remove any batteries from equipment which will not be used in a short period of time.

I catalog the film rolls and put them together according to film type and ISO shot at. I will then plan my development plan and mix fresh chemicals. I will then slowly get through all the film.

Finally I scan the negatives and select some key shots to take into the darkroom. 

That is it. Nice and simple but with a little Tender Loving Care I ensure my gear is ready to go. I enjoy the process and I do not see it as work. It is part of the entire trip enjoyment.