Packing Light and Shooting Big: Essential Lenses for Your Nepal Photo Tour
Packing Light and Shooting Big: Essential Lenses for Your Nepal Photo Tour
As a photographer with over 15 years of experience capturing the magic of Nepal, I've learned a valuable lesson: on a Nepal photo tour, especially those involving short flights like the ones to Jomsom and Pokhara, traveling light is paramount. Lugging around a heavy arsenal of lenses will not only strain your back but might also restrict you from boarding those small planes due to weight limitations.
It's a good idea to know what your equipment weighs before setting off on a trip. You can easily find this by looking up your lens or camera body online and scroll through to ‘specifications’ where weight will be listed. B&H Photo is a good resource - find your lens on their site and look for the ‘SPECS’ tab to find the weight.
None of the weight requirements need to hamper your ability to capture stunning images with the right focal length, however. With a carefully chosen selection of lenses, you can still create stunning images that encompass the grandeur of the Himalayas, the vibrancy of local culture, and the serenity of the landscapes. Here's my take on the ideal lens kit for your Nepal photo adventure, keeping weight and versatility in mind.
Essential Nepal Photo Tour Lenses: Wide-Angle, Mid-Range Zoom, Telephoto
Wide-Angle Lens (16-35mm): Nepal's majestic mountains are best captured in all their glory with a wide-angle lens. This lens will allow you to take in the breathtaking panoramas, including snow-capped peaks reflected in serene glacial lakes. Look for a lens with a fast aperture (f/2.8 or wider) for low-light situations like capturing sunrises over the Himalayas or bustling marketplaces in the early morning.
Mid-Range Zoom Lens (24-70mm): This versatile workhorse will be your companion for capturing everything from bustling street scenes in Kathmandu to portrait shots of friendly locals. The zoom range allows you to frame your compositions perfectly, while the mid-range focal lengths provide a natural perspective. Ideally you’d look for a lens with a wide aperture of 2.8, however a maximum aperture of 4.0 should be more than adequate for those street scenes and outdoor shots in the marketplace or capturing the architecture of Darbur Square.
Telephoto Zoom Lens (70-300mm): While not absolutely necessary, a telephoto zoom lens adds another dimension to your photographic arsenal. This lens will be your go-to for capturing wildlife encounters, distant monasteries clinging to cliffsides, and dramatic close-up shots of the mountain giants. Opt for a lens with a good zoom range (ideally reaching 300mm or more) and image stabilization to tackle those long-distance shots. Remember to adjust your focal length iif your shooting on crop sensor cameras. My crop sensor camera extends the range of my 200mm lens to 300mm.
Small planes, smaller payload. Weight restrictions strictly enforced.
Traveling Light: The Power of Compact Lenses
If you're truly committed to traveling light, consider a compact prime lens or a high-quality all-in-one zoom lens. Prime lenses, such as a 24mm f/2.8 or a 35mm f/1.8, offer exceptional image quality and low-light performance in a smaller, lighter package. A high-quality all-in-one zoom lens, like a 16-80mm f/4, provides a good zoom range while maintaining a relatively compact size and weight.
Tripod Essentials: Balancing Weight and Stability
A sturdy tripod is a valuable companion for capturing sharp images in low-light conditions, like during sunrises and sunsets, or for waterfalls and flowing rivers. However, on a Nepal photo tour, weight is a major concern. Here are some tips:
Look for a travel tripod: Maybe you’ve heard the expression that there are 2 types of tripods - the super lightweight, tiny travel tripods - and the ones that work. Things have changed since then however, and smaller tripods are significantly sturdier now with the incorporation of specifically designed carbon fiber tripods offering a good compromise between the two.
Filters: Enhancing Your Images
Circular Polarizer (CP): I consider this an essential item for any Nepal photo tour. This filter is a great option for reducing glare and reflections on water bodies and increasing the vibrancy of blue skies. A CP is an essential part of your Nepal photography kit. Make certain you have a CP for your wide and telephoto lenses at the very least.
Graduated Neutral Density (GND) Filters: These filters help balance the exposure in scenes with a large difference between bright highlights (like the sky) and dark shadows (like foreground landscapes). While helpful, GND filters can add some bulk to your kit, but they are typically pretty lightweight. These will help you avoid overblown highlights and crushed blacks in your shadows. Graduated filters can take some getting used to, so practice at home before heading out for a trek.
Remember: While I've highlighted these lenses and filters, Nepal's beauty can be captured with a variety of equipment. The key is to be mindful of weight restrictions and focus on mastering the lenses you choose.
Bonus Tips:
Protect your Gear: Invest in good quality lens cases and a camera bag that can comfortably hold your chosen lenses and keep them safe during your travels, as well as allowing you quick access to your kit when changing lenses is a priority. There’s no one best bag - I should know - I own several gear bags touted as the ‘last camera bag you’re ever going to need’.
Practice Before You Go: Familiarize yourself with your chosen lenses and practice shooting in different lighting conditions before you embark on your trip. It’s a good idea to choose one lens - say your wide - and only use that lens for a variety of situations to learn its capabilities and shortcomings. You’ll find the perfect lens for a wide landscape is often the poorest choice for a street portrait and vice versa. Knowing the nuances of each of your lenses is key.
Embrace the Unexpected: Sometimes, the most captivating photos are unplanned. Be open to capturing spontaneous moments and hidden gems along the way.
Embrace the unexpected.
By following these tips and packing strategically, you'll have everything you need to capture your Nepal photo tour expertly, and return home with a collection of photographs that will transport you back to the Himalayas for years to come. Remember that the best kit you have is the one you're shooting with. Lenses and filters are tools. They don't do the work for you. Creativity always trumps equipment.
Brooksbank Photo Tours offers small group photo tours in Nepal highlighting Kathmandu and Upper Mustang. See our itinerary and details of the trip.
