Hannah Strange, the Florida Down Under marketing intern, writes:
When leaving the house the majority of us will do a quick check of essentials; wallet, phone, and keys. When going on a trip we add a couple of things to that list, our passport and the absolutely crucial, necessary, cannot-live-without-it gadget: our camera. Whether it be a DSLR, digital, or iPhone, I guarantee that none of you will want to leave for a trip of a lifetime Down Under without something to record those precious memories.
Hannah in front of Sydney Opera House
But the questions remain, what kind of camera is the best, how many photos should you take, how many gigabytes will you need, and can you still use Instagram for those oh-so-vintage study abroad pics? Honestly, it is completely up to your own personal preference, but here’s a bit of advice from an old travel-a-holic.
Many of you will want to splash out on a super fancy DSLR that can do all kinds of special tricks, but unless you are a photography major that really knows how to use all those gadgets, I’d recommend going for a traditional digital camera. DSLRs produce great photos to be sure, but they can also be heavy and take up a lot of space that you’re going to want for other things (like TimTams). Additionally, they can be really expensive and we all know how much money study abroad costs in the first place; personally I’d be inclined to save the money from the expensive piece of equipment and use it for adventure activities in Queenstown, New Zealand!
My second recommendation is don’t get so caught up taking pictures that you forget to look at where you really are. In my part-time job working at Walt Disney World, I see so many people viewing their vacation through a camera lens. They are so focused on getting the perfect picture of Cinderella’s Castle, that they forget to look at the expression on their child’s face when she first sees Tinkerbell. Obviously you want to capture the moment, but don’t let the desire to have a picture of you IN FRONT of the Sydney Opera House, make you forget to actually look at it for all its glory with your own two eyes.
