Make photo copies of your license, passport and credit cards and leave in each of your travel bags. You don’t want to end up stranded if your wallet goes missing.

Kevin Lock is a current national director of ASMP. While Kevin does not get stranded he has been to change direction in mid trip so he hardly ever checks his luggage.   

While I’m not a road warrior, I easily log 50 flights a year for my job. I’ve had to travel with equipment all over the world for both photo and video projects.  Traveling just gets more and more expensive these days.  Here are a few rules that I apply to getting there safely with my sanity and equipment intact.

Carry It
I always carry these things onto the plane.

• A roll-on bag with all my lenses and camera bodies. I have had luggage stolen, the thieves know what gear bags look like.
• A laptop shoulder bag. With laptop, power supply, 2 TB of portable storage, and spare cables for all items.
• The Internet. I have an iPad, an iPhone, and a Wireless Modem. Why do I have 3 internet connections at all times? Because its cheaper than paying for WIFI at the airport and hotel.  Plus its much more reliable than counting on clients and coffee shops.
• A change of clothes. Because your bag will get lost at the worst time

Check It
When it comes to checked luggage, here are some tips to try to stretch your budget.

• Weigh your bags. Weigh your bags before you fly.  A simple bathroom scale is worth keeping near your gear.
• Prepay. Some airlines offer annual passes for baggage, while others give you a free bag with their branded credit card.
• Choose wisely. One of my favorite airlines is Virgin America.  Not just for their lovely service and planes (with Internet), but for their $25 per bag and up to 10 bags policy.
• Pack a bag. Overweight bags are more expensive than checking another bag.  I carry a very lightweight bag inside my suitcase for “overflow.”
• Skycaps are your friend. Those great folks out front of their airport are often nicer than the folks inside.  Just walk up and hand them a five or ten dollar bill with your driver’s license.

Rent It
Don’t feel you have to lug all your gear with you.  All those bags can sure add up.

• Hire local. Find a local crew person or assistant for the market you’re traveling to. These can be a lighting assistant or someone to help with gear on the shoot.
• Find a peer. Use the ASMP Find a Photographer app or site to find a colleague to rent gear from.
• Look for a grip house. We typically rent lighting equipment and support gear. from a grip house, which are used by the video and motion picture industries.

Why all this hubbub?  These days every dollar counts.  Clients don’t really look at your rate plus expenses, they just see the bottom line.  In my experience, the better a traveler I am, the more money left over to go in my pocket.

Richard Harrington is the founder of RHED Pixel,  a visual communications company in Washington, D.C.  You can read Rich’s blog at www.RichardHarringtonBlog.com as well as follow him on Twitter @rhedpixel.  If you’d like to check out his books, just swing by his Amazon page.

When traveling and working abroad good pre-production is essential. Produce your shoot and travel details as thoroughly as possible before leaving on your trip. Coordinate as many details as you can with your local partners, and develop and deliver a timeline to keep your schedule tight and your team on the same page. This will not only keep you, but also your client happy and your expenses under control.

One thing that we rarely do when working abroad is to build extra time into the production to allow for the truly unexpected. When scheduling be sure to consider the pace at which your production team and clients may work in your host country. Time is a very different commodity when you are working abroad and not everyone will be ready or willing to work within your time frame. The pace at which people work, the seriousness which with people view deadlines, differences in the quality of production, the technical skill and digital skills of your local crew, or the proximity of photo equipment or a good computer store may all affect your ability to get the job done within your perceived time frame.

If you are using a translator, speak with them on the phone before you arrive. Be sure that he or she is fluent in the languages that you need and that they understand the terminology that you will be using as you work. Also check to see if the translator will be available for the entire time that you are working. This may seem obvious, but if you are going to need someone to help you and your crew navigate the city during location scouting or after the shoot, you will need to be clear about that up front. Also be aware that you may find the need to book your own translator in addition to the one provided, as the quality of translation varies greatly from city to city and person to person. What may be acceptable to your client may be difficult for you.

Problem solving is what many of us do best, but sometimes even the best problem solvers can be overwhelmed by conditions beyond their control. By being aware of the issues that you may face when traveling and building extra time into your schedule to allow for them, you will make life easier for all involved, and give yourself greater opportunity for success.

Thomas Werner; Educator, Lecturer, Curator. Please see Thomas Werner Projects on Facebook and Thomaswernerprojects.wordpress.com or for more information.

I’ve been a traveler since I was 19 years old. Not only have I spent a big part of my career shooting desirable destinations all over the world for magazines like National Geographic and Travel & Leisure, I’m also on the road a lot shooting for corporations, institutions and non-profits and speaking at conferences. I’ve recently returned from a trip around the world making a feature documentary.

Here a few tips I’ve learned over years of traveling with gear:

• Carnet – A carnet is like a bond on the “goods” that you bring into a country – like your professional photographic gear – that assures authorities that you will leave their country with the gear you brought in. I don’t always obtain a carnet – some countries don’t recognize them.  But if you do travel with a carnet, make sure the customs offices are open the necessary hours to accommodate your flight times.
• Baggage – I have elite status on Continental so as of right now, I don’t pay for my first two checked bags, and I’m allowed up to 70 lbs. in each.  After that every bag costs me $80 for each leg.   If I have 4-6 checked bags, which I often do for corporate shoots, it will cost me an additional $160 per bag, round trip.  That’s $320-$640 in excess baggage fees on top of the price of the ticket.  If I’m flying on an inexpensive ticket, it works out better for me to buy another ticket – essentially a seat for your camera bag.  Musicians do it all the time with instruments. The extra ticket comes with an additional two free (in my case) bags, saving money over paying the high excess bag charge.
• ScotteVest – I don’t like photo vests, but I love ScotteVest because when you are flying small planes and you can’t carry a camera bag on board – you can pack a whole lot of gear in your vest – even a laptop.
• Documents – Plan ahead.  Getting visas can take time.  Make sure you get the necessary documents to be able to “work” or shoot in certain countries.
• Money – Many third world countries still do business in cash. Some countries only accept new bills.  In Uganda, they would only take $20 bills printed after 2006.

Gail Mooney has recently finished her first feature film Opening Our Eyes. Watch the trailer and find out more about this project at: www.openingoureyesmovie.com

In the early part of my career, I “winged it” when entering foreign countries with my photography equipment.  Often there was a dance of excuses when I crossed a foreign border, and/or, a crossing of my fingers in hopes that Customs Officials would not check “that” suitcase…chock full of lighting gear!  As my operation became more and more robust, I took steps to ensure that my border crossings were a guaranteed success and that Customs Officials and I were both working in each others’ best interests.

When you take your equipment into a foreign country, you are literally importing and exporting it.  An ATA Carnet (pronounced kar-nay) assists you in doing so.  You’ll find everything that you need to know about applying, using, and retiring your Carnet for a re-application each year on the ATA Carnet website.  Currently accepted in 71 countries, it helps you clear customs quickly without the need to pay for duties or import taxes on merchandise (your tools of the trade) that you will re-export in 12 months or less.  As long as you don’t plan to live abroad with your equipment beyond the 1 year expiration date (from the date of application; not importation) of your Carnet, this document will work wonders for you.

Frequently Asked Questions from photography colleagues about using an ATA Carnet:

Q: Do I need a carnet if I am traveling with just my camera and a laptop, and perhaps a battery operated strobe unit?

A: Probably not, most border crossings allow for “personal items” which include a laptop, and a camera.  If you plan to bring more than one professional camera, or a bit more than your share of general consumer lighting gear, an ATA Carnet is for you.

Q: How much is it to obtain an ATA Carnet?

A:For a basic kit of commercial photographic gear, you should estimate between $300-$600 USD per year for the ATA Carnet and related vouchers.

Q: What do I need to do to prepare for obtaining an ATA Carnet?

A: First prepare a list of the gear that you plan to use outside of your home country.  You will need to include your replacement values and serial numbers per item listed.  If you have already done this for insurance purposes you are one step ahead of the game.

Shannon Fagan lives and works in Beijing, China; and has traveled extensively back and forth to Canada and Europe using an ATA Carnet to create stock imagery for Getty Images, Corbis, Blend, Image Source, and Veer.

My partner, Jon, and I carry giant Lithium Ion batteries (6x the size of an SLR battery) on planes on a regular basis. (These are for our remote control helicopter, by the way.)  We also check a whole lot of other gear.  Here are a few ways to ensure passage of all your oddly shaped, possibly explosive, suspiciously attired luggage:

1. Make sure your checked bags weigh less than 50 lbs each or be prepared to pay extra (and charge your client for it).
2. Put your heaviest bag on first…that way you can pull items from it and stuff them into other places if you are over the limit.
3. Some airlines will fire the ticket agents if they are caught accepting heavy bags without the appropriate fees and warning tags for the baggage handlers (just so you understand their motivations).
4. For batteries and other odd devices: Jon and I print out the official rules from http://www.tsa.gov/travelers/airtravel/assistant that relate to whatever item we are traveling with.  That way, you have proof that you are allowed passage with your device regardless of who-doesn’t-like-your-look or what-superior-is-currently-on-lunch-break.  If it’s there in writing from the official website, you will have a strong leg to stand on.
5. Some airlines will let you board early to ensure space for your camera gear if you show a media pass.  An ASMP Member ID badge (you can find it on your member profile page) works on Southwest.  Other airline policies may vary.

Most importantly, smile and be pleasant.  This goes a long way toward a happy travel experience.

Jenna Close has schlepped a camera to 25 countries without any trouble from TSA.  She plans to continue the trend in Patagonia in 2012.  Jenna can be found at www.p2photography.net.

Photo nerds beware, there is a new vest on the market.  I like it so much, that I, er, uh, well, okay…I nerded out and bought two of them.  My discovery could be the perfect addition to gear up for photography this Fall.

Scottevest is a company focusing on travel gear for the “digitapher” in all of us.  Their Men’s/Women’s Lightweight Travel Vest is my favorite.  This is isn’t your Grandfather’s photo vest.   This is a revolutionary way to haul all your digital paraphernalia from Point A to Point B, …or perhaps even Point Z; as testimonials on the http://www.scottevest.com/ website will attest to.

For the global photo traveler in me, I like that it can hold two cell phones, a pocket for my passport, my wallet, closures for a USB drive, plug adapters, an eyeglasses holder, key lanyard, tablet computer, earphones, business cards, medications, a water bottle, and even…brace yourself….a medium sized laptop computer.

It keeps me warm on chilly air-conditioned flights and it might be a great addition to your gear line up this Autumn as you head out to shoot Fall foliage.

Shannon Fagan swore that he would never own a photo vest.  He’s making good on that promise.

© Kevin Lock

When traveling abroad, I suggest that you do your homework.  Don’t assume the airline or anyone else will do it for you.  I recently spent a month traveling via Jet Blue’s “All You Can Jet” promotion.  I was on the road photographing places that I had never been.  I visited 4 countries and spent time in 11 cities.  I would have visited 5 countries if I had done my homework.  The last country on my itinerary was Bermuda.  When I landed and attempted to pass thru the Bermudian Customs and Immigration, I was pulled into secondary.  There I was informed that I could not enter their country without a reservation (hotel). After my 3 and a half hour visit to the Bermuda International Airport, I was put on a flight back to the lovely United States.  Lucky for me US Customs did not require a reservation.

Kevin Lock is a National Board Member of the ASMP.  When not being allowed into small countries he finds himself taking pictures out of airport windows. Kevin is currently spending time thoroughly researching his next trip abroad.

However, many times it ends up being cheaper to purchase an extra ticket.  This not only gives you an empty seat next to you, it also gives you two extra bags to check on. I am a Continental Elite member, so I can fly with two checked bags, each up to 70 lbs. for no additional money. But, if I had two additional bags, (4 total) I would pay extra for each bag on each leg of the trip. This can quickly add up.  For example, anything over the two bags would cost me $80 each additional bag, each leg.  So those two extra bags would come to $320 for a roundtrip. So, if my ticket cost me only $198 then I’m better off by buying an extra ticket than I am paying for excess baggage.  It’s perfectly legal – musicians do it all the time because they don’t want to check in their instruments and buy the extra seat for that purpose.

So, do the math when planning your itinerary – you may end up with a savings plus more mileage in your frequent flier account.