How to protect your camera
Jun/09Comments
I guess I am not the only one who have some bad experiences with compact cameras and travelling. They are small and handy, indeed, but sometimes they can also become too small. As I visited Northern Ireland a few years ago and had spent some hours at the magnificent site of Giants Causeway – a big area of polygonal columns of layered basalt, caused by an ancient volcanic eruption. A day filled with truly spectacular sights and lots of fun quickly got to an end when I at a certain point bent forward to pick something up and my camera fell out of its small bag and into a “waterfilled polygonal column”. It was about 20 centimeter deep and about 20 centimeters wide, so not of any danger to me, but my camera did not survive. I lost all my pictures from the trip so far, and had to dig even deeper than 20 cm in my pockets to get a new one.
One lesson I learned from this is that it is extremely important to take care of your photo camera when travelling. Sounds obvious, indeed, but it is still something a lot of people don’t talk about. There are many ways of dealing and avoiding these scenarios, and following is a few suggestions that you should consider when it comes to your camera-safety on the road.
Cases
Avoid the expensive looking fashionable leather cases for you camera. Not only do they attract people with long fingers, but they are often less protective than the soft shell ones. Some good alternatives could be something like the Lowepro Rezo 30 (Black)
Camera
Personally, I have invested in a Olympus Stylus 850SW, which is both shockproof and waterproof. Not only would it have survived the fall into the small pond I lost my camera into, but I could even fall into the water myself and actually land on top of the camera. And I still wouldn’t lose my pictures. However, there are many other cameras out there which are both waterproof and shockproof, but I especially recommend the Olympus one.
Think
This is probably the most important point of them all. It doesn’t cost money, and it is something that everyone both can and has to do. Think. Be gentle. Treat your camera like you want the camera to treat you. It is as simple as that. And yes, I do know that it is sometimes easier said than done, and yes, I do know that I too have a tendency towards not thinking properly from time to time… but that doesn’t make my point less valid. Think.
So. I feel like I should add to the story that I have actually not lost neither broken or lost or damaged a single camera ever since. The closest I have been was when I accidently lost the lens hood for my Canon 50mm 1/8 lense into a steel pipe. And as for that one, I blame pure stupidity and beer.
Fear of Flying, part 2
Jun/09Comments
This post would probably fit much better in a blog named “This is why I DON’T like to travel”, but I would nevertheless include it here. Last year, at the time when I was actually an active blogger here at TiwIt, I wrote a brief entry about fear of flying and how I have gradually become more and more afraid of being seated in one of these flying birds taking us over land and oceans. Even though I have spent a lot of time doing research on this horrendously annoying phobia that I seem to have developed, I am still having some problems with it. It is frustrating because I do in fact love travelling, and with a girlfriend situated approximately 2000 km away flying has become a necessity for me.
Typical symptoms for me is stress, sweating, nervously and a slight panic as we take off. I try to calm my nerves by getting a couple of beer’s at the airport before departure, but just like the alcohol in some situations function as a tranquilliser for the anxiety, it can at the same time spark creativity and new ideas about what can go wrong. Following all the media focus on airplane accidents after the Hudson incident, various small accidents around the world, and the more recent Air France tragedy, I can’t say that I have become more relaxed. Somehow, I get annoyed at the media for putting such an incredible focus on these tragedies, and wish they would write just as much about each time a plane manage to land properly. Obviously, this would not be possible, but somehow the idea of it calms me a bit. The idea that planes do actually land safely way more often than hitting the ground full speed is comforting.
The pilot has a wife. They all have children. I force myself to think that there are very few suicidal pilots out there.
Yet, I cannot help but feeling unwell as the monster accelerates on the runway. What used to be the highlight of the trip have now become a nightmare. I close my eyes. Count to hundred. Imagining being on a train through the alps. Telling myself that this is just a routine for many people. Even small children travel without being afraid. Think about all the people going out of airplanes every minute. Nerves are starting to get under my control. Then, boom. The pictures of a floating tail wing pops up, and my heart starts beating heavily again.
Sometimes I wish I was not so creative. Sometimes I wish I could shut off my own brain for a few minutes.
While I in the last post about this fear posted a short list of things about how safe it is to fly, I would like to post some links to various websites with some more information about this extremely frustrating fear.
- Wikipedia: Fear of Flying
- http://www.guidetopsychology.com/fearfly.htm
- Fear of Flying Help Course
- Fear of Flying Basics
- The SOAR Fear of Flying Program
- The SOAR Fear of Flying Weblog
I like to check out these websites once in a while, but although they comfort me while I read them, my rational mind tend to block these memories out the second I board a plane. I have watched a free video at the SOAR Fear of Flying Program, and I must say it looks very helpful. To me, the thought of flying almost felt attractive as I watched it. However, as with most other stuff, I forget as I speed down the runway, and lose control of my own mind.
Anyone else have problems with this, or have been through the same as me?
Back on the road
Jun/09Comments
Thisiswhyitravel.com is back on the road again.
After something like 7 months of absence, I have finally packed my belongings at the university, wrapped up my Master thesis, and found the time to sit down and think about other stuff again. TiwIt was opened in November last year, and had a short life as an updated blog. I decided to close it after I had discovered that I simply did not have the time to keep it going at the pace I desired to, and made a deal with myself that I would leave it as it was at the time.
As I am not fully back to not having anything to fill my days with (as a recent graduate, and even more recently unemployed), I decided that now is the time for me to breath some fresh air into the blog. The design has been changed (temporarily – I working on putting together something more fitting), and the contents might have a slightly different focus from what it had last year. However, it is with blogs as it is with texts in general; they tend to live their own life, and travel partly on their own will. I do not now today where my blog will go the next weeks, and I will do my best to try to keep up with it.
So, consider this as a “I am back”, and expect more updates from now on.
Bischoff
I haven’t left you!
Dec/08Comments
As many of you notice, the frequency of the posts here at TiwIt have slowed drastically. It is not because I have disappeared from our world, and it is not because I have forgotten. It is simply because I have realised that this task was slightly more demanding than originally assumed, and I have had to prioritise my activities a little. TiwIt will continue to exist, and I have no plans of selling it. Rather, I am keeping it, but the amount of activity will stay relatively low in the next few weeks. Hopefully I will be able to come back with more frequent posts and such over new years, but it all depends on my schedule.
Until then, http://www.bischoff.no is my personal blog and will be updated more often. Keep in touch!
Eirik
Boredom and Travelling: How to get out of it
Dec/08Comments
I can’t count the number of times I have been stuck on a train, having to spend a long night at an airport, been stuck at a bus station, or in general just bored, while I have been away. Some times you are lucky and have company with some friendly people, and sometimes you are all alone. Sometimes the people around you are all sleeping, and occasionally you experience that those you are with are just simply a couple of complete douchebags. What do you do? Well, here is a short list over various activities that might lighten up your situation slightly;