I remember my first day trip by air. Jay and I were living in Palmerston North, New Zealand. We had a good friend from back in Miami who had a sister living in Auckland, about an hour’s flight from us. Our friend came to see her sis, and we flew up for one day to catch up with her while she was visiting. I felt so jet-setty and globe-trotty boarding the plane with just a tote bag and no other luggage. Adding even more to the experience was the fact that New Zealand did not require going through a metal detector for domestic flights, and it really felt no more onerous than taking a train or a bus. Just stroll in and hop on. We flew, we lunched, we laughed, and we came home. Sunday Funday indeed.

Travel photography is all about going to the greatest variety of places possible. That’s why we love it, right? If you’re looking for quantity in your locations, it is beneficial to see opportunity in just one available day. Not every trip can be two weeks in Africa; sometimes it’s a few hours in our nation’s capital. And it’s all awesome. But believe it or don’t, there are logistical challenges for the day-tripping photographer that can make these snack-sized sorties trickier than they seem.

Obvious in thought but sometimes surprising in execution is the fact that you will have no place to stay or leave your stuff. A day trip means no lodging, so whatever you bring will be carried by you (and ideally your robustly healthy traveling companion). Too much is worse than not enough. Assuming you have your camera, a lens, an SD card, and a charged battery, you’ll get your photos. Extra lenses, tripods, and filters are great, but think about what you will actually be shooting. The preventative treatment for overpacking is planning. If I know I’m going to be in a city where things are big and close, I don’t need to drag my 70-300mm lens around all day, now do I? Options are nice, but in my case have proven superfluous on more occasions than I care to remember. My shoulders paid the price, but I learned my lesson.

It’s easy to be seduced by a quick flight on the perfect date, but don’t forget to check the weather. You’re going to be out in it all day, and so is your equipment. If you want moody wet streets or a snowy winter day in your photos have at it, but be sure you are protecting your camera and lenses as well as your person. Warm sunny weather has its own set of challenges. No matter how perfect the temperature seems, you will likely be a sweaty mess when it’s all shot and stowed, because of all the walking you’ll be doing. No one wants to be soaked and/or shivering all day, and you really don’t want to board your flight home like that. If you do, I hope I’m not your seatmate. Gross.

Which brings the conversation to wardrobe. Bring some. Not a lot, but some. A change of clothes can make all the difference, and it’s not always top of mind when you don’t plan to spend the night. It can seem like an extra thing to fill up your backpack and weigh you down, but you’ll be glad you have it a few hours after landing when you’re wearing evidence of the day’s activities. There are some great shower wipes purpose-built for camping and military missions that are a perfect freshen-up to toss in your bag. On my recent day trip to Washington, DC, I brought some Cold Shower Face and Body Wipes, and I could not have been more happy to rip one open in the ladies’ lounge and whip on a clean set of clothes before I sat down to lunch. I almost felt like one of you humans. ;) What you can leave at home is your makeup, darlings. Say it with me: lip balm and sunscreen. Keep it simple when you apply before you leave, and call it a day. You’re probably better-looking than anyone who would throw shade at you anyway. We’re out here living life and making art, people. That’s beautiful.

Solo travel is a thing, and I have absolutely done city shoots alone. It’s fine, as long as you have assessed your planned location and found it secure for your personal safety and comfort level. There are lots of cities that I know, but have never photographed. These can be perfect solo trip contenders as you already have the lay of the land and know how safe you’ll be there. It’s hard to concentrate on your shots when you’re constantly looking over your shoulder. That being said, a travel companion is more than a beast of burden and lunch date, and given the option I like to have one. Knowing that someone is watching my back frees up more cerebral real estate for creativity. Bonus points for when they say, “Hey, this looks like a cool shot over here,” and they are RIGHT. It’s like having eyes in the back of your head. There was also that time when metro security absolutely LOVED it when I set up my tripod on an overhead walkway in the station… my muscle ran some chatty interference while I got a sweet long exposure shot. It’s true, we like guys with skills.

You’ll notice I didn’t mention anything about distance to your target location. That is entirely individual relative to your tolerance. I am willing to be awake and traveling for the full 24 hours if that’s what it takes, so my range is farther than someone who won’t feel well enough to enjoy the shoot if they try that. No shame in anyone’s game, it would be a boring world if we were all just alike. It’s your shoot and nobody else’s. As long as you have signoff from anyone who is traveling with you, plan your trip exactly as you want it. Define a target area, plan a project, work a theme. You will put something new into the world that wasn’t there this morning, and that’s the coolest way I know to spend a day of your life.

The fundamentals of my day trips have become more refined the more of them I take. It’s always about paring down, never upscaling. Take only the equipment you absolutely need, dress yourself and your camera appropriately for the conditions, consider safety, and don’t forget to clean up before you head back down the jet bridge. Your camera can collect dust or photons today; what’s it going to be?

Per Diem

Boarding Pass: MDE

Boarding Pass: YYZ