Camera Labs

I am off to Peru to hike Machu Picchu, and I plan to take my canon dslr xsi with the following lenses:
1. 18-55mm
2. 55-250mm
3. 50 f1.8mm

So far now I have a uv, cpl filter but most leave the uv filter on. I have also started using a rubber collapsible hood for these lenses and find that I get vignet when I am in a wide angle state.

Since this is a trip of a life time, I don't want to mess up the pics. So my question is, what do you guys think I should do?

cheers

I'd include a travel tripod and remote shutter release.

I'd also research absolutely everything, from books to the internet to Google Earth. Flick on the layer that shows photographs and zoom in and you'll get ideas of locations that people have shot photographs from. Play with the daylight tool and you'll get an idea of the shadows cast at various times of the day when you'll visit. Very handy.

I'd also practice practice practice, insuring I'm shooting in RAW and JPG. You'll potentially have lots of dramatic light, shadows, textures etc. Therefore I'd practice HDR photography. Have a look at free trials of Photomatix and use youtube to learn how to use it and take the shots in the first place.

Don't be put off by some of the HDR posts on the forum. With Photomatix you can go for Exposure Merge, which will blend images at different exposures far more naturally...

Whatever camera you take.....i would like to see those pics...
Macchu Picchu is one of my dream place to visit....
Best of luck.

Hi syndicate1, it was also one of my dream destinations. I visited a few years back in March, so not long before your time.

The most important thing I did was nothing to do with equipment - it was to visit the site twice, once on the day of arrival, and again the following morning. This gave me two chances with the weather, and the morning visit means you'll have some time before the day trippers arrive - it really was MUCH quieter the next day. Likewise staying overnight also means you can stay until the very end on your first day, again making it quiter with potentially better light.

Here's my favourite shot taken at closing time on day one:



I also got some good snaps in the 'food court / market' in the little village below, along with some good food and drinks.



Both taken with a full-frame Canon 5D (Mark I) with a 17-40mm lens at 17mm - so, very wide! That Alpaca was just a few inches away from me!

They have buses going up there now??? I'm getting old.. when I was there 25 years ago you had to hike up.

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Your going to absolutely love it!!

If your not up for a tour or a trek there, you can catch a train to Aguas Caliente (small town nearby), and then a bus from there up to Machu Picchu.

...I traveled South America in 2008 for a year. One of my favourite destinations to ever visit was Machu Picchu. And it did not disappoint!

Here's one taken in April '08, early morning before the sun came up.

http://explosiveaperture.com/featured-category/unveiling-of-machu-picchu-peru/

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