I’ve been doing a lot of traveling lately so in this video, I wanted to share some of my architect travel habits for sketching and photography. These tips apply even if you’re not an aspiring architect and will help you wring the most out of any trip you take, near or far. (And, be sure to stick around at 4:46...wait for it...)
GEAR
My travel kit is as lean as it’s ever been, just a sketchbook, a few drawing tools, my camera gear (more details here) and a small laptop. You don’t need an expensive camera or special tools though to do what I do. The DSLR is an intentional choice for me as it forces me to slow down when I'm traveling. It makes me think about lens selection and composition, the subject, the lighting. It’s probably the single best investment I’ve made in the past 10 years (aside from travel).
**MY UPDATED DAILY CARRY CAN ALWAYS BE FOUND HERE.
For lenses on this trip I brought a wide zoom, a medium zoom, a telephoto and a macro. And this was way too many. Lenses are heavy and to lug these things around in a backpack in the tropics is…well, sweaty. Of the four I brought along, I used the 24-70mm and the 100mm most of the time. The zoom is great because the 24mm end on a full frame camera is wide enough to capture landscapes or interiors and the 70mm is perfect for details. Then you have the right around 50mm is great for portraits. So this one lens covers a lot of situations.
You'll learn why I reject guidebooks in general, my process for observing, documenting and then cataloguing my travels and you'll see what I do in the downtime between destinations.
Time Stamps:
0:22 Start Now. Don’t wait until you arrive at your destination to start taking photos or sketching.
0:42 Follow 30by40 on Instagram: http://thirtybyforty.com/instagram
0:49 Travel Essentials.
1:28 My Routine (Shoot then Sketch)
1:55 Subjects. Not everything has to be architectural.
2:53 Details + Materials = Experience. Learn to observe the world this way.
4:46 Wait for it…
4:55 Has this ever happened to you? Relaxing on the beach and out of nowhere…!?
Sketchbook - 50pages from Strathmore (trying something new…I quite like it)
White pen - ink isn’t semi-transparent, but flows nicely, not gummy at all
Copic Marker Set (grays) - essential (this is a set of 5 and includes a non-smudging Multiliner pen too)
Blue + Tan + Green + Yellow Copics are from the blending trio sets (they’re cheaper to buy as sets)
Mechanical Pencil (a personal favorite)
White colored pencil (wood-free)
Hallway Light + Room Numbers at The Williamsburg Hotel
SIDE NOTE: The Williamsburg Hotel (at 3:16) in Brooklyn, NY was designed by the London Architecture Firm: Michaelis Boyd and completed in 2017. We actually had no plans to stay here, but we arrived in NYC to an early season snowstorm and our connecting flight back to Maine was canceled. Our flight the following day wasn’t due to leave until 10pm, so at my better half’s urging, we traveled from JFK airport to Williamsburg in Brooklyn and spent the next 24 hours exploring the neighborhood and staying in this fantastic hotel. Completely worth the little bit of extra effort to get there from JFK.
Railing Study at The Williamsburg Hotel (clever design, but, man it really whistles in the wind!)