Hi Belinda,

I was in Italy years ago (longer than I care to admit). Flash? No chance. I had a very small, light tripod and it was all timed exposures.

I would not only check with the travel agents, I would visit the websites and see what they allow and failing that, CALL them. Ask about Flash photography, what is allowed, tripods etc. Better than arriving and being disappointed.

Note on spending money on a fast lens, you won't get the Depth of Field you want, another issue to worry about. I mostly used a 24mm lens at f8 and adjusted the shutter speed accordingly. I got absolute maximum depth of field and some good exposures to boot.

Fast lenses are terrific, but not for this application. I am assuming of course, you want to get as much depth of field as you can and therefore, f1.8 or better isn't what you are going to be using. f8 or greater will be, so spend your money accordingly.

Check this out on 500px

St Peters - taken with a small tripod from the floor looking up....
http://500px.com/photo/4751109

and

The Oculus of the Pantheon, same thing.... from the floor
http://500px.com/photo/4751109

These are all lengthy exposures. Note how sharp the images are. At f1.8, you are not going to get the DoF you most likely are looking for.

Unfortunately, I can't remember the length of time on the exposure.

Good luck and I know you will enjoy your trip! Italy is amazing, especially for Photographers that love antiquity. Italy is rich in it!

Be prepared to check your bag if needed. On tours where I knew this was an issue, I purposely only brought my 18-200.

Belinda,

Eduard's post above reminded me of one other CRITICAL thing you should AVOID at all costs. NEVER, hand your camera over to the friendly local that wants to take YOUR picture with YOUR camera.

You hand it over, because it seems like a nice gesture, and he leaves you choking in the dust as he speeds off with your gear. Never, give your gear to anyone for any reason.

Did you say you are on a CRUISE? In ITALY? LOL Stay away from any ship that employs the former captain of the Costa Concordia! (couldn't resist)

Hi,
Yes, the first week we will be on a ship so, I hope I don't get a Captain Coward,LOL.
Great advice I would have never thought about not giving my camera to someone to take a picture of me. Thanks, for enlightening me.
I loved your photo's they are great.
I'm working with a travel agent so I will ask her what is allowed, again great advice.
Thanks, Belinda

Belinda,

Thanks for the compliment, greatly appreciated. Italy is fantastic, I hope you have a wonderful time, I am sure you will. I spent 6 weeks there .... cycling! From one city to another. I started in Venice and finished in Rome. That was when I was young and foolish.

If I had to do it now, I would buy a beat up, old Fiat 500 and drive from top to bottom, then just dump or sell the car off cheap to someone. Two months, to get the whole Italian experience from one end to the other. There is SO much to see and photograph. Pre planning the sites you wish to see is critical, don't plan on simply stepping off the boat and exploring. Know where you stop and what is there so you know what to do. Work closely with the people you have booked the trip with. My ideas of a great trip are most likely much different than yours, but get the most out of it by knowing in advance what to expect at each stopover.

Enjoy, I hope to see your photos when you return!

Art

PS: I just remembered some other cool stuff I have learned travelling over the years:

- don't bring ANY expensive jewellery with you. Buy a cheap casio watch, CHEAP, if you are mugged, you won't hesitate giving it up

- get a money belt and keep your important stuff in that. Have some small amount of currency in your pockets just in case you are mugged you have something to hand over

- probably best not to bring an expensive purse either. Ever see those TV movies where two people on a Vespa drive by and snatch a purse off someones arm and scoot off..... It happens.

I don't know that all this really applies in Italy, but this is what I did travelling there and I never had an issue. You never know. Best to flash nothing of value, be street smart and avoid being a target.

Originally Posted by Marcel

and can be used as a weapon against thieves.

Love it! That is definitely a high scorer! LOL

Originally Posted by belinda

Hello everyone,

I haven't been on here for a long while. I need some help with lenses I'm going to Italy in May first week will be on cruise ship and going into ports then second week will all be on land.
I'm not sure what lens will be right for me (I'm really new to photography)

I have a D90 with kit lens 18-105 and 50mm 1.8

We will be going into a lot of churches dim lighting I'm guessing and also landscape and people photography. Also I do not have a flash or tripod do you suggest both of these and what kind of flash would I need?

I'm thinking of renting the lenses from Borrow a Lens has anyone done business with them?

Thank you ahead of time for any help you may give me.

Happy shooting, Belinda

I think you should bring both your lenses. Keep your kit zoom on the camera and the small 50mm F/1.8 in your camera bag. I owned the D90 for years and you'll need the 50mm for low light indoor shots. Don't forget that you do have a built-in flash on the D90 so I'd stick with that. Make sure you have a backup battery and SD memory cards.

Originally Posted by bobmielke

Don't forget that you do have a built-in flash on the D90 so I'd stick with that.

One thing I always carry in my bag in case I only have my built-in flash, is a LumiQuest Soft Screen Diffuser. At about US$15 and small, it makes a huge difference in the results.