Take Good Care of Yourself

            When you are in an exotic location it is very tempting to relax a bit between shoots, and sometimes very necessary. But be careful how you do so, because if you should fall ill then it could be a very costly exercise, with no pictures to show for it.

            When I visited Sarawak for the first time, a friend whose marriage had just fallen apart came out from England. He needed someone to talk to, so joined us. In a very short time I found myself at odds with this situation. I was there to take pictures, not be a tourist.

            So I had to push aside temptations to eat strange food I would have eaten if photography hadn’t been important. I stuck to tried and tested things. Drinks also became a problem, when he wanted to sit in a bar all night, but the next day I knew photography would be calling, and much easier without a hangover. We are still friends though!

            Eating and drinking peculiar food and drink in exotic places is fine for tourists, part of the experience, but for working photographers not a good idea. It’s been written about many times, but when you’ve just arrived in a hot country, resist the temptation to have lots of ice in drinks. It might well be safe, but the ice will have been made with water which your body is not acclimatized to having. Likewise salads, which may have been washed in not-so-clean water. Eat plenty of fruit you peel yourself, which is unlikely to be contaminated. After a few days in a new country your body will have adjusted to the bacterial content of the water, so you can at least progressively relax a bit.

            When out shooting in hot climates, for comfort’s sake, drink plenty of bottled water (check that the top seals are intact); try and keep out of direct sunlight; wear a hat and loose clothing you are comfortable in. In cold climates dress for warmth, not "street cred."

            Hot or cold, if you are out of action for a few days the best shots you see might be the ones you never take!

            As a professional travel photographer, I try my utmost to look after my health when shooting in a foreign country, otherwise the results from the trip might be sadly lacking in sales potential, so proving to be a very costly and frustrating experience.