HOW TO TAKE AWESOME PHOTOS WITHOUT BREAKING THE BANK

In a world full of Instagrammers and YouTubers showing off incredible photos from around the world, it's hard not to get discouraged about your own travel photos. Everything looks so tailored and “picture perfect,” when in reality they are likely to be highly edited or taken with professional equipment.

How would you like to take professional tier photos of your travels without having to drop buckets of money on a fancy camera?

This is actually a mistake I made myself - I dropped over a grand on a camera I never wound up using because it was bulky and uncomfortable and I had my iPhone on hand anyway. I'm currently in the process of selling the camera and then using the profits to upgrade my personal device for a better camera phone. Today, cameras on phones are getting better and better - one professional photographer friend of mine even suggested I simply upgrade my phone instead of splurging because of how great these cameras are becoming. (And yes, I wish I'd listened...)

But if you really want to try out your photography skills or just want to try out a camera you’re thinking about purchasing for yourself, I highly recommend renting the equipment first, and it’s super easy!

Below I’ve listed a few sites that you can rent equipment from. In an effort to compare prices, I’ve listed out what it would cost to rent the GoPro HERO6 for one week.

BORROW LENS

GoPro HERO6 Black Camera from Borrow Lens one week rental: $50.00 This rental includes:

• HERO6 Camera

• Rechargeable Lithium-Ion Battery (Spares Rentable Here)

• The Frame for HERO6 Black

• Quick Release Buckle

• Quick Release Tripod Mount

• Long Thumbscrew

• Short Thumbscrew

• (2) Short Pivot Arms

• Protective Backdoor

• USB-C to USB-A Cable

• Carrying Case

For this purchase, you would need to buy your own memory card which can cost anywhere from $22.00 to $36.00 depending where it's purchased. This also doesn’t include shipping costs which ranges anywhere from $25 to $30. (However, if you sign up for their mailing list you have the ability to receive $30 off your first shipping cost). In total, adding these extra additions (minus the email listing coupon) this purchase adds up to:

$50 + $36 + 30 = $116.00

LENS RENTAL

​ GoPro HERO6 Black from Lens Rental one week rental: $47.00 This rental includes:

• HERO6 Black Edition

• The Frame

• AABAT-001 battery

• Quick-release buckle

• Three-way pivot arm

• USB-C cable

• Tripod mount

Shipping costs for this rental ranges from FedEx 2 Day $25.00 to UPS Next Day Air $63.00 depending on how quickly you need the equipment. For this purchase, you will also need to purchase a memory card, which again ranges anywhere from $22.00 to $36.00. In total, this purchase can add up to be:

$47 + (standard shipping) $25 + $36 = $108.00

*Though if you really needed next day shipping, this could potentially reach ~$146.00

LENS PRO TO GO

GoPro Hero 6 Black - Complete Kit from Lens Pro to Go one week rental: $77.00 This rental Includes:

• HERO6 Black Edition

• GoPro Battery for Hero 5&6

• USB 3.0 A to C Cable

• GoPro Flat Adhesive Mount

• GoPro Curved Adhesive Mount

• GoPro Hero 5 & 6 Frame

• GoPro Short Quick Release Buckle with Screw

• GoPro Hero 5 & Hero 6 Protective Lens

• SanDisk 64GB Extreme Plus MicroSD Memory Card

• Free Shipping Included *up to 2nd day air - overnight available

Lens Pro to Go includes everything needed that’s excluded from the last two sites i.e., free shipping and memory card. The total cost adds up to be:

$77 + $9 protection cost (mandatory) + free shipping + included memory card

= $86.00

Lens Pro To Go is the winner with a purchasing difference of over $20 compared to both sites!

If anyone has rented equipment for traveling or for their own personal use or has any tip & tricks not mentioned above, please add your suggestions in the comment section below.

*Insurance not added into costs