I will be traveling into Haiti again later this month and thought I’d post a quick article on preparing for an assignment in a country ravaged by an earthquake, disease and poverty. I will be accompanying the folks at http://www.haitihope.net to chronicle their work
First, you need to be mentally prepared – be that through spiritual conditioning or however you yourself do that. You will see much that is troubling and that will effect you emotionally. Keep the big picture in focus.
Second – inspect and prepare your equipment weeks in advance. You may find that something needs to be repaired or ordered. I found that the glass cover on the LCD of one of my SLRs had cracked and I had to order a part to make a repair. This preparation also includes your bags and support equipment (e.g. rain gear and waterproof bags). Avoid the mistake to grab and go.
Third go through every item and prepare it for the trip. Take some test photos before you leave.
batteries and memory cards
clean your camera inside and out
flash and batteries
filters and accessories
small parts – you don’t ant to be in a desert and regret bringing your tripod adapter plate.
Time spent early on planning and prepping your equipment pays huge dividends later on.
