Pack Your Camera's Battery Charger

While I was packing for my recent trip to Ireland, I mentioned to Derrick Story that I had three fully charged (proprietary) batteries ready for my Canon point-and-shoot. When he asked if I'd packed my charger, I said I thought that three batteries should be enough, but he insisted I take it. (His words, I believe were, "Wrongo.") I'm writing this post in an act of public contrition for ever thinking otherwise.

Let's face it, chargers don't take up much room; mine has the collapsable plug that renders it about the size of a deck of cards. Since most chargers seem to be able to handle a range of voltage, I only needed a plug adapter (the thing that gives you the right number, size, and shape of prongs to fit in the Irish outlets) rather than a full converter. When I went through my first battery on my first full day of sightseeing, I knew I owed Derrick a Guinness. For my 10-day trip, I recharged twice, and had a fully charged battery in reserve at the end just in case.

Part of the fun of digital photography is the "play factor" and not having to worry about batteries is an integral part of that play. Sure you've got to shoot the requisite images: kissing the Blarney Stone (unnecessarily, I'm told), the amazing Cliffs of Mohar, the view from the top of the Guinness Storehouse. But I was also able to grab shots of the unexpected things along the way: the instructions to "Look Right" at the crosswalk, my host John's dog Geoff imploring for bacon scraps, or a sign offering "Digital Camera Classes" in a small camera store window in Killybegs, Co. Donegal. If my last battery had been dying and I still had the Neolithic burial mounds at New Grange ahead on the itinerary, I may have hesitated to capture this guy who was just inexplicably happy to meet me.

It's the little things, like a funny comparison shot of my 6'7" friend Lars (whose second battery was on its last legs with 2 days to go) next to one of Ireland's great crosses for size perspective, that make my experience uniquely mine.

Listen to Derrick; take your charger.