Travel Photography with a Point-n-Shoot Camera

Last week was a spring break trip to Florida with my daughters, ages nine and 11. From Busch Gardens in Tampa to the Universal Parks in Orlando to an historic hotel in St. Petersburg, we had a very busy - but quite fun- week together. Because my time with my girls is limited and I like to make the best of it, I try (emphasis on try) to take a break from photography. Sure, there are lots of pics of them at the places we visit taken with my ever-present iPhone, but I don't haul along all my usual gear such as DSLR camera bodies, lenses, tripod, etc. that are the mainstay when I'm out on photo excursions by myself. Too much. Gets in the way.

But still I can't help seeing so many beautiful subjects in wonderful light that call for a camera with capabilities beyond the cell phone. This is where a good digital "point-n-shoot" comes in handy. My choice is the Canon PowerShot SX1. Here I have a portable, lightweight camera with a powerful zoom lens, macro setting, raw file format and the capability to shoot in manual or aperture priority modes with both evaluative and spot metering, not to mention impressive HD video. All in a package that is small, compact and easy to carry just about anywhere. Enough features and capabilities to keep the ever-present photographic artist within me happy while not getting in the way from sharing experiences and having a great time with my daughters.