Travel Photography - Photography tips in 'dangerous' places?

So a number of cities have a reputation for requiring extra caution, Rio, Sao Paulo, Jo-burg, Nairobi, come to mind, rightly or wrongly.

I enjoying photography, and have a nice digital SLR. I also don't like being chained to a tour bus and enjoy walking around the places I normally visit. What are your tips for toting around this stuff in places where you could be a target of petty crime?

Also, i don't mean to bash the places I listed above by any means, in fact, I'd love to visit sometime.

In the Casbah in Algiers, I hired a guide and he hired a policeman to accompany me.

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3635/3447293009_e45c6cd0c7.jpg

So a number of cities have a reputation for requiring extra caution, Rio, Sao Paulo, Jo-burg, Nairobi, come to mind, rightly or wrongly.

I enjoying photography, and have a nice digital SLR. I also don't like being chained to a tour bus and enjoy walking around the places I normally visit. What are your tips for toting around this stuff in places where you could be a target of petty crime?

Also, i don't mean to bash the places I listed above by any means, in fact, I'd love to visit sometime.If you're worried about your stuff getting nicked, then just leave it in the hotel safe, buy a serviceable small P&S (used Lumix off e-Bay?) and wander in. With enough pixels you can blow up any image to printable size. My first photography teacher (back in wet plate days ;)) told me "the cheapest telephoto lenses you can own come with shoe laces."

And of course you're talking about mega-cities that have safe as well as "unsafe" areas, so watch out for brushes that are too broad.

I enjoying photography, and have a nice digital SLR.

One option, which wouldn't let you have your SLR, but would reduce the risk of theft, would be to dress down a cheaper point and shoot so it doesn't look valuable. That way instead of saying, "I'm a tourist with $5k of camera gear in my bag", you say "I'm broke as a joke after getting here and didn't bring my good stuff with me."

See: http://www.unplggd.com/unplggd/safety-security/camouflaging-your-camera-as-an-antitheft-measure--085028

I think the idea of "dressing down" the camera is exactly the way to go. Let's face it: if you can't afford your gear to be stolen, don't bring it. I mean it.

It's not worth risking your personal well-being for your camera. So prepare to surrender your stuff if you are robbed (you may want to travel with many chips and keep them on you in a hidden pocket so you at least don't lose all pics in the case of all cases....)

Even though I hate it myself I think deliberately soiling your gear (in a way that it doesn't hinder functionality) is the best bet.

Apart from that, pack it away, keep the stuff 'unprofessional' - not that fancy photo backpack but a worn out backpack with your old sweater wrapped around it. And be "invisible" as much as possible on the road, not only you get better pictures but also you be safer...

Buy a cheap film camera. You can find a decent film SLR from the 70s/80s with nice prime lens for <$30 nowadays. Nobody wants to steal film cameras, much better quality pictures than a P+S

Buy a cheap film camera. You can find a decent film SLR from the 70s/80s with nice prime lens for <$30 nowadays. Nobody wants to steal film cameras, much better quality pictures than a P+S

But would the thief know it was a film camera and not worth stealing?

But would the thief know it was a film camera and not worth stealing?

you'd be amazed how many people can pick up on that.

you'd be amazed how many people can pick up on that.

I bought a PacSafe neck strap that does not advertise "Nikon D700" in large yellow letters that can be read from a block away. Also blacked out the white letters on the camera (don't forget the lens cap). A sophisticated thief will still recognize an expensive camera but it certainly cannot hurt to be less obvious.

When in Guatemala, I hire an armed driver anyway, so he's my shadow while I take photographs.