GENERAL QUESTIONS

No, you should bring your own camera and lenses, preferably the same equipment you are used to photograph with. Due to the specific nature of a motorcycle tour, where space is at a premium, we suggest the use of lighter camera bodies and lenses. These will be transported in your motorcycles, either on tank bags or on the side boxes, so a good padded and small camera bag is recommended.
You can use pretty much anything that would be convenient for travel photography. Remember that there’s usually a compromise between size and image quality: full-frame DSLR’s (Nikon D800 or D4, Canon Dx or 5D) tend to be bulkier and heavier than their cropped-sensor counterparts (Nikon D700, Canon 7D), but their image quality is unsurpassed due to the inherent characteristics of the full-frame sensor. This is not to say that the cropped sensor systems will offer a substantially lower image quality, and most of the time people will be hard-pressed to tell the differences in a properly exposed image from either of these systems. Cropped-sensor systems like the fairly recent Micro 4/3 (Olympus E-M1, Lumix GH4) offer the advantage of smaller and lighter lenses, covering focal distances as wide as 14mm to an astonishing 600mm, so they can be a good option too.
A good set-up would be two zoom lenses. One 24-70 and one 70-200, for example, would be preferable to a single “cover-it-all” zoom like the 28-300 some manufacturers offer.
Certainly not, for the very nature of the word “ideal” can’t be applied to determine what would work best for each photographer, even considering the space limitations for transporting photographic gear during a motorcycle tour. The best advice here is to use the equipment you are most comfortable with.
It would be good to have your notebook computer on this trip, as it can be safely carried on the accompanying van that follows the riders every riding day. The computer can be used to download and review your photos from each day, and also for applying some of the knowledge of the digital processing workflow you will gain during the tour. If you decide against bringing a computer, make sure you will have plenty of memory cards with you, since you will not be able to download images for two full weeks. The tour should prove to be very “photo-intensive”, so a couple of large capacity memory cards will certainly be useful.
Nothing to worry here. If you’re willing to take the next step with your photography, you can rest assured you will be a better photographer by the end of the tour. If this is your present status as a photographer, Ricardo will take the time to explain the basic foundations of photography as you go, and also the most important functions of your camera. What matters here is that you are willing to learn.
You will receive lists with plenty of tips and suggestions a couple of months before the tour starts. The lists will include the recommended camera and computer gear, taking into consideration the unique nature of the photography workshop on two wheels. You can also ask Ricardo about his own suggestions at anytime after you enroll for the tour. His goal is to guarantee you will have all the necessary tools to profit from your PhotoMoto experience.
Send an email message to [email protected]. You’ll receive a prompt response. You may call toll free at 877-275-8238, locally at 972-635-5210, or write us at:

Ayres Adventures
P.O. Box 864018
Plano, Texas
75086-4018