Going on a vacation is not only an excellent opportunity to spend quality time with your loved ones, but it's also the perfect time to snap some cherished memories. Like me, you probably want to enjoy and capture your memories in photos. I want to travel lightly, without too much gear. Here are the photo essentials I always bring to improve my travel photography.

Carry On Bag

If you want to keep your gear safe while traveling by air, make sure to invest in a good bag. Find a bag designed to fit international and US carry-on size requirements that has sufficient padding and different sections for your gear. I purchased the Think Tank Airport Airstream years ago - an investment, to be sure - but it has protected my gear and lasted exceptionally well. The TSA-approved lock on this bag will keep your belongings safe, whether you're at the airport or in your hotel room. The security cable combination lock allows you to tether it to a stationary object, so you don't have to put everything in the safe every time you leave. Additionally, it fits my laptop and some of my kid's gear!

Versatile Lens

I don't like being weighed down by lots of gear while traveling, so I usually only take one or two lenses. The 50 1.2 prime lens is my favorite because I love the photograph quality it provides, especially in low-light situations. However, you are unable to zoom in or out, so it could be more flexible. When I travel, I need a lens that will provide me with the most diverse range of functions. The 24-70 2.8 is my camera of choice when traveling since I primarily take pictures of my children. The camera is versatile because it can zoom in or out depending on the desired focal length.

If you find that you often take landscape or architectural pictures when traveling, a lens such as the 18 - 200 3.5 lenses may be more beneficial to your needs as it zooms further.

Point and Shoot

Sometimes it's best to leave the big camera in a hotel room. As a parent, I want to be able to take pictures of my kids on vacation without worrying about damage to my lenses and camera. I want to live in the moment, not just capture it. A point-and-shoot is a perfect camera because it's tiny enough to fit in a beach bag without weighing down. Because I don't have to monitor it constantly, I can relax and actually enjoy my time with my kids. I bought the Panasonic Lumix TS4 waterproof point-and-shoot camera for our trip to Hawaii and a waterproof case for my iPhone. The water-resistant design of this camera allows me to take it places my DSLR can't go and get truly one-of-a-kind shots.

Not to mention, I can hand the camera off to my 5-year-old son, who loves photography, without worrying that he'll drop and break it.

Extra Batteries and Cards

The last thing you want when spending your day exploring is to run out of batteries or memory. Make sure you pack an extra battery for your electronics, and remember to bring a travel adapter if you're going abroad.

I usually shoot on smaller cards that are 4 GB or 8 GB. This way, if I lose a card or it becomes corrupt, I only lose half the number of images as opposed to a larger card. I always have my cards on me in a Pixel Pocket Rocket, and they are labeled with my phone number as well as the words "reward if found." A little incentive may go a long way in getting someone to return your card. The images on those cards are priceless to me.

Insurance

Don't forget to insure your valuable equipment. If you're not a professional, you can insure your equipment with your homeowner's policy, and if you are a professional, you should already have insurance.