Here is a great video with some tips and tricks for photography in a tropical setting. Something that I'm sure a lot of us would kill for the opportunity to travel and shoot, the folks over at NatureTTL have some advice to save yourself a headache in the event you have that chance. If you want to save yourself some time and avoid learning things the hard way, give this video a watch as they break down a few different basic ideas to help you prepare for the climate.
They kick things off with some advice for dealing with lens fog, something that you may never have had to address depending on where you live. They recommend allowing time before you start shooting to let your glass to acclimatize to the weather and leave the lens caps off while your equipment adjusts. Also addressed is the issue that built up moisture and humidity in a tropical setting can allow fungi to grow inside the lens (oh hell no). A great preventative tip they offer is if you're changing lenses, do so at night when the humidity has dipped a bit, keep everything as dry as you're able to, and toss a couple silica packets into your sealed bag (an excellent tip I never would've thought of).
Also covered is the issue of low light that you would expect to encounter when you venture under a dense tree canopy. An easy answer is to come prepared with a good tripod that you can set up on the fly as you'll likely be shooting either with a wide open aperture, a significantly slower shutter speed, or both. Also at your disposal is an increase in ISO to help you reach the desired shutter speed and aperture.
The video also stresses the importance of doing your research before you set off to a new destination, something that's applicable to all of us anytime we're travel. It's much better to have a general idea of what to expect than to go in completely blind and unprepared if you're hoping to bring back some great images. If you feel that hiring a guide would be beneficial, go for it as they are going to know the landscape, plant, and animal life much better than you will.
Lastly, know that you're going to have to improvise a bit to get certain shots. This may require returning to the same location for a few days in a row like the video's host to get the shot of a certain animal species that you're after. Your composition and perspective may be much different than what you're used to at home as much of the wildlife may be taller than you and well above eye level. Some great basic tips all around, and if you've watched the video hopefully you know a bit more now than you did before. Nature TTL has a couple different videos worth checking out about a few different subjects if you're interested. If you've ever spent time in a similar environment and have more ideas, leave a comment with your own tropical tips for great photography.
Goodness me....time has come for those of us who actually live and take photographys close to the rain forest to do a comprehensive travel guide video.
Went to Scotland this year with my daughter and I suffered severe insect bites on both my forearms and they came up in lumps and bumps requiring medical treatment. This idea that insect only live in the rain forest.....not true, but obviously there is more of them in the jungle.
Managing equipment. Does not matter whether you are a golfer or a photographer. Need to look after your precious equipment against condensation and pitting. Don't leave them in the boot of the car over night. It might be hot during the day light hours, but temperature do plummet during the night. So do bring your gears indoors and dry them well, leave them on a table or on your bed for a while at room temperature to air out before packing them away. I leave all my camera gears on the sofa. They are fine with the lens cap on...used to do the same thing in the UK. No big deal.
Obviously travel insurance with medical cover is a must.