A picture says a thousand words; video sings a million.
Our globe has entered the golden age of travel videos, and nothing brings more joy or makes distant loved-ones feel that they’re right there with you than a great video.
That’s why we started our very own YouTube and Instagram channels – to help our friends (yes, that includes you!) and family experience eventful travel along with us!
In this post, we’ll share some of our tried-and-true tricks for capturing great videos of your once-in-a-lifetime event!
1) Try a new perspective
Even though 99% of videos are shot from eye-level, some of the coolest angles are the unexpected ones.
Hold your camera above your head to give an open, cinematic feel to your videography.
Or, try dropping that camera down low to give a dramatic feeling. The great thing about smartphones and action cameras is that they are easy to move around and shoot from creative angles.
Did you know that you can adjust exposure levels of both photos and videos on your smartphone?
On most phones, this is as simple as tapping your subject then pressing and holding on the screen while you drag up or down — as you do, the screen will get brighter or darker.
3) Try a slow-mo
Slow motion videos are a ton of fun to shoot and allow your viewers to savour the moment.
These are great for action shots (if someone at your event is jumping, juggling, or dancing, for instance), but also shine in otherwise mundane situations, like walking down the sidewalk or sitting in front of the fire.
Clearly, slow motion, enhances an extraordinary movement as much as it turns an ordinary movement into an extraordinary one. Thus, whenever there is motion, consider how you might lower the speed to heighten emotions<.
Most smartphones and action cameras will let you take photos while filming — this is a great way to get the best of both worlds so you don’t miss the perfect moment in either format.
While filming, look out for a circle or other icon appearing on the screen, then just tap away to snap photos. Be careful not to press the screen too forcefully, however; too much force will make your video shaky — just a light tap will do!
5) Turn it sideways!
If you aren’t doing it already, please please turn your phone camera sideways and shoot that video in landscape! You’ll be glad you did!
6) Don’t miss the moment!
Perhaps the most important tip for filming an event is this: don’t go overboard! You’ve spent hard-earned money and precious vacation time to experience what could be a once-in-a-lifetime event; don’t watch the entire experience through your phone’s screen!
If you happen to miss the opportunity to take that perfect photo or video, then ask other members of the crowd if they’ll share their video with you, or check out social media to find it there.
If you’re a video junkie like us, consider getting a tripod or gorillapod to shoot the event continuously while you sit back and relax…Just be sure to pull it back if a giant fireball comes crashing towards it!
For inspiration on our latest travel videos (and photos!) check out our YouTube and Instagram pages.
If you’d like more tips on how to travel and document your eventful experiences, signup below to get our free e-book with tried-and-true travel secrets!