Best Travel Video Tips For Beginners

Video is perfect for conveying the experience of a journey: image, sound, and movement come together to capture the essence of a place and a moment. Good videos manage to convey to the viewer the feeling that they are also on the trip. But making a good travel video is not that easy. Below is a selection of tips to keep in mind to create original and entertaining videos.

What camera to take on a trip

Let’s start with the basics: which cameras guarantee quality videos? One option is digital SLR cameras, also known as DSLR cameras. There are many price ranges, but even the cheapest ones shoot high-quality video and can be equipped with a wide selection of lenses, although the most recommended is a mid-range zoom, for example, with a focal length of 24-105mm, which is the most versatile.

But if the idea is to share videos online or on social networks, the truth is that an iPhone with maximum memory offers fantastic results. Regardless of the chosen smartphone, it would help if you always tried to film in landscape mode (that is, with the phone horizontally) so that the final video format is optimal.

Prepare everything before leaving

Before leaving, you should think about what will be filmed and how it can affect the location, the time and the accessibility to some energy source. If you are going to be out all day, you have to take a couple of extra batteries. Any filming that lasts more than a day involves looking for energy sources to charge the batteries.

You have to take into account:

• If you’re going to be filming in rough terrain, it’s worth investing in a good camera bag, and ideally, choose one with a hip belt, tripod mounts, and a back brace.
• If you travel to a place with high humidity, you have to look for bags, suitcases, or waterproof covers for digital cameras.
• If you plan to shoot action scenes, you may need to invest in a state-of-the-art GoPro camera. Small and light (and easy to carry), they are versatile and allow you to create very dynamic videos.
• If a list of exciting locations and places or elements is made, the effort will be maximized.

You have to spend some time planning what you are going to shoot before you start; or even before starting your trip. Are you going to shoot a video for yourself or to share it with other people? Do you want to publish it on the internet or networks during the trip or store everything filmed while traveling? Knowing what you want makes it easier to have the right equipment, the necessary social media links, and anything else that might come in handy.

Backups

The video of life may have been filmed, but it would have been useless if the card failed or the camera disappeared. Always keep a copy of your files in at least two places and not on memory cards that are easily damaged after repeated use. Online storage providers like iCloud, Dropbox or Flickr are good options for saving smartphone videos, but uploading them requires a lot of data, and storing large files will eventually become expensive, so this option is not the most practical if a digital camera is used.

Another more convenient option is to carry a fast card reader and, if possible, two off-road hard drives that can withstand the stress of travel. You also have to check the specifications of the camera and choose the resolution with which you are going to film.

Carry enough batteries

In the most remote areas, there are not always sources of energy. If the trip goes off the beaten track, it is worth considering solutions. If you use a digital camera, carry plenty of spare charged batteries (as well as memory cards), take every opportunity to charge them, and never assume they’ll always be ready. If you buy an external hard drive, make sure it loads directly with a laptop; Thus, as long as the laptop has a battery, you can save files.