Vacation video tips from one of the professionals
Wasn’t the digital revolution supposed to make things easier?
Do you remember the first camcorder you ever saw? It probably came in a suitcase, had a huge light on top and weighed 25 pounds. Now my iPhone can capture video.
But wait a second. Is that a good thing?
I am sure we have all sat through someone else’s home movies or had a photo album plopped in our laps. “Want to see pictures of my grandson’s 4th birthday?” In the old days this was bad enough.
As technology has advanced, recording our wonderful vacations and landmark events has become easier and easier. Yet, there’s one ugly drawback – volume. It’s almost too easy to record every moment of a trip. Today you can come home with hours of video in a compact format. Imagine getting stuck watching 5 gigabytes worth of someone else’s trip to Italy.
I am a quality over quantity kind of guy. With that old axiom in mind, here are a few video tips straight from Sean McVeigh, Collette’s Media Supervisor.
- Try to keep the shots steady.
- Get a variety of shots. Wide Shots, Medium Shots, and lots of Close Ups.
- Avoid shooting with a bright background behind the subject.
- If you must shoot something handheld: Zoom out and move closer to the subject and brace yourself against a wall or stand with your feet spread apart.
- When on a bus or train be aware of window glare.
- Avoid too many zooms, pans, and tilts. Be sure to hold the shot at the beginning and end of the action.
- Set up shots with interesting foregrounds and background, which create depth.
My advice - use these tips to capture the feel of a trip. Shoot some video of you standing in front of the Eiffel Tower or roaming the Tuscan countryside. There are landmarks (like Big Ben or the Sydney Opera House) that you should take pictures of but remember why you are traveling. These are the places you’ve always wanted to experience, so experience them.
Take great shots but also make sure you are making great memories, a few minutes here or there should do the trick
posted by John Geysen
Collette Vacations
Tags: Travel Tips, Video
