Are you ready to head out on your first solo adventure? Taking your first trip can be a magical time and it’s something you are going to want to share with your loved ones back home. It’s one of the reasons I started this blog!
But blogging isn’t for everyone, plus it’s a lot. work! So how can you easily share your solo travel adventures with your friends and family? You are going to want to capture what you are seeing and doing on your travels with photographs and video.
So it makes sense to turn those photos and video clips into short edited movies of your traveling life. Videos that document the adventures you are having and the people you are meeting along the way. Plus those films will last a lifetime and you will be able to watch them back throughout your life and remember the adventures you once had!
Did You Get Travel Insurance Yet?
The Insurance companies I recommend are Hey Mondo and Safety Wing
Hey Mondo is great if you are looking for a great value flexible policy. They offer single-trip cover, annual multi-trip cover, and long-term travel cover. Safety Wing is great value, with monthly coverage starting at $45.08. It’s super easy to use, and it just renews each month. I currently use them as they offer me free cover for my son as part of my policy.
Read my full travel insurance post here, where I go into detail about all companies.
What You Need To Fim and Photograph Your Travels
To capture your solo travel adventures through video and photographs, consider investing in a good-quality camera or smartphone with a high-resolution camera. I’ve traveled with a bulky DSLR, a compact mirrorless camera, a GoPro, and an Osmo. But in all honesty, 9 times out of 10 the camera I use most is my iPhone camera.
My point is, you don’t need to invest in expensive camera equipment to be able to take good-quality videos and photos. The best camera you have is the one quickest to access and easiest to use. So making sure you invest in a smartphone with a good camera is really all you need.
If you are planning to take a lot of selfies then I’d consider investing in 2 additional things. A tripod like this one, and a clip-on ring light like this. This will really help up your selfy game!
Plan out your shots in advance and try to capture a variety of landscapes, architecture, people, and moments that tell a story about your trip. Before I travel anywhere I start by researching the place on Instagram. I’ll look at what cool hots have been taken there and what beautiful places I need to visit. I see what others have done, and then think about how I can make my shots even better.
Consider using different camera angles and techniques such as time-lapse and slow-motion to add variety to your footage. And of course, don’t forget to also enjoy the moment and not just focus on the camera.
How to take the perfect selfy
If you are going to be traveling solo then you are going to have to figure out how to take the perfect selfy, and get comfortable doing so. One of the biggest challenges you will have to overcome for most people is not feeling so self-confident setting up a tripod and taking photos of yourself. But trust me, the more you do it, the easier it gets!
If you do want to invest in one additional camera then I would suggest getting a GoPro. It’s small and inconspicuous. You can put it on a tripod and then set it to time-lapse photo. this will then take a new photo every few seconds. I found my GoPro to be super helpful for taking photos like this.
All of these photos were taken using my GoPro.
How to edit videos on your phone
So you have a phone full of footage, but now what?
My advice is to consider making lots of shorter bite-size films rather than one long one. You could do a film per place you visit, per attraction you see, or even by the day. It really is whatever works for you.
No laptop to edit on? No worries! the best place to edit your videos is directly on your smartphone. There are so many apps you can download to do this.
These apps allow you to trim, and add music, effects, and text to your videos. Simply download one of these apps and follow the instructions to get started.
You can even add images to videos with VistaCreate which can be. really nice effect and it will make your videos much more interesting.
The best platforms to share your holiday photos and videos with family and friends
There are so many platforms that you can use to share your photos and videos with family and friends.
The most popular are Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, and TikTok. The best platform for you is the one you like to use the most, and the one where most of your friends and family are. For example, there isn;t much point in sharing everything on TikTok if non of your family uses it.
Another option is to use a dedicated photo-sharing platform like Flickr or SmugMug. Ultimately, the best platform for you will depend on your personal preferences and the preferences of the people you want to share your photos and videos with.