Traveling and clicking pictures during the journey are things that go hand in hand. The trend has taken on full speed, with everybody having a smartphone these days. Nevertheless, it is difficult to watch too many smartphone travel videos because of different issues.
The issues include – out of focus, changing focus, too dark or overexposed, and colors washed out. Now, this does not mean that making great travel videos with smartphones is next to impossible. It is not!
It all starts with possessing the right accessories and gear. And, of course, there are some basic video-making tips you need to keep in mind. Only with these tips and a bit of regular practice will you surely become a pro at making smartphone travel videos in no time.
Best of all, viewers will love watching your travel videos!
Regardless of whether you are a budding movie maker or a film-making newbie, the tips below will give you the chance to elevate your digital game by creating some of the best smartphone travel videos.
The best part? Travel destinations worldwide are always camera-ready; the only thing you need to do is get the right shot.
So, are you all set to create that digital masterpiece you have been longing for? Of course, you are. Follow the tips below and make travel videos with your smartphone like never before.
Go for the Right Smartphone
Now, the market these days is jam-packed with different models and varieties of smartphones. You might be well aware of this fact. Every individual has their preferences.
Some might be comfortable with an iPhone, while others would like an Android phone. It all depends on the comfort factor you are looking for. Anything that you are comfortable with will be the right gear for your travel video making.
It’s just that you need to be thorough with the setting of the smartphone you are using. The majority of the smartphones available these days feature top-quality cameras that come with great resolution and high megapixels.
These are probably the best smartphones you can go for as they will offer top-quality footage.
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Get Some Storage Space
Are you looking to create stunning and memorable travel visuals on your smartphone? Of course, this is the first priority for every travel video-making enthusiast. First things first, it is necessary for you to ensure your phone packs have sufficient digital storage.
The quickest way of getting sufficient storage space on your phone is by setting up Google Drive or iCloud with extra storage. Nevertheless, if you like things organized, then transferring all existing videos and images on your phone to a hard drive or computer will be the right bet for you.
Remember, the orange-hued sunsets of Australia or Switzerland will not wait for you to make space on your smartphone!
Know Your Smartphone Camera Thoroughly
If you are not among those individuals who like learning a lot of theories before getting creative, you must try learning everything right on the spot when you are doing the actual job. This basically entails teaching yourself the details of the trade while shooting the entire travel video.
This will help you understand the camera on your smartphone like an old friend of yours. Well, you must know all the little hacks and quirks you can use for getting top-quality footage.
It doesn’t really matter whether you have a low-budget smartphone or an expensive one. Certain camera settings and hacks will help you grab the best of shots without doing much.
It’s just that you need to know your camera’s strengths and limits and simply work around them. Remember, there is no point trying to click shots your smartphone camera is not equipped for. It will bring you nothing but frustration.
The cameras on different smartphones have different personalities. This is the reason why you need to know your camera just like you know your best friend. After all, you love your friend because of her weaknesses and strengths, right?
The cameras in smartphones specifically feature certain characteristics. They come with wide lenses and are highly flexible. They can be used very easily and are simply great for shooting spontaneous, top-quality travel videos.
Getting the ability to film people without making them self-conscious or nervous is one of the most significant parts of shooting travel videos. And this is one objective you can achieve only with the help of a smartphone camera.
It’s All in the Editing!
Spending a good amount of time editing your footage will definitely transform it from an average holiday film to something compelling, dramatic, and exciting. But, do you have the time to spend on editing?
Of course not! But then what’s the solution? This is where a video editing tool comes to the rescue of travel video makers. You can use any online video editor to edit your videos directly on your smartphone.
It would be better if you used a computer or laptop for this purpose. The large monitor on these devices will make it easier for you to keep up with the editing work like a pro.
Video editing is intricate and detailed work, and it will get easier for you to achieve the best results if you do it on the big screen. Regardless of how good you are at video shooting, the real magic behind making some of the greatest travel videos lies in the editing procedure.
Have the right editing skills, and it will be a breeze for you to take down a 30 minutes assorted clip to just a 2 to a 5-minute masterpiece. Editing will also allow you to add transitions, smooth fades, and some of the most excellent audio tracks.
Proper editing tools will also help you include voiceovers, live recordings, and different sound effects in your videos. You can get all these features and even more with the right video editing tool online. You can even try the best text to speech software for adding voiceovers to your video for natural-sounding voiceovers.
Remember: Good Lighting Is Crucial
Good lighting has a major impact on smartphone cameras mainly because they have smaller lenses and image sensors. Therefore, you need to shoot travel videos in areas that are lit brightly.
Shooting your video in brightly lit areas will help avoid unnecessary grainy areas and shadows in the video. At the same time, it is also important for you to be careful about the camera position.
Avoid pointing the camera directly towards bright sources of light. This can result in unusable and over-exposed lens flaring and footage. The lighting you use for your video should be steady and stable.
Remember, the image sensors found in most smartphones generally do not react to various dramatic changes made to the lighting. If the lighting makes it very difficult to shoot your travel video, try going for white balance settings and back-lighting, provided you get these options on your smartphone.
The majority of the smartphones available these days have these options and touch-focusing helps when your smartphone camera focuses on the wrong area of composition.
Once you have focused on the most significant part of the video, automated exposure controls in smartphone cameras will make it easier for you to make minuscule adjustments when lighting conditions start changing.
Always Have the Right Focus
Having the right focus- if you are still not familiar with this magical trick, then it is high time you adopt it and use it in an instant. If you are looking to take a crisp and clear shot, simply frame the subject of your shot and then tap the screen in the area you want the focus.
The smartphone or iPhone camera will then re-focus on specifically where you have tapped. This whole procedure works perfectly fine for video footage and images with elements you want to stand out. As simple as that!
Next, achieving varied effects with different lenses is not just limited to DSLR users these days. Now, it is all the more possible to attach different varieties of lenses to Android and iPhones, including telephoto, wide-angle lenses, and macro lenses.
The use of varied lenses will help you amplify your creativity and achieve different varieties of shots. Are you looking for that amazing landscape shot? If yes, then make use of the wide-angle lens.
Use macro lenses for capturing details up close. There are endless choices when it comes to getting the right focus.
Stay Steady
What if the video footage you have shot comes out blurred, distorted, or affected by a certain rolling shutter? You can try and avoid all these problems right from the beginning of filming your footage simply by keeping your smartphone as steady as possible.
While recording your travel video, use both your hands for holding your smartphone while keeping it as close as possible to your body. Ok, now this can be a bit fatiguing, especially when you are indulged in long sequences and takes. But there’s nothing to worry about as there are various other ways of supporting your smartphone.
There are tripods, camera cages, and stabilizers available to help you keep your mobile device or smartphone steady and still while shooting your video with it. These are devices that come with perfect handles that will help you accomplish steady footage without doing much.
Suppose you do not have the budget to buy an expensive stabilizer or tripod, or it is not practical enough for you to use in varied circumstances. In that case, you can always rest your smartphone on various other physical supports such as chairs, tables, shelves, and desks.
Ensure Your Smartphone Has Sufficient Memory
The smartphones of the present time feature varied amounts of built-in memory for storing videos, images, and applications. Travel videos can gobble up a lot of memory more than anything else.
Therefore, you need to ensure that the phone model you are using has sufficient inbuilt memory. Certain smartphones allow users to add microsd memory cards. In this case, you must always try and get the maximum size microSD memory card but make sure it is perfectly compatible with the smartphone device you are using.
Apart from memory in the phone, it is also good to have a proper amount of external memory. So, when your smartphone is completely full of videos, you have the option of dumping extra footage on a hard drive.
Remember: The Audio Matters Just As the Video
Even if you make the most superior quality video, it will be complete junk if its audio is of poor quality. While it is important that your video looks good and of the highest quality, the audio also matters.
Remember, the audio of your travel video is more significant than the visual content. Unfortunately, the in-built microphones in the majority of smartphones are improperly placed and of low quality.
While shooting a travel video, it is quite common to catch unnecessary environmental noises and wind that can compete with and even drown out important audio. Such sound elements are impossible to get rid of later.
Therefore, it is always good to shoot travel videos in quiet destinations, preferably indoors whenever possible with low ambient noise. It also works to get a good quality external recording tool for capturing exceptionally beautiful and amazing videos featuring superb audio.
Getting a directional microphone will also do the job, as these devices work perfectly fine with smartphones of different varieties. If it is not possible or a practical solution for you to use an external microphone, it works to stay close to the audio sources.
In this situation, you can just try the simple trick of covering the microphone of your smartphone partially. Do not cover it completely and this will surely help in reducing unwanted noise.
To summarize, you must always try keeping your travel videos sweet and short. Producing the best of videos can be a lucrative and fun procedure, but only if you have professional hands on it. You can always master the art of videography through your smartphone but make sure you follow the tips detailed above.
