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Back in 2015, I planned to join my dad on a business trip of his to Turkey and Romania. If you listen to our podcast, this is the trip I was jet-lagged from when I met Christian for our very first date. This trip was also where I made a huge travel mistake. I was excited because my plan was to record a bunch of video content while on our trip. With this goal in mind, I had lovingly packed up all of my gear into a large, checked bag.
On our first day in Istanbul, we had planned some touring activities in the old part of the city including the Blue Mosque and Hagia Sophia. I gathered all of my equipment into my camera bag, grabbed my monopod, and to my horror – I discovered that something important was missing from my bag. There is a small piece called a baseplate that is used to attach a camera to a monopod or tripod, and it was not among my gear. My heart sank as I realized I had checked a bag and packed this heavy equipment that was now virtually useless without that small attachment.
I spent the entire day lugging the monopod around the city, unable to use it.
DEALING WITH SETBACKS
As disappointed and embarrassed as I was, it was a good reminder that all of us – even professionals – make mistakes. It’s how we respond to these mistakes that makes the difference. Although things didn’t go exactly how I’d planned, I’d always wanted to travel to Turkey so I made the most of it. I could have let this slip-up ruin the whole thing, but I chose just to move on and enjoy the experience. We’re all learning, and we’re all growing.
I’ve always had a packing list for my toiletries and clothes. Now I have a gear checklist that I run through before every trip that helps me make sure I haven’t forgotten anything important. I learned and adapted so this same mistake wouldn’t happen again.
Another step I took was downsizing my essentials. When I’m shooting event or conference video, I’ll use my full DSLR kit, but now when I travel, I do as much as possible with my phone. This saves me money on checked bag fees and means one less valuable I need to worry about.
MY NEW IPHONE VIDEO TRAVEL KIT
The biggest gamechanger for me in this area was this iPhone gimbal from Zhiyun (*affiliate links*). It’s compact enough to fit in my carry-on bag and ensures that I always have a smooth, steady shot.
I also carry this selfie stick/tripod combination that helps Christian and I take photos or videos of ourselves. It’s just as important to take videos of yourselves as it is to capture the amazing scenery of your destination!
Sometimes, we pack small lapel microphones that plug into our phone to document our thoughts about the experience. Those short audio clips add an invaluable layer to heirloom travel films.
Last but not least, we always make sure to have an external battery pack or two because no one wants to run out of power (it always happens at the worst times!).
IPHONE VS DSLR
After years of providing a travel video editing service and also putting together our own travel films, I’ve whittled down this small collection of gear that works really well for us.
I know that my iPhone isn’t going to give me the same quality video as my huge, professional camera. However, the iPhone’s built-in camera gets better and better with every update, and the trade-offs of traveling lighter are often worth it for me. I’ve even put together this free 5-day email course with iPhone video tips to make the most of the camera you have + still come home with videos you’ll love!
How do you choose to react when slip-ups happen? Does it impact the way you travel in the future?
