Like any other adventure, we set out to get the best pictures and videos. This time we were exploring a cave from an Abandoned Mine to share with you our tips and tricks on getting the best shots, except things didn't go as planned.
Once you've mastered "not falling into a giant cave", follow these simple tips to ensure you get to bring home the best shots from all your adventures.
1. Shoot during golden hour
For the best lightning at just about every spot you need to get there for golden hour. This is either right after sunrise or right before sunset. The warmer colors and lack of harsh shadows will make your pictures and videos pop. The best photographers generally limit their pictures and videos to these hours of the day.
If you do aim for golden hour, and it's your first time going to a new spot, keep in mind that it will be hard to find a good shooting position during sunrise and you might get lost in the dark on the way back home after sunsets.
2. Don't settle on the first view
I've been guilty too many times of taking pictures of the first view I see and focusing all of my energy on that one spot. Move around and try different angles before wasting too much time and energy on a single view.
Try and find unusual angles that flip flop tourist wouldn't get to make your pictures and videos that much more special.
The same goes for videos. Make sure you film a lot of different angles to make your video edits more interesting for your viewers. We used the Spivo 360 and Flexible Tripod Handgrip to get tons of cool angles. Watch the video here.
Pro tip: if you're not alone at the spot and there are too many tourists you can always try to block them out by taking a selfie and covering them up with your body or face haha.
3. Look around more, press the shutter less
It can be really easy to get comfortable by taking hundreds of photos and thinking "I probably got the shot" because you have so many right? Wrong. You don't want to be trigger happy, you wan't as many great photos as possible, so look around at several different angles through the lens. Sometimes this means you don't hit the shutter button if you don't like what you see.
Think of it this way, imagine you only have "X" amount of creative currency for every adventure, and that each photo you take consumes some of it. You don't want to waste your creative currency away and end up with a bunch of junky photos. You want to make the most of your adventures and create photos you truly care about, so only take the shot when you're happy with what you see.
Sometimes what looks good on the spot looses it's charm when you see it on your big screen in better lighting. Try taking several photos that you're really happy with to increase your chances of getting that perfect shot that lives up to your experience.
Our top 6 Photos out of 126 (All shot on iPhone + Travel Lens)
If your pictures seem to be missing something try getting in them by taking a selfie, setting up a tripod and running into the shot, or ask your friends to get in the shot. Having people in your picture will give it more perspective and context. Plus your friends will love you for every epic picture you take of them. Win win!
Here's how we got our favorite shots
The selfie was taken with the Travel Lens and Flexible Handgrip Tripod. It can be hard and scary to hold your phone over a cliff. The handgrip mode offers a perfect and secure way to get those risky shots.
To get more background in the shot try using a selfie stick and a wide angle lens. The Spivo 360 and Travel Lens gives you the same shot you'd get from using a GoPro camera.
To get the best landscape shots in low lighting, you need to keep the camera as still as possible. Our landscape shots were taken with our iPhone using the Travel Lens and Flexible Handgrip Tripod:
4. Get banger photos on any device
These days it doesn't matter what device you're using, they're all generally quite good at taking pictures. To compare different devices, I took a picture on my iPhone (with the Travel Lens), an entry-level DSLR (Nikon D5200), and a GoPro Session Hero 5. Each has their advantages and disadvantages, but with a little effort you can get good results:
5. Don't fall into a cave
The best spots to take pictures are usually the most dangerous or hardest to get to.
I got stuck in a giant cave for this blog. It wasn't worth it, watch my reaction here.
Ever since that incident, I approach each new spot with the respect it deserves. Adventures are only worth it if you can keep going on them.
I'm lucky I didn't get seriously hurt or added to the "More people die by selfies than shark attack" statistic.
Adventure on,
André, Co-Founder
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