Traveling with our daughter (even on short trips) has proven to be one of the best memory makers and bonding experiences. We love exploring and going on adventures together! And as professional photographers and videographers, it’s important to us to capture our memories in creative ways.
With the wonder of smart phones, it’s easy to snap photos of your children . . . but what about video? We might shoot a few clips, but do we ever view them again? I’ve found that editing a vacation video helps us sum up our trip in a sweet way (that our daughter enjoys watching too!) While we use professional cameras and video software for our RJackson Media shoots, I’m much more likely to just pull out my phone for vacation footage. So here are a few of my favorite (easy) ways we do vacation videos that will help you in documenting your family vacation.
1) The 1 Second Everyday App
The 1SE app is a fun, easy app to use for your vacation (or to document an entire year!) We used it to capture a second every day of our daughter’s first year home with us, but it would be a fun, simple way to recap your vacay. It’s easy to use — and they now offer a “freestyle” option that will allow you multiple snippets a day (so you can capture lots of sweet seconds from each day of your trip). It doesn’t seem like enough, but that one second to see your daughter twirl, your son jump into the pool, or your baby giggle while playing in the sand will put the biggest smile on your face! And it’s short and simple enough that you’ll be done creating the video before you’re even home from your trip! The video above is one of our favorite “mashups” from one month with our little love. Last June we squeezed in work/fun trips to Arkansas, Florida, and North Carolina (plus a day at the Miss Alabama Pageant, a trip to the zoo, a doctor’s appointment, a new car, some front yard fun, and an event where we both got to be princesses for the evening! It was the busiest month EVER — and it went by in a blur. I’m so glad we have this little video to remember it by!)
2) Get a GoPro
For those who are big adventurers (and who want a camera that will go in the water, up a mountain, or down a zipline with you), the GoPro is a great option! You can put it in a weather-sealed case, and buy whatever accessories fit your lifestyle. This would be a good choice for older kids (who want to get in on the video action!) These days there are apps and programs that put together highlight videos of your footage for you. Just upload your footage, see what the GoPro Quik app creates, edit it (if wanted), and then it’s ready to share. Another fast, easy way to get that fun highlight video of your special trip! Find out more about the GoPro video options here and here.
3) iMovie for iPhone
iMovie for iPhone is the option I use the most because I have basic editing knowledge and prefer to have more control. You can google tutorials online if you need help figuring out the details, but it’s pretty user-friendly!
Step 1: Take some iPhone clips of your family having fun throughout your trip. Remember to keep your phone steady, and shoot in landscape (wide — not up and down) whenever possible!
Step 2: Open up the iMovie app and select your vacation video clips.
Step 3: Edit it into a little highlight video, add music, and share it with your friends and family! Our daughter LOVES to see the videos we make once we’re home! Everyone tends to have the blues when a vacation is over, but being able to look back on your happiest times will bring a smile to your family’s faces!
This is one of our favorite vacation videos from when we rented a camper last year. Full disclosure: my husband did use our professional software to edit this one (because I really wanted to use that Daniel Tiger song! Haha!) But, all the footage is from our iPhone and could have easily been compiled in iMovie this way, too!
I hope these tips help you document your family trips and create videos you’ll all enjoy for years to come!
