You want to become a vlogger but don’t know how to start? Every time you feel like putting off that daydream, the thought of being popular just won’t leave you. But hey, you will never know if that is really your calling, unless you try it.
It is true that you can make just about any kind of vlogs without traveling or even without leaving home. However, with all the intense competition, researching for a substantial material is hard and to come up with something very interesting as exploring the unique sides of the world will really be quite a feat.
Especially for starters, learning how a YouTuber should travel is very important. If you want to know the reasons why, then read on.
1. A YouTuber usually brings these things.
You might get overwhelmed with the possible number of choices that a YouTuber can make regarding on his gears to bring on site. These include the kind of camera, the recording instrument, or even on what to use for special lighting.
The fast rate of person’s progress in gaining experience to help him discern the right choice is definitely helpful. But to make things even easier, just remember that there is no perfect or standard set of equipment for a YouTuber. All you need to know are the guiding principles.
Use a full frame camera because it can perform well on low light and has a wider dynamic range. Be practical about sizes and weight, choose the handiest. Know the features that you really want.
Audio jacks used for plugging in an external microphone helps in recording on noisy places. Interchangeable lenses make you very versatile. A camera which can shoot 4k video clips is already okay for videography; it is already good for action shots like sky diving.
File sharing should also be a criterion, bring something with built in Wi-Fi. We all know how important social media is for a vlogger. For lighting, soft box is a popular tool that you can try although nothing beats natural lighting.
Bring extra batteries too, preferably the chargeable ones. And of course don’t forget the charger. Accessories are very important, so don’t forget your SD cards and tripod.
Regarding brands, just buy what you can afford to buy; what is important is that you have covered the basics.
2. How to go over with airline personnel.
I believe there is really no need to discuss land and sea travel because there is really not much problem in that area.
Air travel is sometimes boring and sometimes exciting. But nowadays the possibility that terrorists can put bombs in almost anywhere like in your laptop is imminent, and so who knows, your camera might be the next targeted thing. Just cooperate with airline personnel; it is for your own good too.
Speaking of cooperation, let us discuss about the baggage counter dilemma. Most airlines don’t really check the carry on bag’s weight so you won’t have a problem with that unless you made it look heavy and bulky. Just don’t look as if you are struggling in carrying your bags. And don’t put in more than the allowable limit, if ever in excess, it shouldn’t be visually obvious.
For your camera gears, put them on your carry-on bags. Confirm in advance that their packed form conform to the rules. Most airlines give stipend to lost checked in bags so make sure that there is not much valuable there. So you may put your extra batteries (limited pieces allowed by airlines) in your checked in bags.
Most airlines will allow you (aside from the checked in bag) one carry-on bag and one laptop bag. So bring your biggest laptop bag for your laptop. If ever, you’ll reach the usual limit of 7 kg for a carry-on bag, you can transfer some to your laptop bag; a Canon super telephoto lens is one specific example. Big jackets with lots of pockets will also do the trick.
Split your hard drives when you fly. Put one on your carry-on bag and one on your checked luggage. If ever you lose one, then you still have one back-up.
Be prepared. Have your laptop, wallet, phone and items in your pocket always ready for inspection. If unavoidable things happen, you can always ask in good way in how to cooperate and set things right.
Make sure you don’t have any prohibited things. The common culprit in a YouTuber’s gear is the multi tool set for general purpose. Remember not to bring knives and screwdrivers longer than seven inches with your tool set.
For seating arrangements, it is ideal to book a seat on the back most where you can seat first. This will guarantee you the convenience to have the nearest space for your carry-on bag.
Final Thoughts
Now that you know how to start vlogging, hopefully your hesitations in actually starting to vlog will slowly disappear.
Even if you do fail, we all know that vlogging and traveling are fun things to do. So there is no way that you will come out of this as a failure.
Just start vlogging!