Can shooting video outweigh the experience?

My husband and I went to Costa Rica a few months ago, and it was the first time that we brought a video camera. We are both interested in shooting and editing video, and it was no suprise that we were filming our entire trip.

Although we had a great video diary by the end of our trip, I often wonder how much of the experience you lose by taking the time to film. We were always thinking about shots and where we could set the camera down, or what music would go well with certain scenes.

You can read more about our filming woes at www.backpackerdaily.com. Still the major question remains...

How much filming is too much?

Tags: experience, video

Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by Tripfilms on October 4, 2009 at 12:04pm

I've wondered this as well. I've gone on hikes where I had to climb the same section twice so that I could set up a tripod to get the shot. My feeling is that ultimately you gain more in the long run by preserving those memories than you lose in the short term.

Permalink Reply by Lindsey Stetson on October 4, 2009 at 12:11pm

This is true. One of the reasons I like to document my trips is so that I can share them with others. Sort of to raise awareness that getting outside of your own element can be a good thing. I did a blog on an around the world trip back in 2005, and it was fairly easy. I think taking equipment is a whole different ballgame.

Permalink Reply by Chris Christensen on October 5, 2009 at 12:13pm

A good question but a personal one. If you plan to make a living off the video, for instance, that I could see shooting more. If you just want to document your travels then it is really easy to shoot to much and to se all of your destination through the view finder.

Permalink Reply by Jennifer Hock on February 10, 2010 at 2:09pm

I agree...it is definitely a personal question. Who are you documenting the trip for? Grandparents? Yourself? Friends? A business? These will all play a role in determining how much you film. I love documenting our trips....not only for our own immediate family to look back on later but also for grandparents who live out of state from us. Now that we're taking this on as a possible profession, filming is to some degree even more important than before since we plan to use this as a means to take care of our family.

I had thought about this question before and wondered what I was missing while I was looking through the lens of a camera or camcorder so I decided to not bring them once so I could be completely in "the moment". While the trip was still fun, I regretted all the missed opportunities to capture my kids' smiling faces to remember the trip later.

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