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How to Make a Great Road Trip Video

Aug 5, 2011

Road trips are an all-American staple that embody the saying that life’s a journey, not a destination. And video gives you a way to remember your journey and take the memories with you wherever you go. We’ve put together a list of tips to help you create your own road trip video, like the one from the Holcombe family featured below.

Document the preparations

Take photos of things like roadmaps, directions, snacks, coolers, and the impressive way in which you’ve managed to shove your entire bedroom into your truck space. This will give a great before-and-after effect when you create your video.

Make your video on your phone

When it isn’t your turn to drive, take a moment and start creating your video. Download the Animoto iOS app and use it to make Stories you can share while you’re on the go. That way you can tell friends and family about your trip long before you get to your final destination. Try our Vacation Recap template in the app if you need inspiration to help you get started.

Shoot in episodes

Rather than taking all of your photos in just a few places, be sure to spread out your photos by taking at least one or two pictures every place you visit. This will make your video seem more like a journey, as the viewer will get a better sense of the time it took and the number of miles traveled.

Capture all the things wacky and unusual

It’s a no-brainer to take ample photos of the biggest ball of twine located in Minnesota, but also don’t forget to document any interesting people you encounter, funny signs, or inside jokes. You can laugh together later at that picture of you becoming friends with a gang of Harley Davidson bikers or when the “Geriatric Happy Hour 3 to 5” sign shows up in your video.

How to Make a Travel Video in 3 Easy Steps with Ideas & Pro Tips

• how to make a travel video

There are very few categories that offer as much possibility for rich and engaging storytelling as that of travel. Beautiful locales, thrilling adventures, and gripping anecdotes provide a whole lot of content fodder for travel creators and brands! 

But that doesn’t mean that making travel videos is a piece of cake. Far from it. In addition to having the technical know-how and an eye for detail, you also need to know how to weave a story around the content you shoot – and for this, you need to constantly ideate and execute. So if you’ve been wanting to make it in the travel space and are wondering how to make a travel video, this article is just what you need. 

In the following sections, we will be taking you through everything you need to know about creating travel videos in addition to sharing some of the best ideas you can get started with. If you already have something in mind and would like to get started right away, you can sign up for a free account on InVideo and start bringing your travel videos to life. 

Create cinematic travel videos

Without spending hours on editing

Here’s what we will cover:

1. The basics of how to make a travel video 2. Top 7 travel video ideas 3. Pro tips to create travel videos

Let’s dive in.

1. Basics of making travel videos:

While making any video you need to go through the steps of ideating, planning, and executing. But when you’re carrying these steps out in the travel video space, you need to hone several other skills in addition to that of filmmaking, such as time management, thinking on your feet, and acting quickly. So to help you get better at making travel videos let’s take a look at what you need to do.

A. Planning and pre-production

A lot of people believe that planning is an optional step when it comes to creating travel videos because the activity of traveling in itself is so unpredictable. But if you’re looking to create travel videos that leave an impact, planning and pre-production are absolutely indispensable to the process. 

Planning for a travel video includes everything from ideation and scripting to location scouting and storyboarding. But all of these processes look very different from how you would do these for regular videos – for the sole reason that there is a huge amount of uncertainty that comes with the process of travel. Filmmaker Aidin Robbins explains the process of planning very well in this video:

Here’s a short outline of how you can go about it: 

(1) Ideation

Ideating for a travel video begins with deciding upon a location and then figuring out in what light do you want to present that location. Do you want to create an educational video on the place or showcase its culture or is there a particularly interesting story about the place that you want to bring to light? Your answers to these questions form the basis of your idea.

(2) Research

Once your idea is ready, you want to go ahead and gather as much information as you can about the place – through blogs, youtube videos, personal anecdotes, and even interviews. You want to look up images and videos to get an understanding of what the place looks and feels like. This is super important in helping you plan out your shots later.

(3) Outlining

Once you have the idea and your basic research in place, you want to create a rough outline of the flow of your video. This is where the storytelling aspect kicks in. Mind you this is not a full-fledged script because that isn’t really possible at this stage. With the outline, you want to ask questions such as how do you want to start your video? What is the hook? How will the story flow and how will it end? Here is also where you want to cite any references for creative inputs and ideas.

(4) Plan your shots

Now this is not something that you have complete control over. However, having a basic understanding of how your story flows as well as the shots and angles that will complement the scenes in your story is super important. This will allow you to be mindful of the kind of shots you take. You can create a shot list of the basics that you want to cover so that even if unprecedented events happen, you can still get decent shots from your trip. You can also create a storyboard to help with this process but that is not mandatory.

(5) Figure out your equipment

Depending on the location you’re traveling to, how long you plan on being there, what your living situation is going to be like and other important factors, you will have to decide on your equipment. You will require a professional camera with a few different lenses, a gimbal to take moving shots, a good on-camera microphone to record audio, and also preferably a drone to get cinematic aerial footage. Check out this blog for a complete list of the kind of equipment you will need. 

B. Shooting your travel videos

When shooting travel videos you want to think about what that place represents and what emotion it evokes. That is what you want to capture in your shots. The best travel videos are ones that make the viewers feel like they’re traveling with the creator – and generating that emotion is only possible if you know what elements of the place you want to capture in your footage. This holds true even for vlogs – scout the place before you begin filming to get the best shots. 

Keep your list of shots from the planning stage handy to ensure you get everything you need. And ensure you capture shots from the journey and not just the place itself b because unless you’re taking your viewers on a journey, it doesn’t evoke the kind of emotion you want it to. 

Another thing you want to ensure is simply shooting a lot! In most cases, less than 1% of your footage will make it to the final cut. But for that to happen, you want to ensure you have enough footage, to begin with. The worst feeling is to come back after the trip to edit your video only to realize you missed out on getting good shots. For a more in-depth understanding of how to shoot your travel videos, check out this guide by Parker Walbeck 

Of course, a lot of your travel video story is also refined during the editing process , which is what we will be looking at in the next section. 

C. Editing your travel videos

If you’ve planned right and shot according to the tips we shared above, your editing process will be all smooth sailing. But as we’ve already discussed, creating travel videos is different from creating other types of videos, which is why you need to pay special attention to different elements. 

When you’re editing a travel video, in addition to having great clips, you also have to pay close attention to your choice of music , the sequence of your shots in the final edit, the pacing of the video, as well as the transitions and text you use. An editor like InVideo makes this easier because it already has most of these features inbuilt – allowing you to access and use them at the click of a button. 

Travel videos appeal to people’s wanderlust, which means you want to focus on recreating that emotion while editing. Again, you need to go back to your script and storyboard here to first get an understanding of the kind of emotion you want to convey – are you making a fun holiday video or are you showcasing the culture of a place? In each connotation, the editing style is going to be vastly different. For a fun, festival video, you will have upbeat music, fast transitions, and creative text whereas, for a documentary-style video of a destination, you will probably prefer more acoustic music with mellow tunes, simple transitions, and minimalistic text. 

Here’s a video by popular travel creator Lost LeBlanc explaining his process of editing a travel video: 

Now your editing process will depend heavily on the kind of software you choose to edit on. If you already have some video editing experience and have a robust enough system, you might want to choose professional software like Adobe Premiere Pro or Final Cut Pro. 

But if you’re just starting out, you want to use an editing tool that will let you create stunning edits with ease. This is where InVideo comes in. With an extensive library of over 5000+ templates along with ready-made assets like animated text boxes, stickers, call to action, music and sound effects, stock footage, transitions, and more, InVideo makes it super easy for you to edit your travel videos.   

2. 7 ideas you can use to create your travel videos:

Now that you have a fair idea of how to go about creating travel videos, let’s take a look at some top-performing travel video ideas to kick your travel video creation into high gear. 

Idea #1 - Start your own travel vlog

Travel vlogs are a great way to start your travel video journey. As a travel vlogger, you can start recording your trips, talking to the camera and your viewers, sharing your feelings about your trip, your first impressions, your expressions as you try various food items in real-time, and more. The best part is that travel vlogs don’t even need to be professionally edited. They can be shared even live in real-time, as viewers expect travel vlogs to be raw and real in many cases. 

For example, Mina, an American travel vlogger, shares her vlogs from various places she visits across the world. Check out this video of her experience at the Zen capsule hotel in Japan. 

Travel vlogs allow you to build your brand, find a niche as well as work towards earning opportunities. 

Idea #2 - Create helpful how-to travel guides

You don't have to strictly do videos about your trips. You can create video guides for travel enthusiasts or creators as well. You can share tips, ideas, and knowledge with your tribe through beautifully crafted videos. 

For example, check out travel YouTuber Sorelle Amore’s videos. She helps viewers create content like her through travel guides. She also inspires you with stories on how to live free and abundant as she does. Check out this video where she shares tips to travel on a budget.

If you want to create travel videos with a message, you’ll get lots of inspiration on Sorelle’s YouTube channel . Meanwhile, you can create your own travel tips and tricks video using this fully customizable template from InVideo : 

Use This Template  

Idea #3 - Share unique or strange travel experiences through your videos

Your travel videos can become a medium for you to share your personal, unique, or strange stories. You might have experienced unique events across your trips. You might be into tasting local, but strange food, trying out local dresses, and more. All of this can be a part of your travel videos. 

For example, YouTuber Mike Corey’s mission is to conquer his fear of the unknown by traveling to strange and unique places and experiencing uncomfortable events. Check out this video on Mike’s camping experience at a place called Satan’s Castle in Turkey. 

These videos are a glimpse into Mike’s methods of overcoming fear and insecurity. Whether you too want to overcome a personal fear, or you’re looking to create unique travel videos, you too can share strange stories, experiences, and events you met on your journey in your videos.  Not only will this make your videos more interesting, but you’ll also get attention for doing something different. 

Edit and create your own quirky video about strange travel facts with this World’s Deadliest Snakes template.

Use This Template

Idea #4 - Share food stories and reviews in your travel videos

If you are a foodie and love tasting new delicacies while on the go, you can make travel videos about food and culture. Your videos can provide viewers with a peek at different food cultures, cooking methods, and flavors across the globe. 

For instance, YouTuber Mikey Chen travels to various countries and eats all the local food he can get his hands on. You too can similarly marry your two interests - travel and food. Check out this video where Mikey shares updates on his quarantine meals during his latest visit to South Korea.

Mikey’s videos are not just about his interests and passions. He has also successfully created merchandise around his content and sponsors various brands and products through his various YouTube channels. If you love to sample different food items, you too can create videos like Mikey, focusing on the food during your trips. 

Customize this video to create your own exploration of food and culture across the globe! 

Idea #5 - Spread your message of positivity and love in your travel videos

You can create travel videos about love, friendship, and positivity you come across on your trips. Share stories of how people across the globe are all linked by a common thread of compassion and good can be found everywhere. 

For example, Phil, a black dude traveling all over Europe creates videos to promote positivity, love, and break barriers, in association with the Matador network. His videos show him going to various countries and cities and connecting with people, smashing stereotypes in the process. Check out this video on a Black traveler’s guide to Milan.

His videos offer a unique perspective, showing us how a black guy approaches and mixes with the European people. Just like Phil, you can take your viewers through the various places you visit, taking in the sights, eating the local food, and doing fun things across the city. You too can create your travel videos sharing your unique perspective, message, or narrative. All you need is a different way of looking at the world!

Idea #6 - Create 1-minute videos highlighting a city (or any place)

Create one-minute videos of a city or a place your visited and loved. You can feature time lapses, unique shots, and more to make these videos look relatable. These videos can be really helpful to viewers who actually want to travel to these cities and countries as they give a glimpse of the destinations and their highlights. They can also be fun to watch, keeping in mind the short attention spans of most people today.

For example, Cailin from YouTube channel Travel Yourself is known for is her “City in a minute” video series. Cailin shares the highlights of the city (or any place), the culture, the food, and any other relevant information, all in a minute. Check out this video by Cailin featuring Israel in a minute.

Show off your impressive travel highlights in your own 1-minute (or longer) video with this themed slideshow template.

Idea #7 - Share video tour reviews, advice, and answer questions 

If you are wondering how to make travel videos and are looking for inspiration to start, you can begin by doing reviews of local services, food reviews, restaurant or homestay reviews, and more. Share updates on the key points of a trip, give information on how to reach your destination, what does the trip involves, what is your itinerary, the cost, and more. Your videos can also answer the most frequently asked questions about a place or a trip.

For example, travel YouTuber Christianne started vlogging her journey as a response to commonly asked questions about her trips across the globe. Now she shares everything from life updates to travel itineraries and experiences in the form of travel videos. Check out this video by Christianne featuring Medsailors (a cruise trip) in Croatia.  

Edit and customize this template to create your own travel advice video, including details of the trip for prospective travelers.  

3. BONUS: Pro tips while making travel videos

If you want to create stunning travel videos, that make people stop scrolling, you’ll need to do your homework in terms of planning your trip and other aspects. In the section below, we share some super actionable tips that make it possible for you to make your travel videos more impressive and engaging. 

Tip #1 - Understand your gear

Before you set out to capture beautiful locales and happening adventures, you will need to know how to capture them. Understanding your equipment is essential to getting the best output. Know and practice using your camera and mic in various different settings to know what kind of output it yields.

Study your equipment ’s manual to know how to use different controls. You don’t want to miss capturing a beautiful moment because you were fumbling with the controls on your camera. 

Tip #2 - Refine your gear

When you’re starting out it is easy to get swept up by cool gadgets and the latest camera, but the truth is you don’t need a whole bunch of equipment to film good videos. As you hone your craft, refine your gear simultaneously. Your aim should be to be able to travel as light as possible while getting the best quality of the footage.

You can do this by first understanding your style of filmmaking and then sticking to gear that helps you achieve that the best. For instance, if you’re someone who primarily uses wide-angle shots in your travel videos, you might not need to carry multiple macro or telephoto lenses.

The thing to note here is that this kind of refinement comes with practice and experience. So don’t beat yourself up about not getting it right on the first go. 

Tip #3 - Capture as much of the journey as the destination

As we’ve mentioned before, travel videos are about showcasing the journey. Even if you’re making a tips and tricks video, if you can make people feel like they’re part of the process – your videos will do much better. This means capturing shots that depict the journey – hiking to the top of the hill, taking a cab to the temple, walking to the restaurant, and others like it.

Tip #4 - Film the people of the place

Yes drone shots of the ocean and close-ups of the forest leaves are beautiful, but the real essence of a place lies in its people. A lot of travel creators don’t realize how crucial this element is. Capturing life and emotions and depicting that in your story is one of the best ways to evoke feelings of belongingness in your viewers and this is not something you want to miss out on.

For instance, check out this video on one of the oldest cities in the world, Varanasi, India, by YouTuber Ben Mikha, depicting the local people and everyday life. It makes the viewer feel like they are a part of the chaotic and vibrant landscape as well.

Tip #5 - Shoot more than you think is necessary

As we had mentioned above, roughly 1% of all your footage is likely to make it to the final edit . This means you need more than enough legroom to play around and experiment with. Even if you feel something is unnecessary at the moment, capture it because you will not truly know if something is unnecessary unless you bring it to the edit table.

Tip #6 - Organize your footage on the go

Unless you’re on a weekend trip, not organizing your footage on the daily is a huge mistake. Since you will be shooting a lot, if you fail to organize on a daily basis, it will become a mammoth task to have to sift through the entire media from your trip at the end.

Tip #7 - Carry enough storage and battery

This means memory cards, hard drives, and battery backup. The worst thing to happen while filming is having your memory cards or battery run out preventing you from filming what you need to. Keep multiple memory cards, hard drives, and power banks to ensure your filming goes as smoothly as possible. 

Create inspiring travel videos easily

With 8 million+ stock assets

Wrapping Up

So the next trip you decide to go to, make sure to carry all the necessary equipment and plan your itinerary before you set out. With a little effort towards finding the best locations and angles to shoot from, you can create stunning travel videos that draw viewers in. If you are planning to create a travel video channel or brand, you definitely want to check out this ready reckoner of top video ideas that you can create in the travel space. Use these video ideas to craft engaging travel videos in 2022. 

If you have any questions or want to continue the conversation, hop over to the InVideo community and learn from 25K other marketers and video creators just like you! Or check out InVideo’s YouTube channel to learn more video editing hacks and tricks!

And, if you’re looking to create thumb-stopping videos in minutes (even if you’re not a PRO)- sign-up for a free account on  InVideo.io  today.

This post was written by  Upasna  and edited by  Adete  from Team InVideo

Let’s create superb videos

How to plan a road trip: 5 steps to get you ready to hit the road

If you’re curious about how to plan a road trip but don’t know where to start, these tips will get you ahead of the curve

By Jeanne Sullivan Billeci & Roadtrippers

The Great American Road Trip is on just about everyone’s bucket list, and for good reason.

Curiosity about what destinations await just beyond the horizon is in our DNA—from California’s soul-stirring Pacific Coast Highway to the iconic heartland kitsch of Route 66 .

You may be an aspiring road warrior, but worry that planning a road trip will be overwhelming or won’t measure up to your dreams. That doesn’t mean you shouldn’t try. If we’ve learned one thing during our decades of traveling, it’s that nothing compares to the intimacy and freedom of the wide open road. 

Related The Great American Road Trip: My 16,000-mile solo vanlife excursion across the U.S.

If you’re curious about how to plan a road trip, but don’t know where to start, keep reading. To make sure you don’t miss out on the many awesome places our country has to offer, we’ve listed five steps to get you ahead of the curve. Combined with a little encouragement from your inner explorer, you’ll be a seasoned roadtripper in no time. 

1. Decide the basics

Figure out what you most want to see.

Forget about what others recommend you should see and decide what you want to see—whether it’s mountains, beaches, deserts, farm country, national parks, cityscapes, or a little bit of everything. 

Consider a theme

Some travelers like to pick a theme to tie a road trip together. Themes can inspire ideas and help you focus on the itinerary. Need some inspiration? Try historical sites , famous filming locations , outdoor adventures , architecture , theme parks , or culinary travel . 

Embrace your roadtripping style

There is no “one-size-fits-all” itinerary for your dream road trip. Embracing the freedom of the open road and your own personal traveling style allows you to savor the experience.

If it’s all about getting to the destination and making only necessary pit stops, that’s cool. If you’re all about the journey, take shorter drives with lots of planned and unplanned stops. Do you prefer guided tours with new people, or do you like to take the reins and chart your own course? Do what works for you.

When deciding your roadtripping style, another thing to consider is whether you prefer smooth highway drives, bumpy backroads, or hairpin turns. Are you seeking Instagrammable moments to share with your friends, or unplugged moments that connect you with nature or local cultures? Trust your gut and do what’s best for you.

Related 6 steps to planning a successful RV road trip

Set a budget

Having a budget in mind before you start planning will help steer you in the right direction. One of the great things about roadtripping is that it offers plenty of ways to control costs. Need to travel on the cheap? Choose shorter routes to spend less on gas, eat at cheaper restaurants and diners, and stay at campgrounds or no-frills motels. 

Or maybe you want to blow your bonus in style? Splurge on higher-end accommodations, fancy eateries, and private tours.

2. Dream up your itinerary  

Here’s where Roadtrippers makes the planning process really easy. First, choose your starting and end points , then start adding different stops along the way. For more inspiration, check out our list of the most Extraordinary Places in the U.S. and read the stories behind them in Roadtrippers Magazine. We’ve covered everything from Nebraska’s Carhenge and Virginia’s Dinosaur Land to the Andy Warhol Museum , haunted hotels , and Coyote’s Flying Saucer Retrievals and Repairs in California.

You can choose up to seven stops using the free version of the app, or add more with a Roadtrippers Membership subscription. Find interesting things to see and do along your route by selecting a category—like Outdoors & Recreation or Camping & RV—or by simply zooming in on the map along your route. If you’re traveling with family and friends, invite them to collaborate on the itinerary with you. This way you can design a road trip that includes something for everyone.

Related The ultimate guide to family road trips

When you’re done, Roadtrippers will populate the best route, letting you know the time and distance between stops and your final destination. It will also tell you the approximate cost of gasoline for the whole journey, based on your vehicle.

3. Bypass potential roadblocks with a little planning

Some travelers glorify “winging it,” but no advance planning can lead to epic misadventures. Here are a few scenarios where you might want to plan ahead, so your road trip doesn’t come to a screeching halt.

Lodging 

Not knowing where you’ll lay your head to rest that night is exciting for some, but it can be risky, especially during peak tourist season or if there’s a big event happening nearby. You may arrive ready to crash after a long day of driving and find no room at the inn. While more and more hotels are promoting themselves as “pet friendly,” this usually means they have a few special rooms on the first floor that, if not booked in advance, are taken when you arrive. If sleeping with Fido in the car is not an option, you might want to bite the bullet and call ahead.  

If you’d still like to leave it all up to serendipity, look for off-the-beaten path motels and remote campgrounds that are less likely to fill up in advance. 

Related The ultimate guide to car camping

Hours of operation

Check the hours, days, and seasons of operation for places you want to see ahead of time. Since third-party apps can easily become out of date, try calling the attraction or checking its website or social media. There’s nothing worse than finally arriving at a point of interest only to find it closed.

Food and drink

If you’re hungry for something local, don’t settle for the lone fast food restaurant you spotted after hours of driving. There are plenty of local gems, but they’re often not advertised on a billboard along the highway. Using the Food & Drink category in the Roadtrippers app can help you find eateries with a local flair. Or dive into the special flavors of the region with RoadFood.com , which helps you find everything from lobster rolls in New England to BBQ in the South.

4. Bulk up on your local knowledge

If the idea of living like a local for the day is appealing, bide your time between planning a road trip and hitting the road by following regional accounts and hashtags on social media. Read fiction and nonfiction books about the region or route. Watch movies and YouTube videos. Check out Roadtrippers Magazine articles for great stories about famous (and infamous) points of interest.

If that’s too much advance planning for your style, you can get advice while on the road by asking proprietors of campgrounds, hotels, and Airbnbs along the way for their best local intel.

5. Stay flexible, always

Have a plan to make sure your road trip is everything you want it to be but leave space for unexpected opportunities. Inexperienced travelers often get too ambitious with their first itinerary, finding themselves drained and stressed out when things don’t go according to plan. This can be a downer for your fellow travelers as well. They will appreciate pit stops and wiggle room in the itinerary, and you’ll be able to enjoy the experience a lot more. 

A great roadtripper is always willing to veer from the plan (and path) for the right reason. The most magical trips leave room for following your intuition to amazing experiences rather than achieving everything on the checklist. Stop at the scenic overlook, follow that sign to a nearby winery, stay an extra night in town because there is a local festival the next day. Sometimes amazing opportunities come up along the way that you couldn’t have planned for. 

You’ve got this! Now, where do you want to go?

Start planning your next road trip

Meet the Authors

Jeanne Sullivan Billeci

During her 25 years in the travel industry, Jeanne has worked as a destination publicist and travel writer, promoting and covering destinations, hotels and attractions around the U.S. She specializes in road trips of all kinds, from RV and campgrounds to food and wine.

Roadtrippers

Roadtrippers helps you find the most epic destinations and detours—from roadside attractions to natural wonders and beyond.

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Article updated on November 7, 2023 at 8:00 PM PST

Best Road Trip Camera Gear

Here are the cameras and gear to step up your photo and video game.

Our Experts

CNET’s expert staff reviews and rates dozens of new products and services each month, building on more than a quarter century of expertise.

Memories are priceless. And having the best camera to capture life's moments can make a huge difference. When you're venturing out for a quiet weekend getaway, planning a once-in-a-lifetime international trip or heading off on an  epic drive across the US , having a durable, easy-to-use camera that can deliver quality shots is a must-have. A proper camera won't just give the best videos and photos and videos -- it's ensure you'll have a collection of memories that'll stand the test of time. And if you're looking to level-up your vacation videos, the best camera can bring amazing slow-motion footage to life. Most importantly, the right camera will remain protected from wild waters and whatever other rugged adventures come your way. This all sounds like a lot, but there are a variety of affordable high-end cameras on the market. You won't need to break the bank for something like this. And, more often than not, a simple GoPro can deliver the goods.

I travel a lot , and I bring more camera gear than usually need. That said, there are some gear I end up using all the time. Those devices are what I recommend here. One of them will probably be all you need for your next road trip.

Still the best action camera overall

Gopro hero 10 black.

You can't go wrong with a GoPro. They have excellent image quality, are quite rugged and their app is pretty solid in letting you edit your photos and footage to look its best. The main reason I'm recommending the Hero 10 over one of the less expensive options is because of the . This lens swaps in and records an even wider angle of view. Plus, it improves the already excellent stabilization. 

I've been using it not only to capture scenic vistas, but also as a dash camera, as you can see in the video below.

The newer has a few improvements, but for most people the Hero 10 will look pretty much the same and will save you some money.

Best 360 camera

Insta360 one x3.

I've used 360 cameras for years. They've come a long way. This is the first I'd consider using without a backup action camera. 360 cameras capture everything in a sphere around the camera. Later, with the app, you can pick and choose what to show and how. So basically you record everything, and then crop to show just the interesting parts. 

One of the coolest tricks a 360 camera can do is automatically remove the selfie stick, so it looks like you have a drone following you. For more, check out:

Best tiny camera

Insta360 go 2.

This is a unique and tiny action camera that I've been using a lot. It's not really a main camera, but definitely an excellent secondary camera. It's about the size of your thumb -- and magnetic. You can hang it on your shirt while wearing an included magnetic pendant, or attach it to anything metal, or use one of the myriad clever mounts. The case that recharges and controls the camera even has a built-in tripod. The footage is wonderfully stabilized and looks far better than you'd expect for something so small.

Because of its size, it can record perspectives other cameras can't, like the model train POV in the video below.

Ultimate action camera

Gopro hero 11 black.

For most people the GoPro Hero 10 Black is all the action camera they'll need. If you don't mind spending a bit more, the newer Hero 11 improves on the 10 in a few minor ways. For one, there's a new image sensor. The primary difference is it's more square. So if you often post vertical content for, say, TikTok or Instagram, but still want to be able to post standard horizontal content to YouTube, this allows you to more easily do both without a significant loss in quality. 

You can read more about it here:

Best gimbal

If you don't want to invest in a new camera or don't want the bulk of one (fair), consider a gimbal. You can really improve the quality of your videos with a gimbal. They smooth out your hand's movements while you're walking around, and can do slick, professional-looking pans and tilts. They're an absolute must-have if you're primarily using your phone. I have the OM 3, but the 5 is the current model and is easier to connect to your phone.

Portable hard drive

Sandisk 1tb extreme portable ssd.

If you're recording a lot of video, your camera and phone's storage are going to fill up fast. Cloud storage is one option, but if you're bringing a laptop, consider a tiny portable hard drive. I have one of these and they seem impossibly small for how much they can store. They're also reasonably rugged.

Selfie stick

I don't have a strong recommendation for this one, other than to say selfie sticks are great (when you're not in crowds, that is) and you should find one you like. Even I, who has what one friend describes as "freakishly long arms," find great use in a selfie stick. They let me capture photos and videos that would be impossible any other way, especially with a 360 camera that automatically deletes the stick from the final image or video. 

Precariously perched over the Badlands, thanks to a 360 camera and a selfie stick.

I recommend getting one with tripod-mount screws on both ends, which gives you more options on what you can mount and how you can mount the stick itself. Similarly, make sure you get one that can hold all your cameras and phones. 

Camera remote

I find these to be super handy, though depending on how you're recording, it might not be. It's a simple Bluetooth remote that lets you control when the camera starts and stops recording along with changing modes, settings, and so on. True, you can use the camera's app on your phone instead, but I feel like I spend half my life trying to get cameras to connect to their apps, so  sometimes  a remote is easier. Sometimes the remote won't connect either. It's a hassle either way. Oh well.

Tripods and other mounts

One last thing. Tripods and mounts. You probably don't need a full-size tripod, few people do. A small bendable model can be super handy though, letting you mount the camera to just about anything and get a great shot with you in it. I've had good luck with Joby GorillaPods.  I have an older version of this one .

Also check out suction-cup and dash mounts . I have a tiny dashboard and tiny windshield, so it was a lot harder to find something that worked. So what I'm using probably won't work for you. Generally I'd recommend mounting the camera as high as possible, if you can, for a better view. 

I'll end with my favorite, an antenna mount. Unscrew your antenna and install this mount. When paired with a 360 camera, it lets you get an exciting and unique view of your adventure. I got one of these and put a selfie stick on top of it, plus a 360 camera, to get the drone-like footage of me and my car in Grand Teton National Park . How well this works is going to depend on your particular vehicle, however.

Read more:   Best Tripod for Photography and Video in 2023

As well as covering TV and other display tech, Geoff does photo tours of  cool museums and locations around the world , including  nuclear submarines ,  massive aircraft carriers ,  medieval castles , epic  10,000-mile road trips , and more. Check out  Tech Treks  for all his tours and adventures.

He wrote a  bestselling sci-fi novel  about city-size submarines and a  sequel . You can follow his adventures on  Instagram  and his  YouTube channel .

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Chihuahuas Start Tacoma Road Trip with Win Tuesday

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El Paso 7 Tacoma 5 – Tuesday WP: Fry (1-1) LP: Lawrence (0-3) S: Estrada (3) Time: 2:52 Attn: 2,902 The El Paso Chihuahuas started their six-game road series in Tacoma with a 7-5 win over the Rainiers Tuesday night. The Chihuahuas have won two games in a row and

El Paso 7 Tacoma 5 – Tuesday WP: Fry (1-1) LP: Lawrence (0-3) S: Estrada (3) Time: 2:52 Attn: 2,902

The El Paso Chihuahuas started their six-game road series in Tacoma with a 7-5 win over the Rainiers Tuesday night. The Chihuahuas have won two games in a row and three of their last four.

Former Rainier Mason McCoy started the scoring with a solo home run in the top of the third inning, his second homer of the season. Chihuahuas right fielder Cal Mitchell went 3-for-4 with a double, an RBI and a walk in the win. El Paso left fielder Tirso Ornelas went 2-for-4 and has reached base multiple times in three of his last four games. Clay Dungan drove in two runs for the Chihuahuas and now leads the Pacific Coast League with 27 RBIs.

Jeremiah Estrada struck out the side in the bottom of the ninth inning to pick up his second consecutive save. Estrada has 20 strikeouts and only three walks this season. Two Chihuahuas were hit by pitches Tuesday, moving El Paso’s total to 25, the most in professional baseball. The Rainiers have lost five games in a row.

Box Score: Gameday: Chihuahuas 7, Rainiers 5 Final Score (04/23/2024) (milb.com)

Team Records: El Paso (10-12), Tacoma (13-9)

Next Game: Wednesday at 7:05 p.m. Mountain Time at Cheney Stadium. El Paso LHP Jackson Wolf (0-2, 9.90) vs. Tacoma RHP Levi Stroudt (1-1, 5.71). The game will air on 600 ESPN El Paso and www.epchihuahuas.com .

Pope Francis visits Venice, says his work isn't easy

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What polling can (and can't) tell you

On Nov. 5, election officials across America will count more than 150 million ballots to answer a burning political question: Who will be president of the United States? Until then, the best signals we can get will mostly come from public opinion polls, which will be the fuel of endless debate on who has the lead, Democrat Joe Biden or Republican Donald Trump. But what do polls really tell us? Lik

University of California Athletics

BASE 4/22/2024 2:45 PM | By: Cal Athletics

Bears Open Road Trip Against Pacific

Cal Begins Season-Long 7-Game Road Trip In Stockton

• Tuesday, April 23, 6 p.m. | Stream: ESPN+ | Live Stats: CalBears.com  
• Cal's eight-game win streak is its longest since winning eight in a row between March 29-April 13, 2019.
• Cal's sweep of Oregon State is its first against a top-5 team since Cal swept the Beavers in 2016.
• Cal has three Pac-12 series sweeps in 2024 against UCLA, Washington State and Oregon State, its most since sweeping Washington State, Arizona State and USC in 2017.
• Gwynn is Cal's first Pac-12 Player of the Week since teammate Caleb Lomavita won the award in the final week of the 2023 regular season.
• Newmann is Cal's first Pac-12 Pitcher of the Week recipient since Joseph King won it in March 2022.
• The 59 home runs are third most in the Pac-12 and 53 rd nationally. Cal's 1.55 home runs per contest are also the third most in the conference and 47 th nationally.
• The Bears are on pace to finish the year with 80 home runs, which would be fourth most in program history. The program record of 86 was set in 1999.
• Rodney Green Jr. hit his 11th home run in the season on Friday night, giving him 31 for his career. He is tied with David Cooper (2007-08) for 10th all-time in program history.
• Cal is the only team in the conference with two active players in its top 10 for home runs. Caleb Lomavita is currently eighth all-time with 35 home runs and trails Dylan Beavers (2020-22) by two for seventh all-time. 
• Milestone Watch: In Saturday's win over the Beavers, Caleb Lomavita earned an RBI – his 44th of the season and 133rd of his career. Lomavita is just seven RBI shy of tying Mike Tonis (1998-00) for 10th all-time in program history.
• Cal's pitching staff boasts an ERA of 5.02, which is fifth in the Pac-12 and 65th best nationally. The Bears held Oregon State to just 6.3 runs per game over the weekend. The Beavers entered the series averaging a Pac-12-leading 9.5 runs per contest. 
• Cal's RPI soared following the 4-0 week, which was keyed by the Oregon State sweep. The Bears entered the weekend series ranked 79th in D1Baseball.com's RPI, and their sweep of the Beavers moved them up to 48th.
• The Bears play their seventh and final game against a West Coast Conference foe when they take on the Tigers on Tuesday. Cal is 5-1 against WCC teams, with the lone loss coming at home against Saint Mary's on April 9. Peyton Schulze is batting  .400 (10-for-25) with 17 RBI, four doubles and a home run in six games against WCC schools. Andres Galan is 3-1 with a 2.08 ERA in five appearances, including four starts, against the WCC. In 21.2 innings pitched, he has struck out 26 batters and held opponents to a .205 batting average.  
• Tuesday will be the 95th meeting between Cal and Pacific.
• The Bears own a 68-26 advantage in the series.
• Under  Mike Neu , Cal is 4-3 against Pacific, his former team. Neu led the Pacific program for two seasons (2016-17).
• Last time out, Cal defeated Pacific 17-1 in seven innings on April 2, 2024. Cal clubbed six extra-base hits (four doubles, two home runs) in the contest. Peyton Schulze went 3-for-3 with two doubles, a home run and drove in six runs. 
• Cal will stay in the Bay Area but make the trip down to the Peninsula to take on rival Stanford at the Sunken Diamond. The three-game series begins Friday at 6 p.m. The series will be televised on the Pac-12 Bay Area.

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Rutgers University Athletics

Baseball Apr 25

Baseball Set for Road Trip to Indiana

BLOOMINGTON, Ind. – Rutgers baseball is on the road once again this week for a three-game series at Indiana. It is the team's first trip to Bloomington since 2019. 

Game one is set for a 6 p.m. first pitch on Friday evening, followed by a 2 p.m. start on Saturday and an 11 a.m. finale on Sunday which will be broadcast nationally on BTN.

Rutgers is coming off a series on the road to Iowa. 

The Scarlet Knights bounced back with a dominant 15-0 midweek win at home over St. John's on Tuesday.

The Hoosiers are 7-5 in the Big Ten and most recently won two-of-three on the road over Minnesota.

Friday and Saturday's games will be streamed on Big Ten Plus, with Sunday's game set for BTN with Jack Kizer (PxP) and Scott Pose (Analyst) on the call. 

Fans can also follow along on X ( @RutgersBaseball ) for live updates. Live stats will be available here .

Series History Rutgers is 9-13 all-time against Indiana, including a 7-9 mark in Big Ten games. The teams did not play in 2023, while the Scarlet Knights won all four games against the Hoosiers in 2022, including a 14-2 run-rule victory in the Big Ten Tournament. Last Time Out

Rutgers was swept on the road last weekend at Iowa. Justin Sinibaldi delivered another quality start on Friday night, but it wasn't enough in the 8-1 defeat. On the weekend, freshman Ty Doucette hit two home runs and drove in four runs.

In Tuesday's midweek game, RU shut out St. John's 15-0 behind an eight-run first inning and quality pitching across the board. 

Left Side, Strong Side 

The Scarlet Knights boast one of the top left sides of the infield in the entire country. SS Josh Kuroda-Grauer (#5) and 3B Tony Santa Maria (#13) are both ranked among the best at their respective positions by D1Baseball.com at the midpoint of the season.

Kuroda-Grauer was named to the Golden Spikes Award Midseason Watch List and a Midseason First Team All-American by Perfect Game . 

The duo has been the engine that powers RU's Big-Ten best offense and have the numbers to back it up. 

Kuroda-Grauer is batting .440 to lead the Big Ten and rank fourth in the country. His 65 hits lead the country. His 105 total bases, 17 doubles and 20 stolen bases are all second in the Big Ten.

After missing 2023 with injury, Santa Maria ranks among the Big Ten's best with 45 runs (third), 85 total bases (fifth), 10 home runs (sixth), 42 RBI (sixth) and 16 hit-by-pitches (third).

Rotation Continuity

After having to replace the entire starting rotation in back-to-back seasons, Rutgers has enjoyed continuity on the mound in 2024. 

Justin Sinibaldi and Christian Coppola have started every weekend game this season.

Sinibaldi has five outings of seven-plus innings, has gone eight-plus in three of his last seven stars and was named Big Ten Pitcher of the Week after a shutout against UConn. He has eight quality starts this season and has five in a row.

Coppola was named Big Ten Pitcher of the Week in February after a six-inning, nine-strikeout performance at Old Dominion and earned the win against UConn with 5.2 innings, three runs and six strikeouts.

Right Side Breakout

The right side of the RU infield has enjoyed a pair of breakout seasons thus far. Senior Cameron Love is having a career year in his final season on the Banks. His .333 average is third on the team, while his 17 extra-base hits are third and he already has a career high with three home runs.

True freshman Ty Doucette has emerged after missing 10 games with injury. His eight home runs are already second-most on the team and his 37 RBIs trail only Kuroda-Grauer and Santa Maria.

Staff Updates Head Coach Steve Owens announced a number of changes to his staff ahead of the 2024 season. Mike Garza was promoted to hitting coach after serving two years as a volunteer assistant.  With the NCAA increasing the number of full-time assistant coaches from two to three, Owens added Danny Bethea to the staff from St. John's. In his role, Bethea works with the team's catchers, offense and will coach first base.  Jack Arend also joined the staff as the Director of Player Development, where he oversees video and data collection while also running camps and clinics.  Depth Behind the Dish RU has a number of quality options at the catcher position for 2024. Hugh Pinkney returns after making 48 starts at catcher and designated hitter last season, hitting .267 with 12 extra-base hits and a .716 OPS in his true freshman season. JD Jones joins the catching corps as a transfer from Miami and provides a veteran presence. True freshman Jackson Natili is primed for a big career "On the Banks" and factors in as well. Infield Experience Rutgers returns at least a full season of starting experience at every infield spot, with Jordan Sweeney (108), Kuroda-Grauer (105), Cameron Love (63) and Santa Maria (60) combining for 376 starts for RU.  Outfield Options Trevor Cohen represents the lone returning starter in the RU outfield, having started all 56 games last season and hitting .298 with 26 walks to 22 strikeouts en route to being named to the All-Big Ten Freshman Team. Rutgers retooled with the addition of RJ Johnson Jr. from the JUCO ranks, who is expected to start in centerfied. Johnson his .343 with six home runs and 36 RBIs, while leading his Gulf Coast State team with 61 hits and 55 runs scored in 2023.  Transfers Pete Ciuffreda (Lafayette) and Pete Durocher (Manhattan) bring a combined seven seasons of experience to the outfield and can play multiple positions.  Bullpen Arms Ben Gorski returns for his final season after an All-Big Ten season in 2023 where he locked down eight saves and posted a 3.40 ERA with 46 strikeouts in 39.2 innings. He was named to NCBWA Stopper of the Year watchlist ahead of 2024. Sam Portnoy pitched to a 3.69 ERA across 31.2 innings in 20 appearances and also earned a spot on the NCBWA Stopper of the Year watchlist. Joey DeChiaro joins the bullpen as a graduate transfer from Old Dominion, where he appeared in 50 games across four seasons for the Monarchs. After a strong summer in the Cape Cod League, DeChiaro was named Preseason All-Conference by Perfect Game. Jake Marshall was third on the Scarlet Knights in 2023 with 51.0 innings as both a starter and reliever and will factor in the team's plans once again. Marshall struck out 60 batters in 51.0 innings a year ago and has 191 strikeouts in his collegiate career.  Joe Mazza was second to only Gorski with 24 appearances for RU last season and pitch 32.0 innings with a 4.78 ERA out of the bullpen.  The bullpen will also receive a boost from the returns of RHP Gavin Stellpflug and LHP Donovan Zsak – neither of whom pitched last season.  A pair of transfers in Jordan Falco (Adelphi) and Sonny Fauci (St. John's) emerged as relievers who can provide length out of the bullpen as well. 

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Players Mentioned

#4 Trevor Cohen

#23 Christian Coppola

#35 Ben Gorski

#44 Josh Kuroda-Grauer

#2 Cameron Love

#14 Jake Marshall

#37 Joe Mazza

#6 Hugh Pinkney

#34 Sam Portnoy

#7 Tony Santa Maria

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