One important thing before you even go on that vacation and start shooting videos is to pack your video equipment properly. I'm still amazed that folks can go on a vacation and forget to bring an extra camcorder battery or camcorder power adapter.

Make sure you create a packing checklist - extra battery, extra memory card, power adapter, etc. and use it whenever you're about to leave on a trip. There's nothing worse than arriving at your destination, only to realize all your video stuff is left at home.

Let's imagine you're on vacation right now. One of the most important things to do when you want to shoot a video of a tourist spot is to get what I call an "establishing shot". Look for a signpost, a road sign, or any thing that will tell the viewer where you are. Imagine that you're at the Grand Canyon - before you enter the place, there must be some kind of sign. Get a shot of that - and keep it there for like, 20 seconds. Get the viewer to sense the environment, to feel that they are there with you.

I love capturing ambient sounds. Imagine you're standing at the foot of the Eiffel Tower. What does it sound like? At the bottom of the Eygptian Pyramids? What does that sound like? Conveying sounds to your viewer is as important as conveying images. So find a good time of day when there are very few people around and go shoot that video. You'd be surprised what you record through your mic and effect it has on the mood of your video.

I find that one thing people forget on their vacation videos is simply to include people in them! I've seen many vacation videos which just show landscapes, buildings, etc. and they bore me to death! You need people in those shots.

Adding the human touch to a video livens it up
 

Get your spouse or kids or even a local to come into the video and say hello. Get them to narrate the scene for a bit - it just adds a more human touch to the whole thing. Years later, when you're viewing your video - you will appreciate what I mean.

Oh this is a famous mistake that newbies to videography make - zooming in and out too much. When shooting a frame in your video, just zoom in and out once or twice to establish the shot, then keep your zoom setting there. Don't zoom in and out while taking the shot because it really disorientates the viewer and throws them off. Keep your finger off the zoom - as far as possible, only use it to set up the shot and nothing else.

I hope the above article has helped you out. The next time you're on vacation, remember the tips above and I'm sure you'll come home with some pretty solid looking videos!