Travel memories
Hello :)!What tools are you using during your travel to save it's real image? I mean, do you think that photos and text is enough? I'm looking for some method to save my memories easily but better than only with camera. What do you think is the best way to do it? What is most important for you while creating your documentary? I'm looking for inspiration. What if you are travelling with buddies? Any method to create documentary easily and together? I know I'm asking many questions but I'm a little bit desperate about it ;)
Cheers,
Blaise
PS. If this is bad category, I'm sorry, but I couldn't find better in my opinion.
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Unless you want a reality TV show (i.e 24x7 memories of your trip), I think the best thing is a photo book.Pick the best/worst/memorable set of pictures form the hundreds and thousands taken on the trip and assemble them in a meaningful way to you.
It's not immediate but the time you spend after the trip thinking about the highlights/funny moments (and hopefully no lowlights) will make the memories of the trip come flooding back and you will enjoy the pics immensely.
And it does not have to be 1 photo book per trip. For my2008 3 month tour of Europe, I have just 1 x A3 book themed with beer; while my 1 month tour of Spain I have 4 x A5 books by places I visited, including 1 themed with ornate door knockers. For each book I also scan in pictures of museum tickets, local maps, passport stamps/visa and use these as background pictures.
Whenever I look at these, it brings back all the memories. I print a copy of these for my travelling companions if they want one too.
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jessbess1 has 5 posts all being helpful and pointint to that website.Back to the OP, i like photobooks as one way of storing memories. If you happen to take video, its easy enough to make your own highlights movie, with some music or commentary.
maybe you like to record a daily diary as well, or a blog. With todays gadgets even a verbal diary would work well rather than writing it all down.
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Photobook is something I have been actually doing, but the problem is, that you can only use physical things in it. I mean, for me memories are not only material. The same with scrapbook. I'm looking for something complex, that will consist of music, weather and all things related to memories. Maybe I'm too fastidious, but I would like to experience memories as truely as they were in fact... :)9
I am very big on photos...and I don't mean the post card type...I mean anything and everything...Just photograph stuff you would never think is interesting...you'd be surprised how it "jogs" the memory later...
When I was in India recently...I took a rickshaw through Old Delhi...and had my camera on my lap shooting constantly... just as much as it could take...of the street scene...hardly aiming ...just shooting... And there were some amazing shots in that group....
Videos really really capture not just a silent scene...but the actual experience in the raw... I recommend video highly for "preserving the moment"... You don't just see what you're shooting later...you hear people sneezing in the background...! Now that's reality...!
I also sometimes pick up "found objects"...just stuff on the street... I picked up 3 Effs beer caps while walking on top of the ancient walls at Istanbul...! If you remember where they came from you can use found objects in a sort of "Cabinet of Curiosities"...later... Water from the Ganges...? Newspapers...flyers ...ticket stubs all create a montage of your trip...
As far as movies...just shoot it...you can edit later... don't play it safe... Stay a little crazy... and see what happens...
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I actually kept a travel diary for my 2 months out in China and along with a load of photos made a book from blurb.com (not sure if the website will show) It is a self publishing company where you can create your own book........A novel way to let your friends and family know how you got on even if you do open up to them in a slightly personal manner.......I originally done one for myself however I found that the mere mention of a couple of people in the book got them so excite that they wanted a copy too and the glory of it is that you don't have to buy it for them as they can get it off the website once you have bought a copy!11
I come from Hong Kong where most people live in tiny spaces, so I can't really afford to collect anything systemically from my travels. I tried, but when I saw the "souvenirs" in my home, they look just wrong and don't belong there at all. So from now on I always suppress my urge to buy something when I travel, but it's really difficult sometimes when you see something you like and think you will never see again..My way of preserving travel memories is just taking photos- many, many of them. I took photos of every little thing I find interesting - my food, the street sign, the little cat that makes me smile. I know I look like a photo freak to some, but when I see those pics, my travel memories will easily flood my mind. Taking photos, for me, is better and more efficient than writing it down in a diary.
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I try not to load up on heavy or cheap junk... Many graphics and paper items can be put in a cardboard roll ..so one small "box" holds many things in your bag or pack...saving on space and weight.I also try to get higher quality items...at least one... No "I heart___" stuff... I will also buy things later in the trip so I won't have to carry them for weeks and weeks...and worry about breakage or theft...
And photos by the thousands ! Also vids...they really jog the memory even years after your trip...
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Our strange idea on our trip to Africa. We carried around a small umbrella (I needed shade as I burn really easy) and had everyone we really like sign it with an email address.
