Seven Ways to Up Your Spring Break Social Media Game

Let’s be honest. No matter where you go on spring break, every possible photo op has been done to death. If you’re looking to set yourself apart from the crowd creatively, you’re going to need to include some new tactics into your repertoire. Here are seven ways to set your social media game on fire during your next vacation.

1.) Elevate your photography, literally.

One way to set your vacation photos apart from the crowd is to take to the skies with a drone. Drone photography will open up an entirely new way to see the sights of your destination, and also make for a pretty unique selfie. The current generation of drones is easier than ever to fly, so with minimal practice, you can be adding some killer aerial shots to your vacation feed. Take a look at how using a drone captured a much more dramatic view of our rooftop solar panels:

2.) Take it all in

When you’re at a magical destination, surrounded by beautiful sights, it can be difficult to convey all of your environment in a single photo. This is especially the case for interior locations, where you don’t have the option to back up to fit more cool stuff in the scene. One unique option is to capture the scene in 360°. To do this, you can use a specialized camera, like the Nikon KeyMission 360, or find out if your smartphone supports 360° degree apps like Google’s Photo Sphere. For this example, we captured a shot of our Inspiration Studio on our smartphone camera, and then took a photo from the very same spot with a 360° camera. The difference is extreme.

[vr url=https://blog.abt.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/03/R0010217_20170322203732021.jpg view=360]

3.) The Old Selfie Stick

Speaking of selfies, it’s hard to beat the original selfie helper, the selfie stick. It’s been the butt of a billion jokes, but it’s popular because it’s simple and it works. A selfie stick gives you enough reach to fit multiple people in the frame and keeps your arms from getting caught in the photo and ending up looking like bloated sausages. And when collapsed, it easily fits in a pocket. Go for stick that’s literally just a telescoping piece of aluminum, or upgrade to one with a built-in remote shutter release. It’s a quick way to give your vacation photos that extra something.

4.) Get creative with your shades

One tactic for adding something special to your photos is to use things around you to put a unique perspective on a common view. Look at the specs perched on your nose. If they have reflective lenses, they can make a fun way to take a unique photo while also playing on the hot, sunny weather of your spring break destination. It’s a great way to transform a less-than-stellar view into something visually interesting.

5.) Go remote

Selfie sticks work well for most group photos, but sometimes you need more reach. And while most cameras, including your smartphone, have built-in timers, sometimes 10 seconds isn’t long enough to hit the shutter and then sprint into position. Using a remote shutter release lets you take the photo after everyone comfortably gets into position. Shooting on an iPhone? The AppleWatch has an integrated app that lets you trip your iPhone camera with a tap on the watch face.

6.) Take a dive

Chances are that your spring break has taken you near a large body of water, which opens up tons of photo ops. And just like we suggested taking to the skies to add some visual wow, consider going the opposite direction and taking a plunge below the surface. Opting for either a dedicated waterproof camera like the GoPro HERO Session or a waterproof smartphone case like those from LifeProof will let you go completely underwater for a subsurface view that you’d never see in a landlubber’s album. Take a look at the difference it makes when you go below the surface:

7.) Accessorize your smartphone

Part of the allure of smartphone photography is that you can get some pretty great photos without needing any additional bulky equipment. Today’s smartphones can match the quality of an advanced point & shoot camera, but the one department they’re lacking in is lens versatility. Smartphone camera lenses rarely offer optical zoom, so you always get the same field of view. One way to change that is through the use of a mobile lens kit. These tiny optics attach to your smartphone via magnets or a simple clip, and turn your iPhone lens into a wide-angle fisheye, telephoto, or macro close-up lens. Here’s one example of how an add-on lens changes what your camera sees:

No matter what your spring break plans are, it’s the perfect chance to flex on social media. We hope these tips help, and come visit us if you’re staying home for break!