Beach Time Lapse Iberostar Laguna Azul Varadero Beach Cuba

Beach Time Lapse Iberostar Laguna Azul Varadero Beach Cuba

I love time lapse video. I love watching time lapse videos and I love making time lapse video. I love the beach. I love relaxing on the sand on the beach and I love splashing in the waves washing up on the beach. Is it really surprising then that I would make a time lapse video while I was on a beach vacation at the Iberostar Laguana Azul resort on Varadero Beach in Cuba? Not really surprising especially considering that it was such a beautiful day, although they all were, and Varadero beach is such a beautiful beach.

I use the built in intervalometer on my Nikon D7000 to photograph this time lapse and if I remember correctly I set it to 1 frame every 3 seconds.

Tropical Rain Storm Iberostar Laguna Azul Varadero Beach Cuba

Tropical Rain Storm Iberostar Laguna Azul Resort Varadero Beach Cuba

We had had a beautiful day on Varadero Beach up until we felt the first drops of rain.  The sun had been shining all morning and into the afternoon. It started to get a bit hazy around mid afternoon and by late afternoon the clouds started to roll in. When the first drops hit us we started packing up to leave the beach and it was lucky we did. Our room at the Iberostar Laguna Azul was in one of the buildings on the resort that was located very close to the beach and we only just made it to that building when the wind started to really blow and the downpour began. I filmed most of this footage from the balcony of our room.

Photo Gear I brought to the Iberostar Laguna Azul Resort, Varadero Beach, Cuba

Photo Gear I brought to the Iberostar Laguna Azul Resort, Varadero Beach, Cuba

After the first trip we took to the Iberostar Laguna Azul Resort in Varadero Cuba, I made this video of the gear that I brought with me on that trip. Deciding what camera gear to bring while travelling is a balancing act. You want to make sure you have all the gear you need to get great photos and video in all the situation you want but camera gear is heavy and so you don't want to be lugging around a bunch of photo and video gear you don't need or worse yet don't use. The only way to figure out the balance when travelling with photography / videography gear is to travel with photography / videography gear. There really is no substitute for experience, seeing what you use and what you don't and adjust for the next trip, but seeing what gear others take with them travelling is also useful for ideas. I made this video for that reason, to give ideas on what gear might be useful while travelling... and maybe, just maybe so I'd remember what I brought.

The photography / videography gear I brought with me to the Iberostar Laguna Azul Resort at Varadero Beach in Cuba was as follows:

Nikon D7000 camera body
Nikon 24-120mm f4 lens
Nikon 17-35mm f2.8 lens
Nikon 50mm f1.4 lens
Kata 3in1-20 gear pack
Gitzo Traveller Tripod

GoPro Fun in the Sun Varadero Beach Cuba

GoPro Fun in the Sun Varadero Beach Cuba

A little GoPro Camera, a beach, some kids, a few waves and the sun, what more do you need to make a fun video? Ok, ok maybe using an awesome waterproof camera like the GoPro helps... and maybe being on holiday in the Caribbean helps... and I guess staying at a beautiful resort like the Iberostar Laguna Azul also helps a little... and just maybe being on a beach as fantastic as Varadero Beach helps too. The reality though is that the camera you have and where you are doesn't really matter if you filming happy kids being themselves and having fun your videos can't help but be fun.

GoPro Kids on the Beach Iberostar Laguna Azul Varadero Cuba

GoPro Kids on the Beach Iberostar Laguna Azul Varadero Cuba

I Love the whole concept of the GoPro camera, a very small camera in a waterproof case that records certainly decent if not great video footage. The real benefit of a GoPro is that even though the video quality isn't stellar it doesn't matter because at least you have footage. I mean the GoPro gets footage in situations and points of view that most people wouldn't risk thier regular camera for. Such as this situation, our friends' kids splashing around in the waves at Varadero Beach during our vacation at the Iberostar Laguna Azul resort. The kids had a great time and so did I with great afternoon light, cute subjects and a great little GoPro camera.

Sunrise at the Iberostar Laguna Azul Varadero Beach Cuba

Sunrise at the Iberostar Laguna Azul Varadero Beach Cuba

For me there is nothing better than a sunrise over a Beach with waves washing up against the sand... ok maybe ice cream is better but that's about it. It does mean getting up early on your holiday but hey, some things are worth it. Although I didn't get up quite early enough because when I got to the beach the sun had already breached the horizon. This sunrise was at Varadero Beach in Cuba, while we were staying at the Iberostar Laguna Azul Resort. Maybe next holiday I'll make it to the beach before the sun start rising above the horizon but it's still a pretty sweet view and a great way to start the morning off.

I Switched From Final Cut Pro to Adobe Premiere Pro

I Switched From Final Cut Pro to Adobe Premiere Pro 

Quite some time ago I made the switch from Apple Final Cut Pro to Adobe Premiere Pro. There were a number of reasons people had for switching, Apple made a lot of mistake with the initial version of Final Cut Pro X and Adobe did a special limited time drop in price on the Premiere Pro Production suite to entice grumpy Final Cut Pro uses to Premiere Pro. My reason for switching was a bit more basic than that. Final Cut Pro X wouldn't work on my Mac Pro and although it didn't officially support all the components in my Mac Pro Adobe's Premiere Pro did at least work on my machine. So I switched. Now I'm looking at a new Mac and I will probably try the updated Final Cut Pro when I do so there is potential for me to switch back... but I'm getting a head of myself, that will be another video.