UPDATED NOV 2020: Essential Photography Gear + 5 Tips For Taking Adventurously-Romantic Couple Photos (without a 3rd wheel)
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Since Drew and I started dating back in 2009 we’ve taken over 53,000 photos together… (and this way counted back in early 2017!!) WOAH. And that’s just counting the ones we’ve kept and edited… CRAZY. It all started with a simple point and shoot camera but as time went on, we fell more and more in love with photography, travel and each other, which eventually led us to investing in some pretty awesome gear (and experiences). Contrary to popular belief, we don’t have a personal photographer with us at all times (though we do have a few extremely talented friends who have been known to snap a few keepers for us), but to answer one of the top 5 most asked questions on our Instagram, “Who took that photo for you?!” the truth is, it’s rarely ever a person… example of one of those baffling photos here:
So how do we do it?! We’d love to tell you the one above was a fish, hah! But after lots of running (and swimming) back and forth for the 10-second timer (Drew nearly ran off the side of a cliff once!) + asking people who have possibly never held a camera before to try and take our next #mrandmrsadventure photo… eventually we found ourselves surrounded by an array of truly magical photography gear (more on this below), and after many hours (years) of trial and error, we have come to discover the secrets to taking adventurously-romantic couple photos without a 3rd wheel!
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Now, before we start we want to be clear, this is NOT a sponsored post. We are simply sharing our absolute favorite gear with all of you out of the goodness of our hearts, so if you find this post at all helpful, please show your thanks by sharing it with your friends and maybe even purchasing some of the mentioned gear for your own collection via the affiliate links we took the time to place in this post. Thank you for being a part of our adventure and we hope you enjoy!
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#1. Start with a vision
Do you have a fave travel blogging couple whose photos you always seem to like? (wink, wink) Spend sometime perusing their Instagram, screenshot your fave moments, find yourself lost in creative hashtags and get inspired to capture magical moments of your own! One of our favorite couple hashtags: #followmeto
Oo! And another fun one to play with: #forcedperspective
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GoPro: Whether you simply hold it out in front of you, suction it onto the windshield or clip it to a rock face that juts out into the sparkling, blue Adriatic (hint on how we took the epic underwater photo above), like the name suggests, GoPro always delivers excellence, ESPECIALLY when there is more adventure than room/time/hands needed to bother with a tripod.
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UPDATE: We recently upgraded to the new GoPro Hero7 Black and it is out of this world! Voice activated so you can start/stop recording in the middle of any adventure + the GoPro 3-Way Grip Arm Tripod. Now there’s nothing we can’t capture! We’ve also upgraded to this black Lowepro ProTactic backpack and it’s incredible.
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GoPro Accessories UPDATED Nov 2020: We use the suction cup mount + the Jaws clamp + the handlebar mount + time lapse “egg timer” (which is what allows us to get super-unique videos like this) + “Chesty” the chest harness most:
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We, of course, have the newer version of the GoPro but the accessories are still all the same like you see above.
GoPro Time Lapse Photo Mode: This is our favorite mode for capturing the most epic/authentic/romantic adventure photos (another hint for how we took the aforementioned underwater snap above + see GIF below). We pick the frequency, press the shutter once and GoPro takes over from there! These timed captures give us the creative freedom to set up the frame + live our moments without worrying about who’s going to take the photo for us!
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Another benefit of GoPro time lapse mode is that we get a whole slew of photos to choose from! This allows us to select exactly which photo conveys the mood, message and look we were going for.
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DSLR + Lenses + Tripod + Remote: We LOVE our Canon 6D Mark II + Canon 24-105mm Lens + Canon EF 70-200mm Lens + Speedlite Flash + our LensBaby. Combine all that with our Vanguard ALTA Pro 253CT Tripod + Vello Freewave Plus Wireless Remote Control, and there is NOTHING we cannot do/capture!
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What’s a LensBaby you ask?? Besides being my favorite lens, it’s what allows us to take those super artsy tilt shift photos. By twisting and bending the lens (it’s got a ball and socket type thing going on), we are able to manually manipulate the focus and amount of blur in our photos, making for some of the most magical shots:
What truly changed the game for us, besides finally investing in a full-frame camera (thanks to a push from our beautifully talented friend at Madalynne.com), was the Vello Freewave Plus Wireless Remote Control. While we still use the built-in, 10-second timer mode now and again, having the ability to set up the frame and not have to run/swim back and forth allows us the ability to truly enjoy the process, while also having the freedom to live, love and even fly in our photos, vs. simply posing for them (bo-ring).
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Mr and Mrs Adventure Tip: We use 10-second timer mode to take selfies using our DSLR (We don’t do phone selfies, well not until 2020, when the iPhone began to crush it!). This allows us just enough time to settle into the frame + we get super clear, HD selfies + we avoid the blurriness caused by pressing the shutter button at time of capture:
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#3. Stay Organized
That’s a lot of gear amiright?! Especially when we’re hiking, biking, trekking, camping and adventuring ALL OVER the place! Our solution? The UPDATED: LowePro Flipside 400. After years of struggle, we finally discovered this magical bag with its padded sections, zipper pouch, tripod loops, Camelbak compartment, hiking-pole straps, indestructible zipper and so much more! And ever since, our adventure + photography career has never been the same:
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#4. Learn How to Improvise
If your slew of super handy GoPro mounts just won’t cut it/ you had to leave behind all those accessories for the sake of weight on your backpacking trip/ inspiration struck you sans tripod leaving you with no gear – no problem! Just take a look around, possibilities are everywhere! A rock, your backpack, a stick, a box, your car, some duct tape… you can even take off your shoe! There has got to be SOMETHING around that you can rig up to capture whatever timeless moment it is that you are just desperate to share with your love:
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Yes, Drew really taped our polaroid to the ceiling to capture us chillin’ on our 1st real bed for the 1st time after 2 years of VanLife:
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And yes, I used a rock + sunglasses case + Polaroid to angle my iPhone juuuust right, to record us sticking our Mr and Mrs Adventure sticker on the “Welcome to California” sign, which I then took a screenshot of to capture this happy still:
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Improvising and being creative come hand in hand. Maybe you don’t even need to rig anything up to capture you, your love and all your happiness in one sweet shot:
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#5. Set up the frame, make a friend and ask them to take a few photos for you
Watch for people who have good cameras of their own and don’t be afraid to show them exactly what to do. Often times Drew will ask people to kneel down so they capture the angle and effect he is hoping for, and you’d be surprised with how beautiful the results can be!
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So there you have it, with this simple collection of tools + a hefty serving of inspiration and creativity, you and your honey can capture enough adventure and romance to last you a lifetime! Check out our Amazon Store for more fun gear 🙂
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Today officially marks the end of this chapter of #VanLife and of our honeymoon 💙 We are both feeling confused about what exactly we are supposed to be feeling... •Sadness for the end of an experience that has been so completely soul changing.
