Travel videos are one of the most common projects new photographers take on because there is so much potential for great shots. Between unique landscapes and unusual activities, travel vlogging makes for visually appealing content. If you’re interested in starting your own travel vlog series, you’ll need to invest in an all-in-one vlogging kit for your iPhone. The video quality on our mobile devices has come a long way and can create professional-grade content. For new photographers and videographers, this is a huge advantage because you don’t need to drop hundreds of dollars on a fancy camera—you can simply use your mobile device. Before you start shooting your new series, here are some tips on filming high-quality travel videos.

Though your phone can take great shots in automatic mode, when you use the manual settings, you’re able to focus on specific aspects of a shot to make it more appealing and impactful. For photographs, you can get that blurred background effect that makes photos crisper and gives a greater sense of depth by taking advantage of portrait mode. This feature only comes with the iPhone 8 Plus and newer models, but it can capture the perfect close-up shot for your travel blog. In portrait mode, you can also adjust the lighting setting from natural lighting to stage lighting. If you have an older iPhone model, you can still create this same effect by getting the camera very close to your subject and press on the screen to focus on that one object.

To take advantage of other manual controls that are standard on DSLR cameras, you can download a number of high-quality apps that will display settings like aperture and exposure. Using these settings will help you to focus in on the details of the landscape while traveling.

Although your iPhone is the most important piece of equipment for filming, if you want to make some truly impressive travel vlog videos, you’ll need a few other items to elevate the overall quality. The two biggest issues when shooting video on an iPhone are audio quality and stability. With your vlogging kit for iPhone, you’ll get an external microphone that can greatly improve sound quality. If you’re trying to create something impactful and the sound is vital to your video, you want to ensure that your viewers can hear what’s going on. Muffled or distant-sounding audio can take viewers out of the experience and make your videos appear unprofessional.

You’ll also get a stabilizer in your kit, which is key to taking steady shots. No matter how hard you try, it’s nearly impossible to hold your camera completely still–especially if you’re trying to film travel videos while moving or engaging in an activity. This is why a stabilizer is so important. It will help to hold the camera still, making it easier for your viewers to see what’s happening in the shot and, again, giving it a more clean, polished appearance.

This may seem like a simple tip, but it’s extremely important. When you’re spending all day capturing videos on your phone, your battery is going to be drained. The last thing that you want is to have your phone die right as you’re about to get that perfect shot. Fully charge your phone before you begin shooting and bring a charger with you so you don’t have to miss out on any great footage. For travel vloggers, investing in a portable charger is a smart idea as you’ll probably have a hard time finding electrical outlets during your travels. The portable charger will allow you to re-up your battery on-the-go and get right back to shooting.

Just like DSLR cameras, iPhones have the ability to use different camera lenses. The new iPhone 11 in particular offers an ultra-wide angle lens for shots with incredible detail. You can purchase a number of different lenses for different effects, but the wide-angle is probably the most important. As a travel vlogger, you’ll likely be shooting a lot of landscape and scenery shots. These are always more effective and stunning when shot with a wide-angle lens as you are able to get a larger view and a better sense of place. If you’re looking for an all-in-one bundle that includes a wide-angle lens, check out the SmartCine Smartphone Video kit.

Travel vlogging is a fun project that can result in truly amazing content. If you enjoy traveling and want to start documenting your experiences with professional-looking videos, purchase some essential smartphone video accessories and start exploring the world around you. Remember how to use your most important equipment for a more high-quality appearance and try to use your videos to convey a feeling or sense of place to your viewers.