My Life's a Trip

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Marching Band in Ravello, Italy

I am currently spending a few days in Ravello, Italy. This charming town along the Amalfi Coast is known for being a music city.

In addition to the busy schedule of concerts around town, you can’t escape the music even on the street. I shot this video using the 8mm app on my iPhone 5.

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Five Minute Film School: Tips for Creating Fun Vacation Videos Using Vine

The view from today’s virtual office– pool side at Le Sirenuse Hotel in Positano

While I’ve been exploring Italy’s Amalfi Coast this week, I’ve made an effort to try to master Vine. The app has been sitting on my iPhone since January, but it hasn’t really interested me until now. I think that Italy’s gorgeous scenery has made me less concerned about creating the perfect Vine and made me enjoy using the app more.

I like Vine’s ability to capture & share short video postcards to share on various social media platforms.

Here are a few tips to help make your own fun vacation videos using Vine:

1) Focus on action, but keep your mobile device still

Video loves action– but the key to shooting action successfully is keeping your camera still, resulting in stop action fun.

You Can’t Spell “Funicular” Without “Fun”

Vine is fun to use to show the passage of time. For really good results, use a tripod or a clamp like the InYourFace Viewbase.

2) Shoot transitions like pans or fades so your Vine loops seamlessly

If you are running out of frames while shooting your six second Vine, slowly move the camera up to bright light or towards the ground (or a dark object) to create a dissolve like transition.

While making this Vine during my ferry ride from Capri to Sorrento, I made a point to shoot the boats wake in 3-frame bursts to create a sort of rhythm to the ride.

Ferry Ride to Sorrento

3) Shoot in bursts of 3 to 5 frames. Your brain needs a little time to grasp and process action. I count out frames of 3 and 5 bursts to make the vine less jarring and more enjoyable to watch.

4) Create a Vine Highlight Reel

I haven’t mastered sound recording using vine, but one easy fix is to string your vacation vines together and include titles and some music using a video editing app such as Reel Director or Silent Film Director.

This allows you to add some music after the fact and create a longer-length video you can post to YouTube or Vimeo.

Vine Video Highlight Reel of Italy’s Amalfi Coast

I’m lax2nrt on Vine. You can check out my Vines here.

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Exploring Capri’s Blue Grotto (Grotta Azzurra)

Capri’s Blue Grotto is One of the Island’s Most Famous Tourist Attractions

Part of the fun of traveling with a friend is bonding with them while taking in the local sites. Today my friend, Justin, and I hired a water taxi to explore the Blue Grotto also known as Grotta Azzurra.

How can you not want to visit a mysterious natural sea cave described as “Tiberius’ water-filled nymphaeum?” We decided to go first thing in the morning, since you can’t visit if the seas get rough and during our time on the island we’ve noticed the water gets rougher in the afternoon.

After about a 15 minute water taxi ride from the main port in Capri, we knew we were getting close to the entrance based on the number of Japanese tourists groups in the boat traffic jam.

You enter the blue grotto in a row boat lying on your back

We then had to transfer to second boat– this one a row boat– to enter the grotto. We paid €12.50 Euros each to enter and while we waited our turn we noticed the Japanese tourists leaving the grotto were giggling like school girls. I’m a big fan of people watching, and I think it was worth the price of admission alone to just watch the Japanese tourists have so much fun.

Watching the Japanese tour group get into their row boats was like watching passengers flee a sinking ship, but with more giggling.

In addition to the price of admission, you are expected to tip your oarsman.

One you are in the row boat you have to lie on your back to enter the Grotta Azzurra because there is a very low clearance to the cave. That’s why you can’t visit if the seas are rough. you might get a little bit damp, too.

I took these shots with my Canon DSLR once we entered the cave.

I was surprised at the color of the water once we entered the grotto.It was shockingly Tidy Bowl Blue. The color is caused by the minerals on the rocks below being reflected in the light. It was rather fun, kinda drippy and cool.

Row Boats filled with tourists in Capri’s Grotta Azzurra

I loved the tourist’s iPhone in the foreground of this shot. It adds so much character.

Tourists enjoying the boat tour of the Blue Grotto

It took a minute for our eyes to adjust to the the sunlight after emerging from the grotto

Obligatory tourist cliche shot of tourists exploring the Blue Grotto (complete with Devil Eyes). We paid for an oarsman, not a photographer.

The Blue Grotto is definitely worth a visit if the weather allows and you’re visiting Capri. It’s fun to check out and not that time intensive. Sometimes it’s fun to be a silly tourist– especially when jovial Italian oarsmen are involved.

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Chilling Out at the Chic & Relaxed JK Place Capri

The deck is a great place to drink your morning coffee– or just to chillax

I’m currently in Italy where I am spending the week exploring the Amalfi Coast with my friend, Justin.

We’re currently on the island of Capri where we’re staying at the fabulous and chic JK Place Capri. Staying here feels like you’re in a private villa instead of a hotel. There isn’t a formal lobby or reception area– although the place has great staff who will pick you up in the hotel’s signature golf cart the second your ferry arrives from Naples or Positano and drive you the 5 minutes to the hotel.

The hotel’s details make you feel like you’re staying at a chic friend’s place

The island of Capri is small (a little over 4 square miles) and is both chic and charming. The center of town is packed with designer boutiques, souvenir shops and restaurants. Day trippers come in by boat to check out the islands sites, but I’ve very much enjoyed staying here.

Much like the island itself, JK Place Capri is intimate and chic with only 22 rooms and suites.

Laid back elegance is the vibe at the JK Place Capri

The gym is spacious and well equipped for the number of rooms and you feel much less guilty about indulging in the local pasta and vino after having a great workout. I’m really enjoying the hotel’s chic, laid back elegance. The rest of the guests I’ve met are well-traveled and friendly and willing to pass on their favorite tips and picks.

The common areas all have thoughtful details and comfortable seating areas

In addition to the gorgeous bedrooms, the hotel has a huge spa (packed with good smelling Santa Maria Novella products), a restaurant, a library stocked with a fantastic coffee table book edit in multiple languages. The common areas and rooms all have wifi. The patio is expansive and impressive and great place to enjoy the view with your morning cappuccino or a cocktail. The pool is large and there are plenty of pool chairs available.

Fresh Flowers and Art Are everywhere on the property

I’m particularly crazy about the hotel’s library, which is packed with TASCHEN books galore

Classic Rooms at the JK Place Capri start at $701.00.

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Italians Talk With Their Hands

Lorenzo from the amazing JK Place Capri advises us on how to reach the restaurant where we’re having dinner. Shot with Oggl and put into Giffer Pro

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