Watching the sunrise and moonset within moments of each other is something special. Witnessing this while sipping coffee and floating 100+ miles off the pacific shores of Costa Rica adds a little something extra. No land in sight, only sea and sky.
Oh, and then we hooked up with the first blue marlin of the day. Icing on the cake.
Several months prior to this amazing morning, while working on assignment in the U.S. Virgin Islands, I met a nice gentlemen who owns a real estate company in Costa Rica. We had a great conversation over a common interest, and two weeks later, via Facebook, I received an invitation to come to Costa Rica to record a project for him.
After discussing details about the type of footage they needed and their usage rights, my airline tickets, lodging, and 4×4 vehicle were booked. At no cost to me, with camera in hand, I was going to spend 30 days exploring a beautiful remote community in Costa Rica.
This works because the folks at the real estate company saw the value in having someone with a fresh set of eyes show their audience why their Costa Rican community is so awesome.
It probably sounds too good to be true, but this is what I do now thanks to a little motivation from GEP.
I’ve found the world is full of folks with similar video needs. Some pay really good money for these videos. Others—smaller companies, usually—offer me amazing stays and amenities that I sometimes find more valuable than cash.
Over 30 days, I spent time cheering with locals at village soccer matches, exploring and surfing remote beaches, hiking with howler monkeys, and experiencing the most exhilarating fishing ever.
The blue marlin I told you about…
It was one of 39 we successfully released on a four-day adventure at sea, which included cuisine such as fresh yellowfin tuna ceviche and sleeping under the stars… another opportunity that presented itself thanks to being a videographer.
If you’re looking to start creating videos, here are a few simple steps that have helped me…
• Build a portfolio. Shoot what you love. The quality of your work will shine through when you focus on something you’re passionate about. It can be restaurants and good food… volunteer work around your town… a local festival or community event… even a hobby.
• Pick a location or activity. Once you have a portfolio, think about where you want to go locally, and what types of activities you enjoy doing. Start by creating a visual story of that place using the skills you gained in practice.
• Do your homework. Research folks who need your service and look at what’s already out there on the web in this niche for ideas. Show them your examples of what you can do.
• Use Tom’s program for letters, facts, and figures you can send to these companies, and for specifics on how to take and edit the video clips that sell best.
I’m sharing all this with you, by the way, from my second trip to Costa Rica. When the boat-owner and captain from my first fishing trip saw what I was doing, they immediately invited me to come back for another four-day fishing trip to film for them. All expenses paid, of course.
I accepted. Pura Vida!
[Editor’s Note: Learn more about how you can fund your travels and make an extra income with photography, travel writing, blogging, and more in our free online newsletter The Right Way to Travel. Sign up here today and we’ll send you a new report, Five Fun Ways To Get Paid To Travel: A Quick-Start Guide, completely FREE.]