Travel Blogging has been around for a while (that's B for Bertie not V for....well I can only think a rude word here) and I absolutely adore reading travel blogs, I literally flick through blogger's tales of carnivals, beaches, infinity pools and crazy hikes on the daily but the world of Travel Vlogging (that's video blogging) is still a relatively new concept.
The world of Youtube itself has just expanded at an astronomical rate over the past 3/4 years with the biggies such as Zoe (Zoella) and Joe (Thatcher Joe) Sugg, Alfie Deyes (Pointless Blog), Marcus Butler, Jim Chapman and Tanya Burr reigning in lucrative book deals, product endorsements, make up lines, fan merch and advertisement payments from Youtube itself equating to millions of pounds every year.
To be honest, I really appreciate what these guys do and I think their business acumen to get to where they are now from merely filming silly videos in their rooms a few years prior is impressive but I can't say that I am overly enthusiastic about shopping haul videos, prank videos, beauty tutorials and challenge videos which the big Youtubers mentioned above seem to produce. These types of videos appeal to a slightly younger demographic than myself, evident in the influx of teeny bopper magazines that are popping up like wildfire over the past year adorned with the faces of the Youtube elite.
Where my interest seems to drift toward in the Youtube sphere is that of the Travel Vlogger. These lucky folk travel the world, film it, edit it and post it...as a job. I have a lot of respect for these Youtubers who (in my opinion) are really committed to making their videos not only interesting but also technically very clever. Those that post everyday step this commitment up another notch as they discipline themselves to edit and post their videos even whilst on the road (often their documented quests for good wi-fi are as interesting as their adventures).
The videos of these travellers interest me for two main reasons; the initial being watching all the exciting things that these guys up to. They can be rock climbing one day, white water rafting the next, scuba diving, surfing or off-roading and I personally find that significantly more interesting than watching a video of someone eating 60+ chicken nuggets or scaring their housemate in the shower.
Secondly, in between the clips of the aforementioned high-octane adventure stuff, I really enjoy watching the 'down' videos as well. Those that post a daily vlog fall under this category as they don't stop filming on those days where they're chilling at their house or hanging with mates. I like to see how they make their money as often their earnings from Youtube advertising is only a small portion of how they make a buck or two. Their Youtube videos act as a kind of CV to gain them extra work with big companies such as GoPro and The Discovery Channel, or with tourist boards who pay for them to visit their town, some Travel Vloggers make merchandise with their logos or catch phrases on them, there are photography gigs, charity excursions, projects such as the Contiki trips, conferences where they're guest speakers, apps that they have created...the possibilities are literally endless. I find it so inspiring to watch how these innovative folk have carved out really successful careers from a phenomenon such as Youtube which is still really in it's infancy.
Anyway...enough rabbiting on from me, have a look for yourself at some of my favourite Travel Vloggers on the links below:
Fun For Louis :
In my opinion, this guy is the absolute champ at the daily Travel Vlogging. He initially gained recognition with his original channel 'Food For Louis' in which he would eat a variety of random yucky things and eventually got himself in a bit of hot water for eating a goldfish whilst it was still alive. Since 2012 however he has branched into less controversial videos by documenting his daily adventures around the globe to a backdrop of jazzy funk songs.
Subscribers: 1,516,181
Ben Brown:
Another daily Travel vlogger and also a pal of Louis Cole, this guy is not only an ex- world champion kayaker, he also takes fanastic photos and makes really clever videos (some people get all the talent). Check out his Visual Vibes series for some really clever camera work.
Subscribers: 389,427
Booker Travels:
This guy is super talented, a keen surfer & skateboarder, well- travelled and he is only 16 years old! Based in New York, Booker seems like a really chilled guy who likes to document places slightly off the beaten track. His series of videos from his trip to Sri Lanka are some of my faves.
Subscribers: 2,085 (seriously, this kid should have wayyyyyyy more subscribers)
Jacks Gap:
Jack Harries launched this channel in 2011 to document his gap year after leaving school. Within a year he had amassed a strong following which almost doubled once his twin Finn joined the project and now there is a dedicated small team working on this channel making it a rather professional operation. Although this takes away some of the DIY ethos of Travel Vlogging, which is it's main appeal for me, their videos are of a really high standard. Although gaining a lot of stick recently with viewers claiming that their videos in 2015 have become 'lazy and pretentious', I really enjoy their '24 hours in...' style videos which, with a self-made head cam in tact, fit the Travel Vlogger style videos that I enjoy the most.
Subscribers: 4,122,105
* I realise that all the vloggers that I've highlighted above all fit into the category of white, straight, male and I would to diversify my subscriptions a lot more going forward.*
 |
| <Image Courtesy of Pinterest- click on image for link> |
To be honest, I really appreciate what these guys do and I think their business acumen to get to where they are now from merely filming silly videos in their rooms a few years prior is impressive but I can't say that I am overly enthusiastic about shopping haul videos, prank videos, beauty tutorials and challenge videos which the big Youtubers mentioned above seem to produce. These types of videos appeal to a slightly younger demographic than myself, evident in the influx of teeny bopper magazines that are popping up like wildfire over the past year adorned with the faces of the Youtube elite.
Where my interest seems to drift toward in the Youtube sphere is that of the Travel Vlogger. These lucky folk travel the world, film it, edit it and post it...as a job. I have a lot of respect for these Youtubers who (in my opinion) are really committed to making their videos not only interesting but also technically very clever. Those that post everyday step this commitment up another notch as they discipline themselves to edit and post their videos even whilst on the road (often their documented quests for good wi-fi are as interesting as their adventures).
The videos of these travellers interest me for two main reasons; the initial being watching all the exciting things that these guys up to. They can be rock climbing one day, white water rafting the next, scuba diving, surfing or off-roading and I personally find that significantly more interesting than watching a video of someone eating 60+ chicken nuggets or scaring their housemate in the shower.
Secondly, in between the clips of the aforementioned high-octane adventure stuff, I really enjoy watching the 'down' videos as well. Those that post a daily vlog fall under this category as they don't stop filming on those days where they're chilling at their house or hanging with mates. I like to see how they make their money as often their earnings from Youtube advertising is only a small portion of how they make a buck or two. Their Youtube videos act as a kind of CV to gain them extra work with big companies such as GoPro and The Discovery Channel, or with tourist boards who pay for them to visit their town, some Travel Vloggers make merchandise with their logos or catch phrases on them, there are photography gigs, charity excursions, projects such as the Contiki trips, conferences where they're guest speakers, apps that they have created...the possibilities are literally endless. I find it so inspiring to watch how these innovative folk have carved out really successful careers from a phenomenon such as Youtube which is still really in it's infancy.
Anyway...enough rabbiting on from me, have a look for yourself at some of my favourite Travel Vloggers on the links below:
Fun For Louis :
In my opinion, this guy is the absolute champ at the daily Travel Vlogging. He initially gained recognition with his original channel 'Food For Louis' in which he would eat a variety of random yucky things and eventually got himself in a bit of hot water for eating a goldfish whilst it was still alive. Since 2012 however he has branched into less controversial videos by documenting his daily adventures around the globe to a backdrop of jazzy funk songs.
Subscribers: 1,516,181
Ben Brown:
Another daily Travel vlogger and also a pal of Louis Cole, this guy is not only an ex- world champion kayaker, he also takes fanastic photos and makes really clever videos (some people get all the talent). Check out his Visual Vibes series for some really clever camera work.
Subscribers: 389,427
Booker Travels:
This guy is super talented, a keen surfer & skateboarder, well- travelled and he is only 16 years old! Based in New York, Booker seems like a really chilled guy who likes to document places slightly off the beaten track. His series of videos from his trip to Sri Lanka are some of my faves.
Subscribers: 2,085 (seriously, this kid should have wayyyyyyy more subscribers)
Jack Harries launched this channel in 2011 to document his gap year after leaving school. Within a year he had amassed a strong following which almost doubled once his twin Finn joined the project and now there is a dedicated small team working on this channel making it a rather professional operation. Although this takes away some of the DIY ethos of Travel Vlogging, which is it's main appeal for me, their videos are of a really high standard. Although gaining a lot of stick recently with viewers claiming that their videos in 2015 have become 'lazy and pretentious', I really enjoy their '24 hours in...' style videos which, with a self-made head cam in tact, fit the Travel Vlogger style videos that I enjoy the most.
Subscribers: 4,122,105
Hello and welcome to This Ruth Is On Fire, a UK blog which is a haven for random thoughts and sarcastic observations.
I'm also into books, clothes and visiting places too.
