Photo By Jill Matyuch

Today’s Photo of the Day is “Convicted Fall” by Jill Matyuch. Location: Mammoth Lakes, California.

Want to get your images in the running for a Photo of the Day feature? Photo of the Day is chosen from various galleries, including Assignments, Galleries and Contests. Assignments have weekly winners that are featured on the website homepage, Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. To get your photos in the running, all you have to do is submit them.

The post Photo Of The Day By Jill Matyuch appeared first on Outdoor Photographer.

Are you planning to take your camera on your next hiking trip? You might not think you need a specific camera strap for hiking. But once you find the perfect hiking strap, you’ll wonder how you lived without it before.

There are different types of camera straps for hiking. We’ll take you through each type of camera strap. And we’ll give you our top recommendations, so you can find the best camera strap for hiking.

Types of Camera Straps for Hiking

There are four types of camera straps you can use for hiking. Each has a unique set of features, giving you different strapping options. There’s no “best camera strap for everyone.”

Photographers have different needs and preferences. Also, cameras have different sizes and weights (try an online camera comparison to see where yours fits on the scale!). Now, we’ll take you through the main types of straps so you can find the one that suits you.

Neck Strap

This is the main type of strap photographers use. It clips onto the rear top corners of your camera and loops around your neck for support. They are common with DSLR cameras. And they’re popular with larger mirrorless cameras.

Your camera is always accessible with a neck strap. That’s one of the positives. But It leaves your camera hanging, which can be annoying when hiking. The strap can also chafe the back of your neck when carrying a heavy camera for long periods.

Sling Strap

A sling strap is also known as a cross-body strap. The main strap rests on your shoulder. And the strap goes down across your chest, looping around the waist on the opposite side. The camera attaches to the strap at the lowest point, resting near your hip.

The sling strap keeps the camera close to your hands, so you’re always at the ready. And the camera is tight to your body, so it doesn’t hang loose.

Wrist Strap

A wrist strap keeps your camera attached to your hand or arm. It keeps your camera secure in your hand. And with no other strapping, you have complete freedom of movement without the risk of dropping it.

They’re great for short periods. But your camera constantly occupies your hand. Many photographers use a wrist strap in combination with neck straps to get the best of both worlds.

Waist Strap

A waist strap works like a hip holster for your camera. It keeps your camera secure while leaving your hands free. The camera sits on your hip for easy access when you want to shoot. Some might find the positioning annoying. But it leaves your hands free for scrambling up steep inclines or opening your water bottle.

Best Camera Straps for Hiking

Before you pack your backpack and put your boots on, here are our top picks for the best camera straps for hiking.

1. Peak Design Slide Lite Strap

Score: 9/10

Pros:

• Soft nylon strap is comfortable and doesn’t chafe
• Versatile strap works as a neck, sling, and shoulder strap
• Excellent value for money

Cons:

• Straps can slide over time, slowly adjusting the length
• Too much excess strap when using it at short lengths

You can’t beat Peak Design camera straps. And their Slide Lite neck strap is the best option for hiking. The build quality is excellent. And it’s a rugged and versatile strap that can handle life in the wild outdoors.

The Slide Lite is a classic neck strap for a DSLR or mirrorless camera. You can wear it around your neck in the traditional style. But it also doubles as a shoulder strap if you find that more comfortable. You can also turn it into a sling strap with the Peak Design anchor links.

This Peak Design neck strap is made of ultra-smooth nylon. It’s soft against your skin, and you can wear it for hours without chafing. The strap has two aluminum adjusters. They’re well-built and allow you to change the strap length quickly. That’s ideal for changing conditions when hiking.

The Peak Design Slide Lite combines quality and versatility. It’ll hold the heaviest of mirrorless cameras. And with neck, sling, and shoulder strap options, it’s the most versatile camera strap on the market. It’s a hiking photographer’s dream camera strap.

2. BlackRapid Sport X Multi-Terrain Sling Strap

Score: 8/10

Pros:

• Good build quality
• Comfortable shoulder strap
• Sturdy carabiner connector

Cons:

• Only for right-handed people
• Tripod plate connector can unscrew itself after long periods
• Hangs upside down

The BlackRapid Sport X is the best sling strap for hiking photographers. It has a functional yet comfortable design. It keeps your camera safe and secure. But it’s never out of reach. It’s a fantastic camera strap for outdoor activities.

The Sport X strap has a 4-inch wide shoulder strap with extra padding. It distributes the weight of your camera more evenly. There’s an underarm stabilizing strap. And the crossbody strap is made of soft nylon webbing. The length is adjustable with sturdy metal buckles.

You attach your hiking camera using a LockStar carabiner. It links onto a hook that screws into the tripod plate. It creates a strong and secure connection. It can hold the heaviest DSLR and mirrorless cameras without issue.

3. Coiro Leather Camera Harness

Score: 7/10

Pros:

• Excellent leather quality with strong metal adornments
• Camera has excellent freedom of movement when attached
• Camera harness can be used by right- and left-handed people

Cons:

• Difficult to adjust the length when you’re wearing it
• Belt buckle system doesn’t always give you the perfect fit

The Coiro chest harness strap is stylish and robust. It’s made of durable leather to handle life on the trail. It looks classy and professional. And it can hold your professional camera.

This is a cross between a sling and a shoulder strap. There’s a crossbody camera strap you can rest on either shoulder. And the shoulder section of the strap is broader and distributes the weight of your camera more evenly.

The crossbody strap is adjustable with metal buckles. It works in the same way as a traditional leather belt. The camera clips onto a smaller strap segment. A mental hoop allows the camera to move freely up and down the crossbody strap. And the camera is secured with mental D-rings that connect to the tripod plate.

4. Peak Design Clutch Hand Strap

Score: 7/10

Pros:

• Well-made and good value
• Padded section is comfortable even when shooting for long periods
• The buckle allows you to adjust the tightness when wearing the strap

Cons:

• Doesn’t work well with Sony full frame cameras
• Removing the strap every time you want to use your hand can be frustrating

The Peak Design hand strap is the best on the market. It’s compatible with all DSLR cameras. And it offers more security than your average camera wrist strap.

The strap itself is made of tough nylon. A large padded section spreads the camera’s weight over the back of your hand. This improves comfort and allows you to shoot for longer. It also has a metal cinch buckle that allows you to adjust tightness quickly. You can also adjust it while you have it on.

The hand strap connects to your camera using an anchor link connection system. You screw the connector into the camera’s tripod plate. Once it’s attached, you have a secure connection. Your hand and camera become one… The Peak Design Clutch hand strap is excellent value for money!

5. Spider Holster (Waist Camera Strap)

Score: 7/10

Pros:

• Width is adjustable for any body shape
• High-quality quick-release buckle
• Your hands are left free when not using the camera

Cons:

• An expensive camera strap
• Only compatible with DSLR or mirrorless cameras (depending on which model you buy)

The Spider Holster is the best camera strap if you want something that keeps your camera secure and your hands free. It isn’t the most affordable camera strap on the list. But many hikers love this type of camera strap.

The Spider Holster wraps around your waist much like a belt. The camera clips on, resting on the side of your hip. The camera is easy to access at short notice. But the strap leaves your hands completely free. That’s why it’s becoming so popular with hikers.

Your DSLR camera attaches to the strap with the meal metal buckles. It’s an anti-twist, triple-lock buckle. Your camera is safe and secure when the camera is attached. But it’s also a quick-release buckle. You can have it off in no time!

The waist strap is one-size-fits-all. You can adjust the belt for any body shape. Plus, the strap loop makes it easy to adjust. It’s the best camera holster on the market. And one of the most popular camera accessories with hikers.

6. Coiro Wrist Strap

Score: 7/10

Pros:

• Beautiful leather camera strap
• Compatible with any type of camera
• Easily adjustable and secure

Cons:

• No lock to maintain the tightness of the strap

You don’t want a weak and wiry wrist strap if you’re hiking in the wilderness. A hiker needs a strong and reliable camera wrist strap. And that’s what the Coiro wrist strap is. It’s perfect for photography on the trail.

The Coiro wrist strap is made with fantastic full-grain leather. The quality is excellent. And they’ve treated it so well. It’s soft and pleasant against your skin. You won’t have any chaffing issues. The mental hoop also makes it easy to adjust.

It’s the perfect option for point-and-shoot cameras. But it’s also strong enough for a crop-sensor DSLR or mirrorless camera. You attach the camera and strap with the lanyard hoop, so you have no compatibility issues. It’s the best camera wrist strap for hiking photographers.

7. Altura Shoulder Camera Strap

Score: 6/10

Pros:

• Easily adjustable and comfortable for long periods
• Secure camera clip
• Excellent price

Cons:

• Made of cheaper materials
• Not the most stylish camera strap
• Not compatible with mirrorless cameras

You won’t find better value for money than the Altura shoulder camera strap. It’s comfortable and functional. And it’s one of the most affordable camera straps on the market.

It doesn’t have the soft nylon or leather of the other straps. But the neoprene material is lightweight and strong. The padded shoulder strap provides comfort when you’re carrying a heavy camera.

It’s large, so it doesn’t slip off your shoulder. And the straps are fully adjustable, so you achieve the perfect fit.

You connect the camera to the strap using the metal plate. It’s strong and holds your camera, allowing you to have your hands free. But your camera is in position when you need it.

It’s compatible with all Nikon and Canon DSLRs. And it’s strong enough to hold full frame models. This isn’t a flashy camera strap. But it does what you want it to. It isn’t the most stylish camera strap. But it scores high for functionality and affordability. It’s one of the best camera straps for hikers on a budget.

8. JJC Camera Neck Strap

Score: 6/10

Pros:

• Made of durable and comfortable material
• Two strap clips to easily attach and detach
• Handy pockets on the neck strap

Cons:

• Buckles and clips are plastic, not metal
• Rings are difficult to attach to the camera eyelets

Some camera straps can be overcomplicated. But the JJC camera neck strap is the perfect blend of function and form. It’s simple and stylish. It’s also robust enough for the most intrepid hiking photographer.

The main neck strap is made of neoprene. It’s soft and comfortable against your skin. You can hike with your camera for hours without chafing or irritation. It’s also a durable material, keeping your camera safe in tough conditions.

The thinner sections of the camera strap connect to the camera using the eyelets. And the thicker section of the strap clips on with the quick-release buckles.

It only takes a second to attach or detach your camera. So it’s a quick solution if the neck strap tangles with your backpack strap.

The zip pockets are unique features of the JJC neck strap. They are only small pockets. But there’s one on either side of the neck strap. And they’re ideal for storing camera accessories.

9. Altura Camera Hand Strap

Score: 6/10

Pros:

• Adjustable to any hand size
• Additional wrist strap for extra support

Cons:

• Wrist strap can chafe when held tight

The best camera straps give you security and comfort. And that’s what you get from the Altura camera hand strap. It’s far more secure than most wrist straps. But it’s comfortable and easy to wear for long periods. It’s perfect for hiking photographers.

The strap’s main section connects to the camera’s top and bottom, looping over the back of your hand. There’s a padded section for your hand that spreads the weight for more comfort. And there’s a wrist strap for extra support.

Each section is adjustable for tightness. It allows you to get the perfect fit. And that means you can adjust it to fit any hand size. It’s also compatible with mirrorless and DSLR cameras. It’s an affordable and robust hand strap for hikers.

Conclusion

Finding the best camera strap for hiking is just as important as finding the best boots or backpack. You want it to function well. You don’t want your camera getting damaged. And you don’t want anything that puts yourself at risk.

Every camera strap on this list can handle life on the mountainside. You just need to select the type of strap you prefer. You might prefer neck or shoulder straps. Or you might prefer the control of a hand strap. But whichever you go for, it’s time to strap up and set off on your next hiking adventure!

Click here to learn about hiking cameras

Video marketing has increased in use over the years for engagement and immersive marketing. Today, 94% of marketers use video to increase their understanding of a product or service, and 86% of marketers believe video marketing has helped them generate more leads. It’s a good thing that numerous social media platforms like TikTok, Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube continue to allow the use of video in marketing.

With the right video marketing strategy on social media, you can gain brand awareness, establish authority, increase traffic, and generate quality leads. This post highlights nine important tips for creating social media marketing videos.

The Importance of Video in Social Media Marketing

Video content is becoming a bigger part of social media and the in-app experience. Whether it’s TikTok, Reels, or live streaming services, video content is now everywhere on social media. Social platforms continue to adopt video and stories, expand live stream capabilities and create different versions of DIY short-form videos.

Today, the average person spends around 16 hours per week watching videos online. This person could be anyone’s target audience, as 86% of advertisers use videos in their social media marketing efforts. This is why most people today prefer watching videos to reading content due to reducing attention spans. Capturing that audience’s attention pays off well.

• Up to 84% of consumers report having been convinced by a brand’s video to buy a product or service.
• 93% of brands report that they’ve acquired a new customer from their video content on social media.

Interestingly, thanks to technology, the longer an individual engages (views) a piece of video content, the more algorithms boost it to reach a wider audience. Your video will reach more people just by one person watching it.

This is why Instagram reels (and now Facebook videos) generate more engagement than other content types. Tweets with video get 10 times more engagement. Including video content in your social media posts is key to creating a deeper, more engaging connection with your audience.

Types of Social Media Video Content

In content and social media marketing strategy, selecting the right channel to create and publish your content is important. However, the content won’t get the impact it should if it’s not for the right channel. Every social media channel has a particular type of audience that relates to a given content. This dictates the potential customers your video will reach.

You need to create video content that’s meaningful to people who are already your fans and those who can potentially be your customers. You must create and share the right video through the right channel. There are four types of video content you can create for social media:

Short-form videos

Technology has enabled people to produce DIY, short-form videos of anywhere between five seconds to one minute, some extending to four or five minutes. These videos are popular on TikTok and Instagram Reels but are also available on Twitter and Facebook. Most short-form videos are typically under 10 minutes and replay automatically, making them fit for explainer videos or tutorials.

Stories

Social media platforms introduced Stories as short-form videos that disappear after 24 hours. Each social media platform has its own version of stories. Stories started on Snapchat, then went to Facebook, Instagram, WhatsApp, Twitter, and LinkedIn, though some of these were later removed. They’re great content for driving interactive audience engagement with features like questions and polls.

Long-form videos

Long-form video content often runs for 10 minutes or more. Videos of this nature aren’t common on social media, which demands short videos. However they’re great content for longer explainers, storytelling, short films, online courses, webinars, Q&A sessions and more. They can also be shared across Instagram via IGTV, YouTube, LinkedIn, and Facebook.

Live streams

Live streams are real-time, unedited videos streamed on social media handles. It requires thorough preparation because mishaps cannot be edited out. Most social media platforms have their own versions of live streams with key ones on TikTok, Facebook, YouTube, Instagram and LinkedIn.

Social Media Video Marketing Tips to Generate Engagement

Use the below tips to create engaging social media video marketing content, and evolve as you grow.

Identify Your Video Marketing Audience

The rule for every social media marketing strategy (and general marketing) is to identify and know your audience. Begin your video marketing by understanding and organizing your audience so that you send the right message to the right people. The details about who your video audience is should be based on your current audience data and additional market research. To identify your video marketing target audience, you can do the following:

• Compile data: To reach your video content target market, you must first know what they’re like, and where they spend most of their time to market to them effectively. Knowing your audience includes knowing their age, location, profession, and engagement patterns. You can use CRM software to collect and use this information.
• Use particular social media analytics: Most social media platforms, like Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn, have built-in analytics. You can use these analytics to know about your audience/followers, including what they post, when, where, content length, and their other interests. The advantage of these built-in tools is that they are free to use, if you’re using a business account. They should be your first step in analytics.
• Check your competition: As a business, you already know it’s important to understand your competition for insights into your audience. Look at how your competitors are engaging the audience and what they’re doing wrong, then fill in the gaps in video content strategy. Knowing your competitors and their actions is also a great way to try and position yourself above them and reach the audience before they do.

With information about your target audience, keep your video content in line with their needs and interests. Keep up with this through social listening to ensure you understand and cater to their wants and needs.

Set a Video Marketing Goal

In marketing, as in life, defining a goal can help you go a long away.

Define your video marketing goal in tandem with your audience’s wants and needs. There are three main goals of marketing:

• Acquiring new customers (capture attention)
• Retaining existing customers
• Converting prospects into customers

Your video marketing strategy should be clear about which goals you want to achieve: create awareness, educate customers, create a conversation, or create brand loyalty. Setting your video marketing goals will help you create compelling calls to action for your audience. The goals should be SMART (simple, achievable, measurable, relatable/relevant, and timely).

While video marketing on social media has many moving parts, SMART goals will give you a key starting point and help track your engagement levels and results.

Settle On Your Social Media Platforms

Armed with the information about your target video marketing audience and goals for that effort, identify where you want to publish the videos. Will you post the video on Instagram, TikTok, Twitter, LinkedIn or Facebook?

Before settling on a platform, identify the video format and length you want to use and how the audience consumes it. Different platforms have different video formats and accept different video lengths.

You won’t get any engagement if the video doesn’t resonate with your audience or if it’s too long for their immediate consumption. Don’t forget that your competitors are also producing video content for the same audience, and you must stand out.

Focus On the Story and Conversation

Video marketing is part of content marketing, which entails storytelling and conversation. For your video content to be effective and give your audience a lasting impression, it needs to be conversational. Start by writing a script, even for the shortest videos. What do you want to deliver?

Every video must have a script. This will help you lay out the video plan and you’ll save time in the shooting or production. Your video script should start with a strong hook line, or the viewer will find more interesting content elsewhere.

Remember that videos that drive sales with no engagement or attachment to the audience often perform poorly or fail. The conversation script should touch on the audience and how you seek to help them solve their issue. Every marketing content must sell a solution to the customer.

Plan and Review Your Production

Save time and video production cost by planning and reviewing your video before publishing. This includes allocating your resources effectively. You need to use targeted keywords, data, and information to reach your audience. You also need branding expertise, video production, graphic design, and organizational skills.

If you can, hiring a video production agency can alleviate your stress if you’ve never done it before. They’ll have the expertise and knowledge of video production to handle planning, production, and approvals before you publish a video. This also includes scripting, checking, music copyright, and publishing.

If your budget can’t support an agency, a one-off social media manager can help you. You can also use an ad platform to boost brand awareness and outreach.

Personalize Videos for Different Platforms

Your videos need to align with the platform’s needs, audience, and architecture for better results. This means you will create two or more different versions of a given video on different platforms. For example:

• Facebook and Instagram have higher audiences and offer quality video streaming
• TikTok has a higher number of video audiences
• Instagram supports more creative short videos and other visually compelling posts
• LinkedIn is for professionals
• Twitter accepts short, real-time, informative videos for greater intellectual engagement.
• YouTube supports longer informational and entertaining video content.

Knowing these key features will guide your video marketing planning and production for effective outreach. Producing different versions of your video based on the platform will increase your engagement rates.

Depending on your social media marketing strategy, you’ll soon realize that you don’t have to be on all platforms. You won’t need to publish videos on YouTube if your audience is primarily on Twitter or Facebook.

Personalize Video Engagement by Showing Your Face to the Audience

Showing your face in your video marketing content is a major growth tip. Your face helps create trust with your viewers, and it encourages them to create more engagement through likes, comments, views, and shares.

As humans, knowing that they’re engaging with another human being is enough to improve their attention to your message and encourage them to buy from you. In addition, showing your face can help you create a solid brand that resonates with your audience.

Include a Call-to-Action At the End of the Video

Your video marketing cannot be complete or effective without a solid CTA (call-to-action). Your viewer needs to know what next? This will depend on your initial marketing plan and goal. Use a CTA that asserts your video marketing objective, and ensure it’s easy for the customer to understand and perform it.

Examples of CTAs include: Book a demo, subscribe for more content, visit our website, buy now at a discount, download gated content, and more. Just like the introduction of your content, the CTA must also be attention-grabbing. Don’t confuse viewers then lead them to miss a step.

To encourage the customer to act on the CTA, you can use motion design, animation, and bright colors to highlight the CTA. It is important to use CTA to capture the viewer’s attention and encourage them to act.

Distribute, Redistribute, and Promote Your Video

Video marketing doesn’t end at publishing. Once you publish, you need to distribute it to your communities, groups, and other networks you have on a platform. Distribution helps in the video’s outreach and increases its engagement rates. You also need to re-distribute and promote the video as much as possible on different days and timelines to give it maximum reach. Customers may not remember a video they saw one month ago, but if it is interesting, they’ll watch it again. The more the distribution and outreach, the more engagement with the video.

Conclusion

Video marketing should address your three main goals of marketing, educate prospects, capture attention, and convert. To achieve this, you need to plan the process, identify your distribution platform and personalize your video to meet the audience. Above all, distribute and redistribute the video content for maximum outreach and engagement.

Click the following link to learn how to promote a photography page on Instagram Stories.