vacation | At Home with Tech

June 29, 2025

From Static to Cinematic: How I Added More Motion to my Sunrise Videos

A sunrise timelapse video can be amazing. But unless you’re running your timelapse for a couple hours, the sun doesn’t move enough to make a big impact in your shot. (Plus, after 30 minutes, it’s not really a sunrise anymore.) So, our star is only half of the equation to generate a beautiful timelapse.

Clouds are the other half. They’re often moving a bit faster, and when sped up by a timelapse, their motion is far more dramatic. Plus, clouds can help provide the deep, reflective coloring distinctive of any great sunrise.

Sure, clouds are technically the supporting players for this opening act, but they can steal the show when they’re in sync with their star.

Conversely, without properly positioned clouds in your shot, a sunrise timelapse can look… boring.

In Search of the Perfect Timelapse of a Summer Sunrise
For the past few years, I’ve been vacationing in southern Maine by the stunning mud flats in Cape Porpoise. And I’ve woken up at the crack of dawn each morning with the hope of capturing a ‘perfect’ sunrise timelapse.

I use my little DJI Osmo Pocket 3 gimbal camera, which is a great tool for timelapses. You just set it up on a tripod, program the timelapse sequence, and then it does all the work. It can even add a little panning motion.

But the odds of success each morning have not been in my favor.

Stormy Sky
Surprisingly, a stormy cloud mass can make for an interesting sunrise timelapse. But then it’s more about the cloud dance. The sunrise becomes a background player, if you can still see it. This happened during my Sunday timelapse this year.

Blobby Sky
Conversely, too many clouds obscuring Sunday’s sunrise eventually created this milky sky blob.

Barren Sky
My Monday timelapse captured a mostly barren sky and a tiny ball of fire. I felt the few wispy clouds just weren’t enough to fill my digital canvas.

Perfect Sky
As I’ve described, the perfect recipe for a spectacular sunrise timelapse is a good balance of clouds moving about (but not in front of) the rising sun. That finally happened on Thursday.

Anyone will always be at the mercy of the weather. So, if I’m able to capture one great cloud-fused sunrise during a vacation, I feel lucky.

Camera Drone in the Sky
Timelapses add motion through time acceleration. But as I’ve mentioned you need a few clouds to accelerate. If you could add motion to your shot without having to rely on clouds, that could be a better way to get the job done.

Last time, I wrote about my new camera drone, the DJI Flip. And yes, I took with me this year on our vacation to test out.

I discovered that a drone beach shot rushing towards the sunrise can be a game changer. It’s not a timelapse, but the drone’s motion through the landscape instantly creates a cinematic video.

No, the clouds don’t move (if there are any), but it doesn’t matter. The dynamic motion zipping across the mud flats blows away any cloud. My camera drone has instantly taken my multi-year sunrise video project to a whole new level. Look at the visual energy it created for my Friday sunrise.

I’m just a novice camera drone operator, but I couldn’t be happier with this clip.

Next time, I’ll share my journey to this successful shot. And believe me, it wasn’t all sunshine.

A Week of Beautiful Sunrises
You may say that every sunrise is perfect. And you’d be right.

The fact that I got to witness multiple beautiful sunrises on vacation should be my headline.

But I’ve also chosen to spend that time practicing my creative.

I know you can never truly capture nature’s perfection. But a sunrise certainly gives you something amazing to point your camera at.

March 16, 2025

4 Ways to Get the Most Value from your Final Morning on a Cruise

Nearing the end of our cruise on the Independence of the Seas

The last day of any cruise is arguably the worst. Your vacation is over, and now you’ve got to slog back home. That said, here are a few tips to squeeze the last drops of joy from those last hours on board your ship.

There would be no sleeping in on the last morning of our cruise. Indeed, the final day of our Royal Caribbean vacation wasn’t much of a day at all. It lasted a mere few hours. All passengers had to be off the Independence of the Seas by 10am. Breakfast in the Windjammer Café closed down at 8:30.

There was no option for a late check out. It was pretty much…buh-bye.

Or was it?

Here are four ways I was still able to extend the ‘vacation experience’ on that last morning for me and my family.

#1
Show Up for the Grand Finale
This may seem counterintuitive, but I actually woke up earlier than I needed to. Why? I didn’t want to miss the grand finale, which was arguably experiencing my ship’s triumphant return to PortMiami. (I know I’m being dramatic, but that’s how this traveler viewed the end of his glorious voyage.)

Plus, I was able to snap some cool photos! (Even in the pre-dawn dark, my iPhone did just fine capturing the Miami glow.)

#2
Experience the Moment
But the opportunity here is more than just taking photos. Watching my ship’s impressive maneuvering during this final leg of our journey was entirely worthwhile. As the massive Independence of the Seas approached PortMiami at 5:40am, I walked quickly up the stairs to the top deck at the bow to experience the moment.

A stiff wind was blowing. I had passed by a couple industrious joggers, but that was it. It was just me and the boat.

I watched the Independence of the Seas move through the narrow channel, passing by two other docked cruise ships on our port side.
Next, we entered a wider body of water. Then we did a 180-degree turn as easily as if I were on a toy boat.
We then headed back to the Royal Caribbean building on the immense cruise terminal.

As I witnessed this nautical dance by our floating city, I expect most other passengers were still sleeping… or at least unaware of this maneuver (their loss).

#3
Book a Later Shuttle to the Airport and Enjoy Breakfast
We were originally booked to depart our ship on a 7:30am shuttle bus to the airport. I reviewed our shuttle tickets when I received them, and my eyes squinted to confirm what I saw. And then I did the math…

We had a 2:30pm flight out of Miami. There was no need to leave that early. So, I went to the guest services desk on deck 5 and changed our shuttle time to 9:30am.

We hit breakfast in the Windjammer Café at 7:45am and had a leisurely meal till 8:30am, when the buffet officially closed.

But it wasn’t time to leave. No, not yet.

#4
Hang Out on the Pool Deck One Last Time
We planned to join the line to exit the ship at 9:10am for our 9:30 shuttle. And we had forty minutes to burn.

The ship was mostly closed up. We couldn’t return to our room, because we had been instructed to check out by 8am. (The ship’s crew needed to turn things around for its next group of several thousand cruisers.)

So, we walked out onto the empty pool deck and decided to sit down on three inviting lounge chairs. This spot was ordinarily packed with hundreds of people. Now, it was a ghost-town housing a few others with the same clever idea.

No crowds. No noise. Just the sun and the breeze.

It was as if I had rented the entire ship for half an hour. Serenity achieved.
I took it all in and exhaled… ahead of the hustle and bustle for our return trip home.

You Can Do a Lot before 9:30am
Before our vacation, I read lots of advice about how to maximize the first hours of a cruise before you can get into your room. But there isn’t a similar focus on the best exit strategy.

For me, it’s all about taking your time and not cutting corners. Enjoy those last minutes the same as your first hours.

Unless you’re taking an early flight back home, there’s absolutely no need to rush out and miss breakfast.

There’s no prize for being the first off the boat.

Would you rather be at your airport gate earlier than necessary with nowhere to sit… or soak in happiness on your ship’s pool deck in quiet solitude for the better part of an hour?

How was my last morning on the Independence of the Seas?

Perfect.

March 9, 2025

Vacation Tech Tips for your Next Cruise

Here are a few easy ways you can maximize your tech and spend less while taking a cruise.

Everyone likes to kick back on a cruise. It’s a total mindset. During my family’s recent cruise from Miami to Nassau, I especially enjoyed practicing…
my early-morning photography and timelapse skills.

But before you can settle into your groove, you’ll probably want to figure out certain nuts and bolts about life on your ship (especially if it’s your first time).

For me, that included a few questions regarding the tech I was bringing along. I’m sure different cruise lines address these topics a bit differently, but here’s what I discovered during our Royal Caribbean cruise on the Independence of the Seas.

Don’t Buy Separate Wi-Fi Packages for Each Family Member
No, I couldn’t survive without being connected to the world for five days. So, I decided to pay extra for the ship’s Wi-Fi plan. That strategy also covered a few Wi-Fi calls I needed to make along the way. And then I didn’t have to upgrade my AT&T cell phone plan to international coverage when we were in the Bahamas. (I just had to ensure our phones remained in Airplane mode.)

And yes, I ended up purchasing the ship’s Wi-Fi for all three of us. There were a few reasons, including cross-ship calls to our fourteen-year-old son, who would sometimes be doing his own thing.

The most cost-effective way to hook up all three of our iPhones was to buy just one Wi-Fi plan and then pay more to share it with our two additional devices. That strategy cost less than buying three separate Wi-Fi packages for each of our cell phones.

All I had to do is share a passcode with my wife and son via the Royal Caribbean app. And then their phones were instantly connected.

The Royal Caribbean app isn’t clear that all family members can tether to the one multi-device package. I think it’s primarily designed for just one person who may have a cell phone and laptop to connect. (Thus, the name.)

But buying this less-expensive option worked just fine for my family’s three phones.

Less Expensive Choices
Another way to save money is to purchase your Wi-Fi before your cruise begins using the Royal Caribbean app. (There’s a significant discount.) So, it’s best to figure this piece out ahead of time.

And for those who may not choose to pay extra for a Wi-Fi plan, the Royal Caribbean app (which is always connected to the ship’s Wi-Fi for free) offers free texting. So happily, that’s the way to reach your family members on the ship for no additional cost (but remember… it’s for texting only).

Bring Individual Chargers that Power Up Multiple Devices
Power usage is tightly controlled on a cruise ship. Packing plug bars and extension cords to help charge up all your tech in your room is forbidden. Allegedly, it will get confiscated… and then returned at the end of your voyage.

But I didn’t expect our cabin would have only two available plugs to work with. That’s certainly not enough for three people. So, we had to juggle the need to charge up our three iPhones and my Apple Watch (not to mention the battery chargers for my camera gear).

What I would bring instead is a single charger that can power up both my iPhone and Apple Watch simultaneously. (I don’t think that would break any rules.)

For example: Anker MagGo Wireless Charging Station (foldable 3-in-1)

Upload your Photo for your SeaPass card.
When you first board, you receive a ‘SeaPass’ card. It looks like a credit card and acts like one on the ship. It’s also your official ID, which you’ll need to get off and back on the ship during your day trips.

During the pre-cruise online registration process, everyone must upload a photo of themselves for their SeaPass card. And it has to meet certain visual parameters, much like a passport photo.

Originally, I thought my photo would be printed on the card. But it wasn’t. My picture simply popped up on a monitor after my card was scanned at the ship’s security station when I was heading off ship in Nassau and CocoCay. This process ensures you are who you say you are.

So, if you’re worried about uploading a ‘bad’ photo of yourself, don’t worry. The only people who see it are security.

Find the Free Coffee
Cruises are often designed to be an all-in experience with the one-package price. But there are plenty of exceptions and upgrades you can choose to pay for. And it starts with your morning coffee. Sure, you can spend four bucks for a Starbucks Grande, but if you open your eyes and look about, you’ll notice a whole lot of people walking about with ceramic mugs of coffee.

That’s the free coffee!

I didn’t realize that the free coffee station in the deck 5 coffee shop was set up directly to the left of me as I purchased my Starbucks at 6am on the first morning. For the remaining days, I hooked a hard left as I walked in.

(Okay, this is not technically a tech tip, but coffee has always been an honorary topic of discussion throughout my years of blogging.)

Try Not to Overpack
In general, the ‘less-is-more’ rule’ applies to packing for a cruise. Unless you need to handle multiple climates or pack for a more formal evening, a carry-on bag should really be large enough for all your clothes. (A bathing suit and t-shirt/shorts will cover much of your time.)

Of course, there are exceptions. You might spot someone not following the above guidance. He’d be in a sweatshirt, wearing a Havana Hat (made by Sunday Afternoon) and walking about deck 12 at sunrise. He’d have a small camera bag (Peak Design’s ‘Every Day Sling’) hanging off his shoulder, containing:

His GoPro
DJI Osmo Pocket 3
Panasonic Lumix DC-ZS200D mega zoom
and his iPhone in his pocket

Yes… and that would be me.
I still have work to do on the less-is-more packing strategy.

That said, I still had a blast on our cruise.

Category: vacation

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