During my cruise through the Panama Canal, I tried getting some cool time-lapse videos. Sadly, I had people step in front of me, bump me, and once my tripod fell over! Needless to say, it was a complete and utter fail. However, towards the end of the trip, we realized that we could buy a professionally made time-lapse from the photo area.

This day was definitely a “Live and Learn” moment. If I had been better prepared, I would have organized my day differently. Here are the three main things I would have done differently if I had only known.

1 – Ask about an “Official Video”

If I had known to ask ahead of time, I would have inquired if there was going to be a time-lapse video of the canal passage available, I would have planned my day differently. Instead of trying to do my own time-lapses, I would have chosen to take more photos and standard video clips. On the Holland America Volendam, the professional photography crew set up a camera on the center of the bridge and made the stunning time-lapse above.

2 – Wear something distinctive

If I had been aware that this time-lapse was available, I would have worn a more distinctive outfit. A brightly colored shirt, a unique sunhat, or a pretty floral dress would have stood out in the sea of khaki traveler hats. I walked out onto the bow of the ship and even across deck 6 which is right below the camera, and still haven’t been able to spot myself!

3 – Turn and wave

Along with wearing something more eye-catchy, I would have paused for a few minutes, turned up to look at the bridge and waved. Perhaps this sounds like a very cheesy maneuver, but if I take another Panama cruise, you can bet I’ll be turning to face this camera and giving it a big wave and double thumbs up! For a few moments, I was actually in a good position for a wave. You can see from the photo below that I did turn around and look up. However, I didn’t stand there long enough to be visible in the time-lapse video.