My Take on the Whole Influencers Trip Thing
Okay, so I got this chance to go on what they called an ‘influencers trip’. Sounded fancy, right? Someone reached out, saw my stuff online, I guess, and invited me. Said it was all expenses paid, just needed to share my experience. Seemed like a sweet deal at first.
Getting ready wasn’t just throwing clothes in a bag. I had to think about camera gear, backup batteries, microphones. Which outfits would look good in photos for their brand? It already felt a bit like work before I even left the house. I packed my usual gear, plus some extra stuff just in case. Had to make sure everything was charged up.
When I got there, the place was nice, no doubt about it. But right away, you could feel the pressure. We weren’t just there to relax. There was a schedule. A very, very tight schedule. Wake up early for ‘golden hour’ shots, specific activities planned back-to-back, designated meal times where, surprise, you were also expected to be ‘on’.
The Actual ‘Work’ Part
This is where it got interesting. Forget just enjoying the view. Every moment felt like it needed to be captured.
- Needed photos with the product.
- Needed videos talking about the experience (and mentioning the sponsors, obviously).
- Had to make it look effortless and amazing, even if you were tired or things went wrong behind the scenes.
I spent more time looking at the scenery through my camera lens than with my own eyes. We’d go somewhere beautiful, and instead of just soaking it in, everyone whipped out their phones and cameras. It was like a content creation frenzy. Click, click, pose, shoot video, change angle, click, click.
Interacting with Others
Meeting the other influencers was… an experience. Some were cool, down-to-earth. Others seemed to be constantly performing, even when the cameras were off. Lots of talk about follower counts, engagement rates, brand deals. It felt less like a group of people enjoying a trip and more like competitors sizing each other up, or maybe colleagues at a weird, picturesque office.
You had to collaborate on some shots, which sometimes felt forced. Like, “Okay, now you guys laugh together by the waterfall!” even if you barely knew each other. Everything was curated. The fun, the friendships, the ‘amazing experience’ – it was all being manufactured for the ‘gram.
What It Felt Like
Honestly? It was exhausting. Way more tiring than a real vacation. The constant need to be ‘on’, to create, to perform, it drains you. You’re always thinking about the next shot, the right caption, the hashtags. Did I get enough content? Is it good enough? Does it fit the brand’s requirements?
Sure, I got some nice photos and free stuff. But the ‘trip’ part felt secondary. It was a job, dressed up as a holiday. You see these amazing photos online from these trips, and they look so carefree. Behind the scenes? It’s often just hard work and careful staging.
Coming back, I had tons of photos and videos to sort through and post. That took days. Was it worth it? I guess. It was an experience, learned a bit about how that world works. But it definitely wasn’t the relaxed, spontaneous adventure it might look like from the outside. It’s a content factory trip, plain and simple.
