Raw & Unfiltered: Camino Diaries (intro)

[@fposhaughnessy]

These movies are just getting deeper and deeper. I've enjoyed this maturing of style and substance.

[@storiestellr]

thank you! I love to hear that… keep watching in sequence, it’s quite the journey 😨

[@annetcell-ly4571]

Being the eyes for those who will never see the Camino , recording moments for yourself for later when you’re unable to do it are gifts to others and a gift to your future self.

[@storiestellr]

thank you! that a great way to look at it 😀🌟

[@danielle3988]

Sometimes the best of us is felt and seen when we come out of our comfort zones. I think you are being creative by being in the moment. Buen camino. I look forward to seeing you again (for the 3rd time) on this new adventure.

[@storiestellr]

thanks Danielle! and thanks for being a loyal watcher of my videos ☀️ stay tuned!

[@JohnRogersWalks]

sounds great - can't wait to follow your journey

[@storiestellr]

stay tuned 😎

[@stephi3348]

Hey Gerrit, a raw and honest commentary is something to be applauded. Go with the flow, it is your journey and i am certain it will be just as unique as your other two videos. Looking forward to it 👏🌸

[@storiestellr]

with the flow i’ll go! ☀️ thanks stephi, stay tuned 😄

[@AnchoredinStrength]

This is very nice. I have been thinking doing Camino de Santiago for a while, so I am glad to come across your channel and seeing what your experience has been like. Keep up the lovely work and all the best on your journeys.

[@storiestellr]

thanks so much! 😊 you’ll see that once it starts calling you, the draw will only increase… and you’ll end up walking it. is that good..

[@scotbotvideos]

Looking forward to this.

[@JackMecham-o1l]

I love this hardback journal of yours. I journal but it's not very creative, haha. It's beautiful and would love to create one of these now! So nice to revisit this video of yours about the camino...be in touch soon. So many good thoughts about that trip and you and our friends... --Jack

[@storiestellr]

Hi Jack, how are ya? Thanks, good to hear... yes a hell of a trip it's been, right?

[@ambulowan]

Do i remember it correctly that you said you were done with the Camino in the 2nd Camino Series? I just realized these are live blogs as i thought it would be re-used material from the past caminos and made new. Do you thing you are in some way chasing something you felt the first time?

[@storiestellr]

it’s funny you’re asking (and thank you for the good question): for whatever reason this Camino is more what I imagined the first one would be like. It turned out the first two were these intensely social affairs - much as this one isn’t. I quite enjoying my own company, and have the occasional social interactions sprinkled in - still plenty of them to go around. and yes I edit the videos after the walk and in the evening (on an iphone). It’s kinda crazy and I don’t know why I’m doing it, but hey ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ thanks for continuing to watch!

[@Cantairi]

A really interesting approach. I don’t think one can document the Camino. As a documentary photographer I feel images alone can’t capture the experience. However, a reflective video diary is a great idea and I am looking forward to hearing about your transformation, disappointments (part of the Camino too), insights, inspiration and interactions😊… I think you are correct not to over produce it -just let your voice come through. I am looking forward to the journey. I am heading back for my 6th Camino in June. Buen Camino.

[@storiestellr]

Hi there, Tony! Thanks so much for your thoughtful comment on my video. I really appreciate your own perspective as a documentary photographer - you're right that images alone can't fully capture the experience of walking the Camino. It's such a deeply personal journey that in so many subtle ways. I’ll give it a shot with the video diary - but even that can’t come close. and yes, the disappointments, too - It's all part of the Camino experience. That's amazing that you're heading back for your 6th Camino in June! I can only imagine how that must feel each time. something must keeps drawing you back… Wishing you a wonderful 6th Camino Buen Camino to you as well! Thanks again for your encouragement and support.

[@Cantairi]

@@storiestellr it feels like ‘home’.

[@storiestellr]

…totally… - it’s the Happy Place

[@KaterOnBike]

Looking forward to your new project. Sounds truly interesting what you‘re planning to do. Hope you‘ll find the time to „edit“ and post your videos while being on the trail … a Camino can be a full-time occupation in itself. So, don‘t feel forced, show us you diary entries when you can. 😊

[@storiestellr]

yeah i’ll find it soon enough… above all, i want to enjoy the camino - but part of it is trying to translate it trough words & pictures. but we’ll see - it might not work out as intended..

[@bertenclaeys20]

Hi Gerrit, I've just finished watching the full version of your first Camino-film. Just like with the second Camino-film which I only watched a couple of days ago (having the flue also has its advantages), I loved this very long version in one go. Again it gave me the opportunity to go along on the whole adventure. Without the background music and with the 'metronomical' footsteps as a never ending accompaniement, the walking-scenes are often very intense and reminded me of some of the better Danish 'Dogma 95' movies. What i like above all in both films, is your Tati-esk way of using images and sounds in a very humorous way. Also your very funny, dry humor in your comments on and off screen, make the length of the films absolutely no problem for keeping your audience (me) interested. If you consider now making a third attempt of capturing the Camino Francès, I would dare to give you some considerations. The way you work with images and sound is very professional and hardly improvable (of course experiments are always exciting). But as a person dealing with Opera on a daily basis, I would suggest trying to work more on the way your personages develop, including yourself. Of course you are making a documentary and not a movie, but there is still the possibility of giving the audience more insight in what is going on in the inside of every one doing this pilgrimage. Maybe not as much the 'Why?' of this undertaking as more as the 'what happens to me? Which emotions take place while for example conquering the Meseta? How does this trip changes me inside? What's the difference between this walk as a hike or as a pilgrimage? It is something that I missed in your two films you made till now. I don't think one should be considered a stalker or a voyeur to be interested in what goes on on the inside of a person on such a spiritual 'tour de force'. In many ways I think that is even the essence of doing the Camino in the end. And of course the nature, good companions, good food and wine, good accommodation. It all helps to make it an unforgettable and even 'süchtigmachende' life experience. As I wrote before, I still have to do my first Camino, but this is for sure one of the (if not the main) reasons why I want to do it. I want to thank you once again for the great work you're doing and to let us be part of it. I enjoyed every minute of your films and I will for sure do the same with your upcoming project. What ever I wrote : do your thing and don't take my suggestion as a critique. Your artisitic view, creativity and, above all, humor will make whatever you do very cool and inspiring. Keep up the great work, ...as you do!

[@storiestellr]

… this is the kind of excellent feedback that I love. I think you asking for exactly the right things - Because those were more or less the kind of things i had in the back of my head is wanting to focus more on during my next Camino. suggestions gave me a great framework to hone in further on those ideas. I’m really glad you wrote this, because it gives me material inspiration to work with. I would lie if I said I wasn’t flattered by your kind comparisons to Tati and Dogme 😜😇 Incidentally, and for whatever reason, my focus is shifting to audio a lot. which is why I am taking a recorder and a few small microphones with me. Let’s see that I put them to good use! It will probably take a bit to get at what I want to be doing - But exploring these things is where the fun is!

[@Caminohacks]

I don’t think you’re silly trying this new way, you’re coming out of your comfort zone to make something more immediate and raw. I’m looking forward to seeing what you create each day. It’s a big task to film each and everyday and be looking for good shots and angles of things, maybe this way will create something more spontaneous and looser. Can’t wait to see it

[@storiestellr]

hey Dan, I’ll try and find out 😝 and while I doubt i’ll be able to do a video every day, I’m curious what the cadence will be. one way or another, it’ll be interesting.

[@Caminohacks]

@@storiestellr Hopefully you find a rhythm, both walking and creating, that suits you. When do you leave? I'm looking forward to seeing what you come up with. It's great to see you testing yourself as a creator and artist.

[@blakesmith257]

I don't think you're silly to try this project. I'm a new fan of you and your videos. Basically you're an artist and sharing your Camino experience is your art. I'm going to watch and enjoy anything you decide to share. Of course there's a trial and error facet to the whole process. I mention that because I don't think you need to worry about making perfect videos or the best videos. You've already achieved a real skill so now you just need to continue sharing your art.

[@storiestellr]

hi Blake, thank you for the encouragement and your kind commentary 🤩 your described it really well, i have to say - thanks for that. so far, so good - the ones i’ve made so far are far from perfect from a production point of view - but they’re honest. editing them in the evening after the arduous walk is quite an ask, but I don’t think I have a choice anyway 😁 check them out & let me know what you think!

[@blakesmith257]

@@storiestellr I will check them out and comment each time I watch one. I like this quote, "Do you best and then the hell with it." I think that's important for what you're doing. From my perspective, as a viewer, I'd prefer you put up more total content as opposed to a smaller amount of perfectly polished content. You only have so many minutes in a day and It's preferable, for me, that you experience things as opposed to 70% experience and 30% editing.

[@storiestellr]

@blakesmith257 good point! i’ll keep that in mind. the amount of work for every video is kind of mind-boggling, but maybe i just have to lower my own requirements. there’s a lot to be said for cheap ‘n cheerful (see Roger Corman, to name one but many examples)

[@blakesmith257]

@@storiestellr i can imagine that your editing is a huge task. I've heard content creators spend so much time editing. Then they hire someone for editing over time. I'm sure you find the sweet spot of how much editing is right for you. It'd be interesting to see how a future Camino video of yours would be with almost no editing. You'd know this going in so you'd only record when it seemed worthy. I could definitely watch a lot more minutes of the on trail stuff. The dirt trail, the cows standing in the field, the dense green trees, etc etc. it's just an idea though. Your videos are perfect so I'm simply making a comment to support. I do think you have the right amount of food stuff. I love seeing each meal, but there's no reason to leave the camera on a sad croissant for five minutes.

[@dr.ksievert-fischer4629]

PETER BEARD! good idea to "follow" that Genius!

[@storiestellr]

indeed! :)

[@brucemurphy9065]

What's silly? Existentialist philosophers like Kierkegaard, Sartre and Camus grappled with the absurdity of human existence. Therefore, I find silliness to be essential! Enough with the big names, whatever happens, you say, will be fine. No chance of failing, only to be happy and feeling great. Perfect scenario. Out of your comfort zone, where you feel alive, like someone doing his first Camino, or his third, or his 12th. Living intensely in the moment - the now, as you say - but somewhat differently compared to the first two. Like the others, I'm looking forward to see how all this will pan out.

[@storiestellr]

you’re right - it is actually all about the moment, and not some delayed gratification 🤗 - add some silliness, and boom! 💥 see ya there!

[@3scottiedogs]

Enjoy your walk…..

[@storiestellr]

thanks! 😊

[@gunwoman93]

Sounds interesting! When do you start? Are you going to upload a video every day from the Camino directly?

[@storiestellr]

I’m taking the train to Saint-Jean-Pied-de-Port on thursday - daily would probably be stretching it, but i’ll find out what kind of cadence works

[@sarkafafilkova235]

solo I going to order me... it Im a stayed 😮

[@sarkafafilkova235]

it if a go to a start..

[@storiestellr]

it's a good start :)

[@jJ-pq4tk]

I have the answer to my question. Thanks

[@storiestellr]

ideally, that’s what we say once we reach Santiago de Compostela 🤪😂 - but you know the drill…

[@dwainstromquist9116]

I walked May-June 2023 and I'am 2 weeks away from walking May-June 2024. I said to my friends, I guess I didn't punish my body enough last year so I'll walk it again. I don't know why a person comes back to walk it again but many do and I can't wait to get back on the trail.

[@storiestellr]

haha it’s weird, isn’t it? just..why? and yet, we must… buen Camino!

[@sarkafafilkova235]

Hey Gerret..now here is a rain and I was to time ,, inteligent for a relax this is me rest... ,, and sening it on the me... but memory a going to dale... and if this no much... you Diares ..is it to apreciating...( for much peoples.. ) me take. Is it to a shuffled... moments me why beend Ebigeale or take ( second women ) Ebony. But no called to you...a what they are with a looked... power rains and in memory with ,, MEMORY WHAT A MEN ,, ... what I with a questing...on the a one : ,, I was rewiewing way ?.. ,, and answer to me is a rain... ( it solo with the tshirts and shoes or trip jeans and etc.).... ,, yes of course if a I understanding : no go... !..but where it him ?!.. on the a how ways me testament to this way looked ??????????!!!!!!! ,, it no knowing .. ,, ..but is a perfect you time to this investing for populations peoples... why were a problems in live... ,, me ?... me it a helping !... and from it a greatest thank you !. B.

[@storiestellr]

thank you sarka!

[@sarkafafilkova235]

no waiting a answer but this moment ... all and you take maetbe with easy english..a talking..: i no were Im doesd it...and solo going to order me now...and take in futures...take in thinks : how is phones and tablets or take Pda .and dale.. it if no beend a doesd and now ?... why now a doing to with a clips...looking...and looking like on this clip in youtube...yes it is acctive be in a this moment😅.. and knowed it.. (,, why you are with a talked to this morning ?.. no beend doesd)... ,, but on the a way is if with a looking. See you Gerret.

[@storiestellr]

yes I shot these on iphone