Is that a camera on your head?

It’s highly unlikely that wearing the Head Strap lands you on the cover of GQ or Vogue, yet it does provide the ultimate perspective for a POV shot. Thanks to the camera being so close to your eye line every time you turn, pivot, or tilt, the viewer can feel what you feel and see what you see. So, while resembling something between a spelunker and a walking bipod, you can capture each situation with a compelling perspective, as shown in Figure 6-1.

Here are few tips for doing it as gracefully as possible:

• Walk at a steady pace: Even, level strides lead to smooth, professional looking capture, while the not-so-even ones scream to the viewer that you have a camera stuck to your head.
• Fit it comfortably: The Head Strap is adjustable, so the better it fits, the better your chances for stable video, not to mention also keeping it from falling off your head. (Taking the time necessary to fit the attachment comfortably is of particular importance if it is to be worn over extended periods of time.)
• Limit jarring moves: While we’re used to moving our heads rapidly at times, it doesn’t always translate to video, unless of course the goal was to make people queasy. Instead, pretend you’re in slow motion and make slow, deliberate motions as you change camera perspective.

Wearing the camera in a crowd

When it comes to using a camera in close quarters, GoPro seems perfect for shooting in a New York City apartment. Because it offers the perfect combination of diminutive size, ultra-wide-angle lens, and fashionable wearability — all right, maybe fashionable is a stretch — GoPro is the perfect camera for capturing subjective perspective on the move as you navigate through a sea of humans. Standing in lines, meandering through a crowd, or Walking on a busy city street can all produce impressive imagery when wearing your GoPro camera on the Head Strap, Chesty, or using the Strap.

Here’s some advice when wearing the camera around a lot of people:

• Use the app to monitor: While personal perspective is charming, accurate composition is sublime. That comes from using the screen as an aid to effectively navigate the shoot, control settings, and adjust the angle of view.
• Watch your step: Since it’s unlikely you’d want to trip over a curb, bump into someone, or have a pedestrian collision, it’s important to be careful when you’re capturing a scene in the middle of a crowd. So, walk carefully, and keep an eye on where you’re going when watching the monitor.
• Keep a safe distance: Not just because you want to avoid contact with other humans, but also because being too close to the subject can affect focus, and not in a good way.
• Chest or head: Sometimes you get the orchestra, and other times, you get the balcony. You know, top and bottom. Wearing a GoPro on your head or chest is the same way. Each has its own charm with a specific purpose. Wearing the camera on your head lends itself nicely to those point-of-view shots with twists, turns, and peeking inside places. Wearing a GoPro on your chest is more stable and better for linear walks through a crowd. One problem, though, is that it points slightly downward.

Capturing life behind the scenes

Sometimes working the crowd relies less on walking the line and more about making the viewer feel privy to something that seemed off-limits. Take them on a walk-thru of a house you’re looking to sell, backstage at a rock concert, or on the field for the festivities of a sporting event (see Figure 6-2). All these situations come to life when you depict them from your point-of-view. It makes the audience feel like they’re walking through the scene.

Consider the following:

• Be deliberate: Move slowly through the scene so that the viewer can absorb the action. If you’re shooting a real estate video, walk slowly so that the viewer can see the key features of the dwelling.
• Get up close and personal: Walk closer to the more interesting parts of the scene, and stay on them to help the viewer know those parts are important. For example, if you’re backstage at a concert, meandering through the circus atmosphere before the show can make an interesting scene. You can watch the guitarist tune up, watch the band play before an empty venue at a sound check, or record the drummer gorging at craft services.

Not everyone has access to all situations, yet there’s always something that you can shoot. Here are a few places you can try:

• Construction sites
• Real estate viewings
• Sporting events
• Amusement parks
• Museums and galleries
• Family picnics

Strapping the camera on a limb

The Strap is the newest wearable mounting accessor that fits over any of your appendages. Wear it on an arm or leg so that you can capture uniquely immersive POV footage, capturing the scene, literally hands-free. This comes in handy, no pun intended, for situations that demand the attention of your hands, like riding a horse, swimming underwater, snowboarding, and other activities. The mount is fully adjustable with a 360 degrees rotation and tilt for maximum control.

Exaggerate the ride experience

Like the fresh taste of a piece of bubble gum, the average roller coaster ride lasts around two minutes. And while you always wish both lasted longer, it’s doubtful your audience feels the same way about your footage. Perhaps the axiom, less is more, acts more like the rule when it comes to how much you show the viewer. Shoot the entire experience, but just show a sliver of the action in the movie.

Here are some suggestions:

• Time-Lapse: Even the most moderate interval setting for a time-lapse can make the action appear 15 times faster than normal. That 40-mph ride can appear as if it’s moving at 600 miles per hour, rendering it like hyper-drive.
• Slow Motion: What is more ironic than reducing the super-fast activity of a ride moving 40 miles per hour to one that creeps at a snail’s pace. When using this mode, you want to shoot at the highest possible frame rate. And if you shoot at 720p, you can use a frame rate of 240 fps.
• Play in reverse: While you can’t do it while shooting, it’s certainly possible during playback. It makes for a fun viewing experience when you capture someone diving into the pool head first to coming out of the water feet first to the diving board. Or a busy street scene filled with pedestrians walking backwards.

Mastering each attraction with the right panache

Common sense dictates that your approach to capturing the thrill of a heart-stopping ride is not the same as shooting something more graceful. Rollercoasters and carousels are as distinctly different as oil and vinegar, and so are the techniques for effectively capturing them. Both collectively make your movie interesting, yet are completely different in every way, so each requires a different approach for capture.

Having fun on the roller coaster

When it comes to shooting a roller coaster, GoPro lets you relive the oohs and ahs of the deep drops, sharp turns, and your own falsetto screams. Capturing those brief moments are as simple as wearing the camera on the ride and pressing record to recreate a subjective perspective of the thrill. Sitting in the front of the ride provides an unobstructed view, as seen in Figure 6-4, but that’s not to say you can’t get great footage from the middle or even the rear.

Let’s look at the different kinds of shots.

• POV: Show the ride as you see it by wearing the camera on your chest or mount it close to your own perspective using a Head Strap, Chesty, or the Strap. (Use it on your arm, wrist, or leg.) You can show a subjective view, people raising arms in front of you, or looking upwards.
• Selfie: Turn the camera around and allow the viewer to read the action from your expression, including the shrieks and screams.
• Working the angles: Just because you’re not on the ride doesn’t mean you should put the camera away. Capturing the ride as a bystander lets you create an objective wide shot that works out for editing. The wide, medium, close-up approach for shot sequence works well, especially when the goal is editing a cohesive package.

When on the rides, there are some other issues to consider:

• Being careful: Unfortunately, it’s not always safe to bring your camera on a roller coaster or even always allowed by officials, so you must proceed with caution. If you can bring the camera on the ride, be sure it’s firmly mounted and does not fly away. You can lose it, break it, or worse, hurt someone.
• Abrupt movement: The rides move very fast and sometimes come to a screeching halt. Literally, you’ve heard that sound before. So, make sure the camera is secure or it can be knocked out of your hand. If that happens, losing the camera is not the worst thing that can happen; you can hurt someone, too.
• Privacy issues: I’m going to go out on a limb here, but most people don’t like being part of a movie they were not asked to be in. That goes double when they’re at their most visually vulnerable, replete with bad hair and angry scowl. It’s better to record people that you know — friends and family — to avoid any issues. Of course, you can always ask for contact information and get permission too.
• Shoot at a higher frame rate: Shooting in 1080p with a frame rate of at least 60 fps will help assure the action is crisp.

Shooting water rides

Whether sliding down on a raft, a log-like Flintstones car, or with your own body, water rides are like rollercoasters under really wet conditions. Capture your point of view as you’re screaming joyfully — or panicky — all the way down. It’s pretty much the same idea as shooting on a roller coaster, with one caveat: the water part. Electronics are allergic to H2O and that makes it challenging at times to see what you’re seeing since you can’t use your app or have access to the camera, even if there’s a screen. But these problems are easily fixed when you take heed of the following.

• Secure the camera: Holding the camera under normal circumstances is a tricky endeavor. Moving makes it harder, and doing it under wet circumstances makes it even trickier. Try to wear the camera, and if you can’t, hold it tight.
• Keep the lens clean: Water droplets on the lens are an occupational hazard, and can rob the image of sharpness or image quality. So, give it a wipe every so often.
• Have faith: You can’t use the app (unless you want to short-circuit your smartphone), so just point the camera in the right direction and hope for the best.

Capturing the carousel experience

The carousel does not provide quite the same thrill as a roller coaster — unless you find individually painted ponies thrilling — but it’s still one of the most photographed places in an amusement park (see Figure 6-5). Due partially to the timeless elegance of each carousel, not to mention being the perfect vehicle to capture small children and everyone else that doesn’t like big rides.

Here are a few aspects to consider:

• Wear the camera: Wearing your GoPro as the ride goes round and round and up and down makes for an interesting movie. And you’re doing nothing more than wearing the camera as an accessory.
• Move with the ride: The nature of a carousel means that you’re always on the horse in back and the horse in front. You will never catch up to the horse in front or lose your lead to the horse behind you. But the action outside of the ride, as well as the up and down nature of the ponies does change allowing you to capture action without leaving your seat, er saddle. If you’re standing and walking, then all bets are off.
• Focus on the horse: That’s meant both figuratively and literally. It’s not always a horse; sometimes it’s a tiger or another exotic animal. While you can shoot other aspects, the painted horse, for this discussion, is the main attraction. Their unique colors and adornments make each one visually unique, so when you add a little motion … voilà!

Round and round on the Ferris wheel

Colorful, circular, and colossal (at times), the Ferris wheel is one of the most iconic symbols of an amusement park. Maybe it’s not as thrilling as other action rides — unless, of course, if you’re afraid of heights — but it does make for visually interesting movies and pictures (see Figure 6-6).

Consider the following:

• Long exposure still image: All it takes is a two-second exposure while the ride is in motion to produce beautiful streaks of color. Try to make sure you fill the frame with the entire ride, but that should be no problem with your GoPro.
• Time-Lapse: Position the camera nearby and set an interval of a half-second or more to record the ride’s rotation as colorful streaks. Don’t be shy capturing the ride from afar.
• Movie: Capture the ride from a distance or shoot from your perspective on the ride itself.

Using GoPro at the pool

The endless possibilities for capturing great movies and pictures around the backyard watering hole could make Forest Gump’s mouth spit out a litany of similes. Whether it’s as serious as capturing junior’s practice for an upcoming swim meet, the spontaneity of a bonkers pool party, or the serenity of an underwater portrait, GoPro should be in demand around the pool.

Here’s what you can do:

• Capture action in the pool: Not that long ago bringing a camera to the pool could be misconstrued as a sign that there was a new camera in your future. But with GoPro you can easily record the frolicking and splashing, in and around the pool area.
• Mount it to yourself: Wear the camera on your head, your chest, or hold it while walking around the pool, swim under the water, or hold the camera for practical control. If you choose the latter, make sure that the camera can float, either by mounting to The Handler or having a Floaty on it.
• Shoot the subject hitting the surface: Capture someone breaking the plane of the water as they jump or dive in. Position yourself near the point of entry, even under the water.
• Capture underwater activity: Whether you’re capturing a surrealistic portrait of your significant other, your daughter holding her nose under the water for the first time, children swimming underwater (see Figure 6-9), or a unique portrait, you can create beautiful images beneath the surface.

Shooting water sports

Marco Polo takes on new meaning when GoPro is in the pool showing the chase. The counting, swimming, and the calling out of the name of the game all make for a fun movie at the end of the day. The same holds true for other exhilarating water sports, such as volleyball, basketball, or underwater races. Basically, anything you can play in the water that’s competitive is a good match for GoPro.

While many of these activities are distinctly different, here’s what you should consider:

• Visualize what you want: There’s an old saying that goes “You can’t get what you want, until you know what you want.” That applies to many situations you will capture with your GoPro, especially here. Think about how you want the audience to see your movie, and capture it with that intent.
• Make sure the camera can float: Seems like a no-brainer, but you would be surprised. All it takes is a Floaty or the Floating Hand Grip to keep your runaway camera on the surface.
• Don’t be afraid to get under the water: Some of the coolest scenes are captured below the surface. Just make sure your housing is watertight.

Take GoPro to the beach

GoPro cozies up as nicely at the beach as a blanket and an umbrella. It’s small, lightweight, and fits anywhere, so it’s not a burden to lug around. And the housing protects the camera by keeping out water, sand, and other debris, making it easily accessible to capture movies and stills in places where you had to be more careful before.

Here are some things to keep in mind when you bring your GoPro camera to the beach:

• Fun on the sand: Throwing a Frisbee around, running in surf, making sandcastles, playing volleyball, and anything else you do at the beach are perfect situations to capture, without fear of sand or water damage.
• Wave jumping: Wear the camera as you negotiate each wave with awkward precision. Just be careful you don’t drop the camera or it doesn’t break free; otherwise it will end up in Davey Jones’s locker.
• Underwater scenes: Going underwater to make movies or photographs of the seascape is easy with your GoPro. Just make sure you have something that allows the camera to float, or it will be gone forever.
• Surfing: There’s a special mount designed specifically for your board, shown in Figure 6-10, so that you can hang ten while yelling “cowabunga,” or screaming at a wave, or sometimes for your life. See Chapter 2 for more information on this special mount.
• Body surfing: Wear it while riding the board or mount the camera to the board so you can capture the experience.

Using GoPro on a personal watercraft

The personal watercraft resembles the offspring of a motorcycle and a powerboat. Known more familiarly by a bunch of brand names like Sea-Doo, Wave Runner, or Jet Ski, these water scooters are thrilling to ride and just as exciting to capture with your GoPro.

Here’s what you can do:

• Mount on the vessel: Depending on the model, you can use the appropriate mount to provide a subjective view of breaking waves. Just use common sense and place it in where it doesn’t interfere with your safety or anyone else’s.
• Wear it: Probably the best way to capture those special moments on the water is to wear the camera. Put on the Chesty for a subjective view for commandeering the vessel. It does have a slightly downward view, acceptable under certain conditions. You can also use the Head Strap, though there’s a chance it can fly off your head, leaving you strapped for a camera. And if it happens there, it’s even more of a risk while handholding — unless your goal is losing the camera rather than capturing thrilling footage.

Movies on a boat, movies in the moat

Whether you’re navigating a kayak through marshlands, capturing the thrill of an outrigger canoe hitting that massive wave, or zipping around the bay in a motorboat, your GoPro is up for the challenge, transforming nautical time into compelling movies and photographs (see Figure 6-11).

Here are some ideas for positioning the camera:

• Mount it: Depending on the boat, there are numerous places you can mount the camera. These include any smooth (and clean) surface for the suction cup, various bar mounts, or the more permanent adhesive mounts.
• Hold it: It’s a bit risky, especially when hanging the camera over the edge of the boat, but you can control the composition more precisely than stationary mounts. Make sure you’re using some flotation accessories to be on the safe side. And the safe side for a camera that falls in the water is the side above the surface. Tethering the camera to the vessel, or even yourself, can also help.
• Wear it: Channel your inner Leonardo DiCaprio as you stand on the bow screaming “Kink of the oiled,” or something like it with the camera on your body, preferably with the Chesty.

Making fishing interesting

Regardless of your reason – you know, food or sport — angling over a watering hole takes on new meaning when attaching your GoPro to your fishing pole. Using the Sportsman mount lets you capture those great moments on the water from a poles-eye view (see Figure 6-12). Now you can finally record that moment when you reel in the big one. The only problem is that you can’t exaggerate the size of the one that got away, unless you got it on video.

Consider the following when capturing your day on the water.

• Mount the camera: Put GoPro on your fishing pole using the Sportsman mount, so you can capture the pole at work.
• Wear the camera on your head: Record the experience like your eyes would see. You know, stuff like casting, reeling, or reeling in the big one.
• Use an extension pole: It’s the fish’s version of the selfie stick. Hold the camera over the action, almost like you would a net for a unique view.

Practice makes perfect

While your Karma drone can capture impressive video from extreme heights without putting you at risk, the same cannot be said for your Karma. Simply put, the physical reality of what goes up must come down applies and works here, unless, of course, it comes down too quickly or perhaps veers off course into a wall. It’s such a downer when you have to take your drone home in pieces. That’s why practice is so important.

Consider the following:

• Read the instructions: When you take your drone out of the box, resist the urge to start flying until you understand how to use it. Instead, charge the vessel and remote and read the instructions.
• Find a flat, spacious place: The best way to get comfortable with taking off and landing is to practice. Choose a park or open field for those early missions.
• Stay away from trees: Trees are the drone’s natural enemy. Flying too close to a tree never puts you on the winning end, as your drone can get stuck on a branch, or lose a rotor. That’s why you should look for an open area when you’re first getting started.
• Fly on a calm day: All it takes is a wind gust to take your drone off course and slam it into something hard (resulting in damage) or send it far, far away (and lose it).
• Start off slow: Practice take-offs and landings, gradually going higher and farther. Afterwards you can practice how to move and control the camera.
• Stay on top of industry education: Visit the Academy of Model Aeronautics: http://www.modelaircraft.org/

Fun places for your Karma missions

Once you’re feeling confident to fly, you can have fun with your Karma drone. Here are some ideas for missions you can try:

• Take it to the beach: The shoreline usually provides a great place for flying your Karma drone for several reasons. The wide-open space means you can fly in an unobstructed airspace, free of trees and buildings. But more important, the shore is a beautiful place to shoot the sea, surf, and sunbathers. Just be aware, some people may find a GoPro flying overhead to be intrusive.
• Shoot a real estate scene: Whether you’re a real estate agent capturing that unique view for your next sale, a homeowner looking to add interesting visuals to your home listing, or simply want to create a visual record of a piece of property, flying the Karma drone overhead will help you show an impressive view.
• Capture action sports: Have fun at your next company softball game, beach volleyball match, or surfing competition. These are just a few of the events you can capture from overhead. Just be careful to not fly too close to the action.
• Record something you can’t normally see: For all those times you were curious of what was on the other side of a wall, the scene beyond a ridge, or over a bridge, you can now satisfy your curiosity with your drone.
• Shoot a firework display: Flying your Karma above the bursts provides a perspective that was rarely possible a few years ago. Just be aware of any ordinances before you take off.