Go Pro the Complete Manual 3rd Edition

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GoPro The Complete Manual

The independent handbook for GoPro users

For all models

Welcome to


The GoPro range is the result of a gap in the market and the innovative idea of Nick Woodman. What started as a business selling unique ways of attaching cameras to surf boards developed into a worldwide phenomenon. From humble beginnings, the GoPro now has a plethora of ingenious mounts that make this clever little piece of technology capable of capturing all sorts of activities. The full spectrum is covered, from a humble dog walk to extreme snow sports. GoPro even have their own editing software. Reasonably priced, super portable and hugely versatile, there should be nothing stopping you from using GoPro to record all your adventures.

GoPro The Complete Manual Imagine Publishing Ltd Richmond House 33 Richmond Hill Bournemouth Dorset BH2 6EZ +44 (0) 1202 586200 Website: www.imagine-publishing.co.uk Twitter: @Books_Imagine Facebook: www.facebook.com/ImagineBookazines

Publishing Director Aaron Asadi Head of Design Ross Andrews Editor in Chief Jon White Production Editor Jasmin Snook Senior Art Editor Greg Whitaker Assistant Designer Claire Evison Photographer James Sheppard Printed by William Gibbons, 26 Planetary Road, Willenhall, West Midlands, WV13 3XT Distributed in the UK, Eire & the Rest of the World by Marketforce, 5 Churchill Place, Canary Wharf, London, E14 5HU Tel 0203 787 9060 www.marketforce.co.uk Distributed in Australia by Gordon & Gotch Australia Pty Ltd, 26 Rodborough Road, Frenchs Forest, NSW, 2086 Australia Tel +61 2 9972 8800 www.gordongotch.com.au Disclaimer The publisher cannot accept responsibility for any unsolicited material lost or damaged in the post. All text and layout is the copyright of Imagine Publishing Ltd. Nothing in this bookazine may be reproduced in whole or part without the written permission of the publisher. All copyrights are recognised and used specifically for the purpose of criticism and review. Although the bookazine has endeavoured to ensure all information is correct at time of print, prices and availability may change. This bookazine is fully independent and not affiliated in any way with the companies mentioned herein. GoPro, Hero, the GoPro logo, and the GoPro Be a Hero logo are trademarks or registered trademarks of GoPro, Inc. GoPro The Complete Manual Third Edition © 2016 Imagine Publishing Ltd ISBN 9781785464355

Part of the

bookazine series

Contents What you can ind inside the bookazine Introducing GoPro

8 Introducing GoPro Why GoPro is better

14 Camera guides Find the best GoPro for you

Getting started 44 Capture great photos Use your GoPro to capture those random moments 46 Take burst-effect photos Get that ultimate shot with continuous snapping

20 GoPro mounts Shoot it your way 28 Batteries & chargers Keep your battery full 36 Setup your GoPro Get your GoPro out the box and get ready to shoot

30 Lens & filters Allow for wear and tear 32 Cases & doors House your GoPro

40 Use the Manual settings Get to grips with the manual settings

34 Storage drives Store your media

42 Shoot epic GoPro videos Take amazing video footage with your GoPro

35 Cables Get connected 6

48 Get to know the menus Learn the ins and outs of the GoPro menus 50 Cleaning your GoPro Keep your camera in good running order 52 Stay safe using your GoPro Make sure you stay safe doing outrageous activities

For all GoPro cameras Using your GoPro 54 Introducing the GoPro apps Capture and edit your footage remotely 58 Control your GoPro with Apple Watch Start your adventure with the tap of a wrist 60 Use your GoPro on the water Get wet when filming 66 Stay on piste Capture footage straight from the piste 72 Take it to the extreme Take amazing footage of adrenaline pumping sports 76 Take it up a gear Capture your bike-fuelled adventures on GoPro 80 Film on the run Get your running shoes on 84 Hit the road GoDrive with your GoPro 90 Film man’s best friend Find out what your pets do when you’re not looking 94 Strike a chord Film gigs from more interesting perspectives

Going further 98 GoPro Studio Learn how to use GoPro Studio

112 Export your video Prepare to share your video by exporting

100 Import to GoPro Studio Get your footage onto your computer

114 Quik and Splice Edit and share your videos with the GoPro apps

102 Edit in GoPro Studio Edit your video footage

116 Edit your photos Improve your photos with simple edits in Photoshop

104 Use GoPro’s templates Insert your footage 106 Correct colour casts Correct a video’s colour 108 Use advanced editing effects Take your editing further 110 Create a time-lapse Make a time-lapse video

118 Retouch your images Use Photoshop to ensure your shots are perfect 120 Correct exposure Get the exposure right using Lightroom 122 Adjust in Photoshop Adjust and perfect your images in a flash

124 Sharing GoPro footage Send your work into the world t Share on YouTube t Upload to GoPro t Use social media t Get video views 7

Introducing GoPro

Introducing GoPro Discover how this rugged, versatile camera captured the world Durable and wearable, GoPro has become to the go-to device for capturing the world around us. Whether it’s strapped to a dog’s collar or a mountaineer’s helmet, it records the wearer’s point-of-view in high-quality, high-resolution footage. The dramatic results have made GoPro cameras a irm favourite of TV companies, sports personalities and even spacemen. Astronauts have embraced the technology, capturing HD video of spacewalks and transporting viewers to the International Space Station to bear witness to the breathtaking, vertigo-inducing views from space. This is the power of the GoPro. But the camera’s purse-friendly price puts it within reach of Earth-bound adventurers, too. From videographers to casual home users, professional-looking results are within everyone’s reach. Realise the potential of your device and read the inspiring story of how one man’s adventure helped so many others to share theirs.

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Introducing GoPro

W High-quality results GoPro is one of the best-known names in the action camera market thanks to its high-quality results © GoPro

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Introducing GoPro

Rugged exterior GoPro is a popular choice among extreme sports enthusiasts thanks to its rugged versatility and tough casing

The story of GoPro Today, GoPro is one of the biggest names in the action camera business, which makes its humble beginnings all the more surprising. It was the brainchild of Nick Woodman, a surfer who wanted to capture his experience riding the waves on a trip to Australia in 2002. At that point, any footage would have to be ilmed from the safety of the shore or a boat, and equipment was really expensive. Woodman devised a solution while selling bead and shell belts out of his VW van – a wrist strap that could hold a camera. The idea would make him a billionaire, with sales doubling every year since its launch in 2004. “GoPro helps people capture and share their lives’ most meaningful experiences with others – to celebrate them together,” sums up Woodman. “Like how a day on the mountain with friends is more meaningful than one spent alone, the sharing of our collective experiences makes our lives more fun.” GoPro and its ability to be mounted to pretty much anything has helped people share these experiences with others.

© Ian Hylands

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Introducing GoPro Tell your own story

Attach your GoPro to a commercial drone, like the DJI Phantom, and record aerial views! Sharing your experiences

Provide context Begin your video by introducing the setting. Using a wide-angle, take shots of the surrounding area and your subject so the viewer gets a chance to establish where they are.

In order to share your footage with others, GoPro has an app for Android and iOS devices. It enables people to use their mobile device to play back and share photos and videos captured on compatible cameras via email or text, as well as a host of social media websites. The GoPro App also gives you the option of controlling the camera remotely using your smartphone or tablet. Change settings, see what your camera sees with Live View and even start and stop recording – all without setting a inger on the camera itself. Afterwards, you can upload the results to GoPro’s Facebook or Twitter, where millions of users post every day. It efectively enables people from all around the world to communicate, whether it’s about their love for shredding snow or base-jumping from a tower. The most popular subjects are extreme sports, enabling viewers with a more cautious nature to experience the action through the safety of a screen. What makes these cameras so versatile are the mounts and accessories designed with all sorts of activities in mind. These, coupled with the GoPro App and software, make it easier to capture and share anything, anywhere.

Introduce yourself Introduce the viewer to the star of the video – that’s you! Turn the camera on yourself by using a selfie stick, or by attaching the GoPro to a nearby object and positioning yourself in shot.

Set the pace Once you’ve switched to a first-person pointof-view shot, experiment with different frame rates. A slowmotion 120 frames per second creates a cinematic effect and combats any shakiness. 11

Introducing GoPro

Mount it The GoPro can be attached to anything, making it a true vacation hero

Design features GoPro is called “the world’s most versatile camera” and it’s not diicult to see why. It’s so compact that it literally its in the palm of your hand, making it the perfect travel companion and the pointand-shoot design means anyone can use it. Long battery life and the ability to record continuously for hours is a huge advantage over traditional cameras, along with the fact you don’t need to press the shutter button to capture a shot.

Must-have accessories By investing in some well-chosen accessories, you can customise your GoPro to your speciic needs. For those who want to dive straight in, a waterproof case will be your irst port of call. These come in standard and dive housing, and can plunge as deep as 60 metres (197 feet)! And it’s not just the ish that are ready for their close-up, as dishwashers and washing machines can look just as interesting from the inside. Another essential item is the GoPole Reach – the equivalent to a selie stick – that ensures you’re in every shot. If you’d rather go hands-free, however, there are plenty of ways to wear or mount the camera.

Perfect bungee Bungee jumpers should never be without a GoPro to document that heart-racing moment 12

Introducing GoPro Professional appeal

Taking still photos

GoPro has a huge following among ilmmakers who want to go where conventional cameras can’t. The irst-person perspective ramps up the fright factor in a horror movie, for instance, while a high-octane car chase can look even more spectacular when ilmed from the roof of the vehicle in slow motion. What’s more, GoPro has been designed to combat motion blur and unwanted background noise for better quality results, and the super wide-angle lens packs a lot into the scene. The GoPro is capable of more than just one shot, though, which is another draw for videographers. As well as the point-of-view shot, you can achieve close-ups with mounts like the gnarwhal; a medium close-up with the help of a three-way extension arm; or even achieve a full shot by using a long extension to position the camera several metres away from your body.

Create a time lapse If you’re shooting handheld, set your GoPro to Time Lapse so it captures shots at intervals. This lets you continue with your activity without having to switch the camera on and off.

Everyday adventures

Try Burst mode If you want to capture a photo of a stunt, for example, then switch to Burst mode. This will fire multiple shots as soon as you press shutter button, making sure you don’t miss the moment.

© GoPro

The sheer range of shots available to the GoPro user is why it’s used to record so many diferent subjects. One of the biggest consumer trends is to attach a GoPro to your favourite furry companion to see the world through their eyes. Want to know where your cat goes at night? GoPro has it covered. A musician, meanwhile, might strap it to their instrument to record footage from an angle that even the person in the front row couldn’t see. The option to attach it to anything means the creative opportunities are totally endless, which is why GoPro is so popular across the board. It really can be used to shoot anything.

If the sun is setting, use a low frame rate such as 24fps. This lets the camera capture more light

Use a mount For more flexibility with your GoPro photos, you could use a pole mount. This gives you the power to tilt and turn your GoPro, which allows for better positioning and dramatic angles. 13

Hero4 Session

Introducing GoPro

Hero4 Session Introducing the smallest, most versatile member of the GoPro family, which can capture stunning video and take bursts of pictures efortlessly The Hero4 range is the jewel in the crown of GoPro technology and the cameras range vastly in terms of size and capabilities. Top of the range is the Hero4 Black, providing 4k Ultra HD video capture and super-smooth slow motion at up to 240 frames per second, but it’s quite a bulky unit for some purposes. Enter the Hero4 Session, which sits at the opposite end of the size scale, yet is small and lightweight enough to capture all of your adventures.

The Frames let you attach your Hero4 Session camera to any GoPro mount and can be purchased for £34.99/$39.99.

When size matters The Hero4 Session is the smallest, lightest and most compact GoPro ever and can be operated to record video, burst or time-lapse photos with a single button control. It can capture stunning high-resolution 1440p, 1080p and 720p video with frame rates of 60 or 100fps for ultra-smooth slo-mo playback. The photo quality is also exceptional, delivering 8MP single snaps, time-lapse images at intervals from 0.5 to 60 seconds, and bursts can be initiated at up to ten frames per second. It’s impressive for a device a little bigger than a match box.

Mount and go! The Hero4 Session is a versatile little device that’s purpose built for activity thanks to its size, which allows it to be mounted – via all GoPro mounts – tightly and snugly onto vehicles, helmets, etc. It is also fully waterproof up to ten metres, so you can mount it to your kayak, canoe or surfboard to record your water sports. You don’t even have to mount it the right way up as the device will always know which way is up. The camera is also intelligent enough to acknowledge when bright light turns to dark and can make all of the necessary adjustments to the exposure automatically, leaving you free to concentrate on your game.

The Smart Remote lets you control multiple GoPro cameras from distances of up to 182m and can be purchased separately for £64.99/$79.99.

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Hero4 Session

Introducing GoPro

With added SuperView

Protune tools

A single button powers up the Hero4 Session and starts recording HD video, photo bursts or time-lapse images automatically. You can also operate it with the Smart Remote or GoPro App

The Hero4 Session boasts the world’s most immersive wide-angle field of view. A GoProexclusive, SuperView means you can capture more of your surroundings to produce truly epic videos

With the Hero4 Session, you get to enjoy the greatest degree of manual control over a GoPro camera. Settings for Colour, ISO Limit, White Balance, Sharpness and Exposure are fully customisable

© GoPro

One-button control

Dual mics

Small and compact

Conserve battery life

The Hero4 Session houses one mic on the front and a second on the back. Both mics work together to automatically sense and then filter out any unwanted noise, such as the whistling of wind

The dimensions of the Hero4 Session camera are 38 x 38 x 36.4mm and it weighs just 2.6oz, making it the perfect everyday GoPro camera for any activity or adventure

The Hero4 Session only uses battery power when it’s recording. When inactive, the device powers down to ensure that there is always fuel in the tank when you need it the most

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Hero4 Silver

Introducing GoPro

Hero4 Silver Easy to use and incredibly versatile to your needs, the Hero4 Silver can be power-up and set to work at a moment’s notice… Capture convenience If you need to capture a moment in an instant then the Hero4 Silver’s QuikCapture mode lets you fire up your device and start recording instantaneously with the press of a single button

New SuperView The Hero4 Silver features an exclusive mode called SuperView that captures the world’s most immersive wide-angle perspective, allowing more of your surrounds to appear in the shot

Tag and go The Hero 4 Silver’s HiLight Tag mode enables you to mark out your key moments while recording or playing back your video, making it easier to find, view, edit and share your favourite clips

Awesome audio

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Snap and share

Improved control

Built in Wi-Fi and Bluetooth capabilities not only allows you to share content straight from your device, but you can also use the mobile app on your phone to act as a smart remote control for your GoPro device

The Hero4 Silver features a dedicated button that allows you to quickly access the camera settings. This, coupled with a simplified menu system makes controlling your GoPro much more intuitive © GoPro

The built-in microphone of the Hero4 Silver captures clean, high fidelity sound at twice the dynamic range. You can also connect a variety of external mics using the optional 3.5mm Mic Adapter

Hero4 Silver

Introducing GoPro

Retailing at around £329.99/$399.99, the Hero4 Silver is a highperformance all-action camera with a built-in touch display, which makes controlling the device, framing shots and playing back your captured content incredibly easy. Also, with 12MP Burst photos at 30 frames per second, the Hero4 Silver helps you capture those important moments with ease, especially as a Time Lapse mode lets you shoot photos automatically at certain time intervals from 0.5 to 560 seconds – perfect for when your activities make it tricky to get to the shutter button. Your picture and video highlights can also be beamed out straight from your device thanks to built-in Wi-Fi and Bluetooth capabilities.

Colour choice The Hero4 comes in either black or silver © GoPro

Exceptional video quality

© GoPro

Like its slightly bigger brother, the Hero4 Black, the Silver features a 12MP sensor that makes for far superior quality images than all of the GoPro models that have preceeded it. As such you can capture stunning 1080p video at 60 frames per second, 960p video at 100fps and 720p video at 120 fps – which delivers exceptionally smooth slow-motion playback to better display your sporting feats and activities. What’s more, HiLight Tag actually enables you to mark your key moments while recording or playing back video, making it easy to skip straight to the highlights later.

Always ready to go Whatever the activity you are wishing to capture, the Hero4 Silver is always ready to go thanks to the new QuikCapture mode. This turns your GoPro into a one-button camera, allowing you to turn it on and start recording automatically with just a single press of a button. Hold for two seconds to capture Time Lapse photos.

Touch screen The fist ever GoPro to feature a built in touch display © GoPro

Auto Low Light mode changes the frame rates based on the lighting conditions – so you can easily move between light and dark environments without changing the settings. 17

Introducing GoPro

Hero4 Black

Hero4 Black Not only is it fast and extremely high quality, but the Hero4 Black can also be tailored to suit your activity of choice Capture stills

Shoot remotely

The design of the Hero4 is essentially the same as other GoPro models, making it compatible with most of the mounts you may already have

You can opt to capture stills at the same time as video; the camera will automatically fire off a 12MP still every 5, 10, 30 or 60 seconds, or it can be fired manually

Now with built-in Bluetooth, you can shoot remotely using the Smart Remote or the GoPro app to control your settings while keeping well back

Enhanced audio

Create easy Time Lapse

Highlight Tag

The Hero4 has increased audio range by approximately 10DB when compared to the Hero3+, and the black version is compatible with professional external mics

Using the Time Lapse video mode, you can automatically capture a perfect sunrise, road trip or gig in-camera and share it

The Hero4 lets you tag key moments in your footage while recording, using a dedicated button, so you can quickly go back to these points later

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© GoPro

A familiar look

Hero4 Black

Introducing GoPro

The Hero4 Black is top of the range in GoPro’s line-up and retails at around £409.99/$499.99. Upgrading from the 10MP sensor in the Hero3+, the Hero4 Black comes with a 12MP sensor, which won’t make a huge diference but will make footage appear higher quality when using larger screens. The processor is twice as fast as previous models so both versions are able to have a 30-frames-per-second burst rate to help capture crisp action. They boast a new menu interface, faster Wi-Fi connectivity and added Bluetooth for connecting to mobile devices. Protune settings ofer manual control of Color, ISO Limit, Exposure and more, while the HiLight feature lets you tag favourite footage while shooting.

Get control Purchase the LCD Touch BacPac, a removable touchscreen display © GoPro

Super smooth recording

© GoPro

The Hero4 Black can record in 4K video at a fast 30fps. This high-res setting results in superb quality, but you also have the options of 2.7K video at 60fps, or Full HD video (1080p) at a fast 120fps, so you can produce slow-motion footage in high res. Protune settings for photos and video allow you to ine tune the colouir, ISO Limit and Exposure of your images and recordings for stunning results.

Standard, Surf or Music

© GoPro

Depending on your interests, the Hero4 Black is available in Standard, Surf or Music options. The Standard version comes with a waterproof case; the Surf option includes a surfboard mount, which comes with an FCS plug that attaches the camera to an FCS centre in socket. Adhesive anchors and camera tethers give extra security. The Music edition includes mounts to capture gigs easily. There’s a frame mount and removable instrument mount to attach it to guitars, turntables and more, using a non-damaging adhesive.

Waterproof The Hero4 Black is waterproof down to 40m when using the standard housing © GoPro

Night Photo and Night Lapse modes are able to take exposures up to 30 seconds, so you can experiment with more creative efects 19

GoPro mounts

Introducing GoPro

GoPro mounts

Multipurpose GoPro has a variety of uses, making it the rugged camera of choice for sports professionals, enthusiasts and gadget-lovers alike © GoPro

Customise the way you wear your camera and keep shooting the moments that matter most GoPro cameras, by nature, are rugged and versatile little things. Just because they’re compact in size, however, doesn’t mean they’re not for serious action shooting. The accessories that are available for the GoPro systems are just as versatile as the cameras themselves, and relect the wide range of uses that they were designed to handle. Whatever your passion, there’s bound to be a GoPro mount that will help you achieve the desired shot and, more importantly, the best point of view. You could wear your camera on your head, mount it to your pooch, or attach it to your surfboard. Whatever your purpose, check out all the diferent mounting and holding options to make sure you capture all your adventures in the most immersive way.

Record everywhere What sets the GoPro apart from its rivals is the huge array of mounts that enable you to take it anywhere © GoPro

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GoPro mounts

Introducing GoPro

Handheld Keep your camera to hand and increase stability and control with versatile handheld options The Handler

Lightweight This mount is very light and with a comfortable grip, you can hold the mount anyway that works for you © GoPro

© GoPro

This loating handgrip is perfect for stabilising your footage when you’re in and out of the water, and it’s super buoyant, keeping your GoPro aloat so you can shoot worry-free. It comes with an adjustable wrist strap for greater camera security, and because it’s waterproof to 10m, it really is the perfect water sports accessory. It can provide some really interesting points of view – depending on where you choose to hold the mount.

3 Way

© GoPro

This ultra versatile mount is a little pricier than many of the others on ofer, but because it can be used in three main ways: as a tripod, extension arm or simple grip. Given all this functionality, the 3 Way mount really is a worthy investment. For those who love a selie, the folding arm makes it easy to capture one without the mount appearing in shot. By detaching the handle from the arm, it becomes a camera grip in its own right. Even more useful is the mini tripod that’s stored inside the handle, which is lightweight but extends to 50.8cm tall. The whole mount is waterproof, so you can be sure it’ll be durable in adventurous shooting conditions. It’s versatility means to can give you some really diferent points of view depending on how you choose to angle it.

POV shots It’s easy to capture POV shots using the folding arm, without including yourself in the shot © GoPro 21

GoPro mounts

Introducing GoPro

Harness mounts Whether you want a dog’s eye view or a hat attachment, GoPro has got you covered Head Strap + QuickClip This simple harness lets you wear your GoPro directly on your head or over a helmet, so that you can capture footage from a headlamp-like perspective. Like all harness mounts, it’s fully adjustable to it a wide range of sizes, and there’s a QuickClip included that allows you to attach it to a baseball cap.

QuickClip The QuickClip included with the strap can attach to any item that’s 3mm to 10mm thick © GoPro

Chesty (Chest Harness) When you’re looking for an ultra immersive perspective, this is the holster to choose. Because the GoPro is held at chest level, it’s perfect for shooting activities where you might want a more engaging, lower-than-the-helmet view of the action. For example, when cycling you’ll capture more of your arms and handlebars. You simply undo the harness using the Quick Release Buckle, and the straps are fully adjustable so that you’ll ind a perfect it. For kids, teenagers and smaller frames, there’s also a Junior © GoPro Chesty available.

Harness up Shake up your shooting level by mounting your GoPro in this fully adjustable chest harness 22

GoPro mounts

Introducing GoPro

Fetch (Dog Harness) If you thought for one minute that your furry friends had to miss out on the action, then you’ll think again with this mount, which enables you to capture the world from your dog’s point of view. This dog harness features two mounting locations: the chest (for bone-chewing, digging and front-paw action) and the back (for over-the-head shots of running, jumping, fetch and more). Well padded to ensure maximum comfort, it’s also fully adjustable to it dog breeds of all sizes, from 7 to 54kg. Because the material is washable and waterfriendly, your pet can carry on playing as normal.

For any dog size The well-padded chest mount is removable, so it easily accommodates smaller dogs © GoPro

Original Wrist Housing

© GoPro

One big selling point of GoPro models are their unobtrusive size, and the compact dimensions also mean you can carry one in a multitude of ways. How about wearing it like a watch, using this afordable wrist housing? The Neoprene and Velcro strap secures the camera lat against your wrist, making it a perfect companion for activities such as snorkelling, climbing and skiing, when you want to keep both hands free. Importantly, it’s quick to pivot the camera upright as soon as you want to shoot photos or video. The housing its over bulky ski gloves, but could also be strapped to sports gear itself, for example a paddle or kitesuring kite.

Multipurpose mount This mount can also be attached to sports gear for when you need to keep both hands free © GoPro 23

GoPro mounts

Introducing GoPro

Helmet options Take your camera higher and capture the peak of the action with a head mount Side Mount With this simple mounting option, it’s possible to attach the camera to the side of both helmets and vehicles. Designed to minimise vibrations, it’s also adjustable in three directions, so aiming the angle of recording should be easy. Its side position means that you can shade the camera from the sun even on bright days, and it gives a better irst-person perspective.

© GoPro

Getting started The included mounting hardware and owner’s manual helps you get to grips with the attachment © GoPro

Helmet Front Mount Similar in both price and format to the side mount, the Helmet Front Mount enables the capture of forward-facing footage. There’s an added bonus of an extendable arm, so that the camera can be angled back at you for self-portrait videos and photos. Because it mounts to the front of most helmets, its possibilities for use are really quite endless – take it climbing, mountain biking or skiing. To remove the mount, you heat the adhesive bond with a © GoPro hairdryer then peel it of.

Easy attachment The Helmet Front Mount is easy to stick on and take off a helmet when you want to © GoPro 24

GoPro mounts

Introducing GoPro

If there’s ever a bit of sporting gear that you can’t attach a GoPro to, the company are quick to recognise it and bring out a new mounting option. In this section, they’ve pretty much covered all the activities you could need a helmet for, and this particular mount will enable you to attach a camera to any vented bike, ski, kayak or similar sports head protector. Many users have found multiple uses for this product, though, doubling it as a backpack strap mount in place of the chest mount, or a wrist mount. This represents good value for money when you consider that it’s the same price as the others in the helmet category.

© GoPro

Vented Helmet Strap Mount

A very simple design It’s made from moulded plastic and a strap, but it performs well © GoPro

NVG Mount Although this NVG mount is twice the price of the other helmet alternatives, it’s arguably the most rugged and durable option. It mounts to helmets outitted with an NVG (night vision goggle) mounting plate, and has even been a popular choice for the Army. It delivers fairly low-proile positioning and a mounting that’s ultra compact. The camera should it snugly into the mount, so there’s no chance of it falling of while running. That being said, it unclips quickly and easily via a small button. Compatible with all GoPro quick-release cameras, the NVG mount is a viable option for anyone who wants an adventure, not just © GoPro military users.

Secure mounting Your camera will be held securely in this forward-facing NVG mount © GoPro 25

GoPro mounts

Introducing GoPro

For everything else The best of the rest: mounting options that expand your creative perspectives even further Roll Bar Mount This product is just perfect for clamping to the metal or plastic radiator cap of karts, but is at just as at home on bike frames, bumper bars or roof racks. Put simply, it’ll clamp to any tube that’s between 3.5 and 6.35cm, and its 3-Way Pivot Arm will help you perfect your angles in each shot.

Easy operation The dual thumb screws of the Roll Bar Mount make installing, tightening and removing the mount quick and easy © GoPro

© GoPro

Mic Stand Mount

© GoPro

Queen or King of karaoke? Or perhaps you’ve got some professional concerts you want to share with your fans. Either way, this afordable mount is a great way to use your GoPro on a standard microphone stand, enabling you to capture footage during practice or performance from the best point of view. It’s compatible with standard US 5/8”-27 mic stands, but also includes an adapter for European 3/8”-16 mic stands. This means you’re able to shoot moments from your greatest gigs on any GoPro wherever you are. They are used by big names during concerts for recording professional DVDs.

Record gigs This nifty mount is sure to come in useful for recording at live events © GoPro 26

GoPro mounts

Introducing GoPro

Suction Cup

© GoPro

This small but mighty piece of kit is proven to stay put at speeds of up to 150+mph, and can be used on cars, boats, motorcycles and more. Whether you want to test it to its limits is up to you, but the reviews are raving, and the company says it’s an industrial-strength product that’s been engineered for stability and a broad range of motion. The kit comes with a standard base and a quick release base, which means you can move conveniently between shots and locations. The adjustable arms make it a compact mount, but to achieve the maximum holding strength, you’ll need to attach it to a clean surface, so make sure to wipe over any surfaces you plan to attach it to with an alcohol wipe to ensure it is the cleanest it can be.

Shoot fast This mount is a must if you plan to use it at incredibly high speeds © GoPro

Surfboard Mounts Surely one of GoPro’s most iconic mounts, this one can attach your beloved camera to a surfboard, SUP or kayak. This new style GoPro surf mount is smaller than the original, but still has enough surface area to stick securely. It won’t stick properly to a bodyboard, but the more compact size means that you can mount it further up a surfboard so it’s easier to remove when not in use. You get two mounts in the pack, and it’s ideal for using during activities where you need maximum holding strength. Be sure to give the mount enough time to bond to the board, before you go plunging into the surf.

Add a Floaty Backdoor Attaching a bright floating backdoor is a great way to spot your camera out in the water 27

Batteries & chargers

Introducing GoPro

Batteries & chargers The GoPro’s battery gives it life, so make sure you have spares and keep them charged

Spare battery Purchase a spare battery to make sure you don’t miss a vital moment when your camera dies © GoPro

© GoPro

Rechargeable Battery It’s very important to carry spare batteries around with you, just in case your camera runs out of power halfway through an adventure. Not what you want! This is a 1160mAh lithium-ion rechargeable battery that works with the Hero4, and it costs £19.99/$19.99. However, there are also rechargeable batteries available for other camera models too. We can’t stress enough what a worthwhile investment this is.

Auto Charger

© GoPro

When you are out and about, the GoPro Auto Charger is the perfect way to keep your battery topped up. It plugs in to your cigarette lighter in your car, and there are two USB ports on it so you can even charge two cameras at the same time, or another device that uses a USB port. You can keep recording footage while it is charging too, and an LED light indicates when it has inished charging. This is a really useful device to make sure your GoPro stays charged while on the road, as there is nothing worse than running out of battery mid-adventure!

Fast charge The Auto Charger gives out 1amp per USB port – great for quick charging © GoPro 28

Batteries & chargers

Introducing GoPro

This very handy Dual Battery Charger allows you to power up two batteries simultaneously, so you can ensure your spare battery’s charge is also maintained, without you having to wait around. However, if you don’t already have a spare, this comes with a 1160mAh lithium-ion rechargeable battery too. You’ll ind that most standard USB power adaptors will work with it, as well as the GoPro Auto and the Wall Charger. A very handy feature is the dual LED lights that let you know when each battery has inished charging. This charger is for the Hero4, but there is a slightly diferent version available for Hero3 too. It really is a fantastic time-saving purchase that is a great kitbag extra at just £24.99/$49.99.

© GoPro

Dual Battery Charger

Save time Being able to charge two batteries at once is a real timesaver – particularly useful if you’re travelling © GoPro

Battery BacPac When you’re out on a particularly long shoot this product can help extend your battery life signiicantly. It’s a removable item that attaches to the back of the camera and it’s compatible with the standard housing. This version features 15 per cent more capacity than the previous model, so it’s the perfect partner for extended suring sessions or backpacking adventures where you won’t get to a charging point easily any time soon. It’s a really small item too, so it won’t weigh down your kitbag. When you do get back and are able to charge it up, most standard USB chargers, the GoPro Auto or Wall Charger will do the job just ine. It’s available for £39.99/$49.99 – well worth the investment for adventurers.

Clip it on The Battery BacPac simply clips on the back of the Hero3, Hero3+ and Hero4 models © GoPro 29

Lenses & filters

Introducing GoPro

Lenses & filters Achieve diferent efects and protect your kit with these handy ilters Anti-fog inserts

This lens ilter, which is compatible with the Hero4, Hero3+ and Hero3, is an absolute must-have if you want to avoid scratches. It is designed to it onto the end of your lens when it’s not in the housing, keeping dust and dirt away from the glass. Bear in mind that at just £15.99/$19.99, it’s much cheaper to replace a scratched ilter than it is to buy a whole new camera. With that in mind, this might be worth considering.

There is little worse than your footage getting ruined by your lens steaming up midshoot. The Anti-fog inserts (£14.99/$14.99) simply slip into the casing to avoid your lens fogging up in humid and cold conditions. © GoPro

© GoPro

Protective Lens & Covers

Dive Filters

© GoPro

These red and magenta ilters are extremely useful for divers, as the name suggests. They must be purchased separately (priced at £59.99/$69.99 each) but both work at depths between 4.5m and 21.3m in order to correct the colour casts that can occur under water. The red ilter works best in blue salt water or fresh clear water, while the magenta ilter corrects the colour cast that is caused by green water. The ilters ix onto the front easily and are made from scratch-resistant material. This version is compatible with the Dive and Wrist housing, however, other versions are available for alternative housing.

Clear waters For clear, blue water, such as in tropical locations, the red filter works best © GoPro 30

Lenses & filters

Introducing GoPro

Neutral Density Filter If you don’t already know what one is, a neutral density (ND) ilter is designed to block some light, forcing your GoPro to use a slower shutter speed. This has many uses: irst of all, it lets you shoot during bright light without overexposing the highlights. It can also be used to take longer exposures, resulting in motion blur. And inally, it will help you in high-vibration environments, such as in a car, on a plane, or when it’s attached to a quadcopter. The slower shutter speed that the camera sets with an ND ilter attached will help to counteract the wobble efect, smoothing out your video for more professional results. This ND ilter from Polar Pro works with the Hero4, Hero3+ and Hero 3, and costs £20/$29.99. As with many accessories, though, alternative versions are available.

Protection from scratches As with most GoPro filters, it is easily attached to the front of the lens and will protect it from scratches at the same time

Macro Lens Filter On its own, the GoPro’s lens will only focus on objects that are at least 12 inches away, so if you want to capture close-up detail, you really need a macro ilter. This one from Polar Pro gives you 3.8x more magniication, meaning with it attached you can focus on objects as close as 3 inches. Polar Pro ofer macro ilters for the Hero4, Hero3+ and Hero3 for £40/$59.99 each. The ilter is made of glass for optical quality and it simply snaps into the front of the lens for hassle-free attaching, meaning you can quickly slot it in to capture a close-up, then quickly remove it again for normal shots. It can ofer a really intriguing perspective for shots.

Get up close This lens is great for adding in a creative close-up to cut between your normal footage 31

Introducing GoPro

Cases & doors

Cases & doors There are a variety of cases and backdoors available for your kit, but here are some of the most useful

HeroCast BacPac If you’re really serious about your GoPro, this wireless transmitter connects to the camera to allow you to send live content to your audience. It’s aimed at pro broadcasters for live sports coverage or music events and should set you back around $7500 (approx £4800). © GoPro

BacPac Backdoor Kit These backdoors (£10.99/$9.99) work with Standard, Skeleton or Blackout housing and let you it in an LCD BacPac or Battery BacPac. The kit includes a Standard BacPac Backdoor, which is waterproof up to 40m, and a Skeleton version that has space for you to access the ports, and the Touch BacPac Backdoor even enables you to use your LCD Touch BacPac.

Floaty Backdoors This rather ingenious little product is absolutely perfect for all you surfers out there, because it attaches to your housing’s backdoor in order to help keep it aloat if it is dropped in the water. Its bright orange colour also helps you to easily spot it against the blue of the water, so you can ind and retrieve it again. The pack also comes with two adhesive anchors and camera tethers to boost its security, and it includes spare backdoors for the Standard and Dive Housing. They really have thought of everything, and it’s worth every penny of its £19.99/$19.99 price tag for complete © GoPro peace of mind.

Stand out Not a colour you’ll miss, it could save your camera in extreme circumstances © GoPro 32

Cases & doors

Introducing GoPro

Dive Housing The Standard Housing is only waterproof down to depths of 40m, so if you want to go diving with your GoPro kit, you’ll need something that will let you submerse it a little further. This Dive Housing is waterproof down to 60m and it’s compatible with the Hero4, Hero3+ and Hero3. It’s a very durable product to be able to handle extreme activities, and its lens glass is lat to ensure your image comes out as sharp as possible. It includes the Standard, Skeleton and BacPac backdoors. If you want to keep your camera safe and dry, the £49.99/$59.99 will © GoPro certainly be worth it.

Rugged and durable The GoPro Dive Housing certainly looks like it could take a knock or two © GoPro

Dual Hero system

© GoPro

It should be noted that the Dual Hero System (£169.99/£199.99) is only compatible with Hero3+ cameras. This is a housing unit that will hold two GoPros in tandem, for twice the footage. Although the Hero4 is able to capture videos and stills simultaneously, the Hero3+ is not, so having this housing lets you shoot both at the same time to give you the best of both worlds. Another use for this product is to record two synchronised bits of video and then use the free GoPro Studio editing software to create 3D footage. In order to stop the process from being too iddly, you are able to control both cameras via one camera. So if you’re the lucky owner of two cameras, you could make the next 3D hit in no time at all!

Mounts This product works with most mounts and includes two sets of Curved + Flat Adhesive Mounts too © GoPro 33

Introducing GoPro

Storage drives

Storage drives Team your GoPro up with a fast and large memory card to back up your action-packed footage

This storage card from the well-known and popular SanDisk (£39.99/$40.99) is compatible with the whole family of Hero models, and has a capacity of 32GB. However, there is also a 64GB version available if you need more space (£64.99/$79.99). Its write speed of up to 45MB/s is able to cope with the camera’s burst photo capture and 4K videos. It is also able to withstand water, temperature, shock and X-rays. It’s a great storage drive, reasonably priced, and from a reliable manufacturer.

Climates This storage card can work in most types of climates between 13 to 185 degrees Fahrenheit

Lexar 64GB microSDXC

© GoPro

This card from Lexar (£64.99/$79.99) has a large 64GB capacity, which makes it absolutely perfect for the big 12MP ile sizes and 4K video. In fact, it is capable of storing more than 15 hours worth of HD video or up to 33,000 photos. It’s a Class 10 card with UHS-I technology, meaning that it’s a highperformance option that delivers transfer speeds of 95MB/s. It is even waterproof, temperature-proof, shockproof, vibration-proof and X-ray-proof. What’s more, its compatibility with any GoPro model means it’s upgradeproof too!

Transfer files This card also comes with a USB 3.0 reader so you can easily and quickly transfer over your files © GoPro 34

© GoPro

SanDisk Extreme 32GB microSDHC

Cables

Introducing GoPro

Cables Get connected with this variety of cable options for your GoPro input and output 3.5mm Mic Adaptor If audio quality is important to you, then make sure you buy this cable, which allows you to use a 3.5mm external microphone with your GoPro. It’s compatible with the Hero4, Hero3+ and Hero3, and is £19.99.

Micro HDMI Cable To watch footage on an HDTV you’ll need a micro HDMI cable to connect your camera up. This one for Hero4, Hero3+ and Hero3 can be picked up for £19.99/$19.99.

Mini USB Composite Cable For standard deinition TVs, you’ll need this cable to connect your camera, letting you play your footage or watch your videos on a big screen. It’s priced at £19.99/$19.99.

Smart Remote

If you want the best of both worlds, this cable has multiple options and will only set you back £34.99/$39.99. It allows for composite video output, 3.5mm microphone input and USB connectivity.

All © GoPro

Combo Cable

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The Smart Remote (£64.99/ $79.99 allows you to control your GoPro up to 180m (600 ft). You can turn your camera on or off, start/stop recording, even get into the settings on a Hero4. It’s waterproof to 10m (33 ft) and can control up to 50 GoPros at once! © GoPro

Getting started

Set up your GoPro

Set up your GoPro Everything you need to get started with your GoPro The great thing about the GoPro range is that there is something for everyone. No matter the budget, your level of experience, or whether you’re into full-throttle, actionadventure pursuits or simply making music, there is a GoPro model to suit you. Currently the brand ofers three main cameras, each with diferent selling points: Hero4 Black (the 4K30 touting top-ofthe-range model), Hero4 Silver (even more MP and touchscreen functionality) and Hero4 Session (lighter weight and compact size). Alternatively, you might have stored away one of the older models: the Hero (for entrylevel users); Hero+ LCD (comes with a screen and Wi-Fi); Hero3 White (you can change the housing); Hero3+ Silver (captures larger images). Whatever you’ve got, grab it and let’s begin with our guide to setting up now.

Fantastic extras After you’re set up, you may ind these bits of kit useful

Gooseneck (£19.99/$19.99) What’s a GoPro without a mount that’s able to get those shots you just can’t reach? The Gooseneck is a bendy option, compatible with most models. 36

Smart Remote (£64.99/$79.99) A boon for photographers who want to fire up the camera hands free. It’s not compatible with the Hero.

Chesty (£34.99/$39.99) There are harnesses and mounts for all activities, but this chest harness is likely one of the most versatile out there. There’s a Junior version, too.

Set up your GoPro

Getting started

What’s inside a typical GoPro box? Discover the important bits supplied with your camera This is the Hero4 Silver, but whatever camera you buy you’re in for a treat

Let this manual help you through the intricacies of your new kit

The housing keeps your camera protected and waterproof to 40m

Use these sticky pads to stick your camera somewhere unusual

The battery can be charged independently of the camera

This mount can be used as a grip, extension arm or a tripod

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You can transmit files via USB, which also lets you record while charging

This white rubber prevents accidental release of the quick release buckle

Getting started

Prepare your GoPro

1 Battery and card Remove the camera from its housing simply by opening the backdoor. Slide the latch over on the battery door and pop in the battery before closing it. On the side you’ll find a memory card compartment – open it up and push your Micro SD card into place.

2 Rehouse It’s important that you put the housing back on your camera correctly to ensure it remains waterproof and safe from dust and debris. So slide the camera back into its housing and close the backdoor by snapping the top latch down firmly. 38

3 Let’s get filming To turn the camera on, press the Mode button on the front. If you press it again you’ll find the folder of modes, where you can flick between filming and photography modes. When you’re ready to record, hit the shutter button and tap it again to stop.

Getting started

Prepare your GoPro

Using the GoPro menu screen

1 Make room for memories The amount of video you are still able to shoot or the number of photos you can take is shown at the bottom of the front LCD next to the battery level indicator.

4 Something to see Most of the GoPros don’t have screens, which can make knowing what you’re shooting difficult, so either use the LCD BacPac that attaches to the back of the camera or download the free GoPro App to your smartphone and use it as a live viewfinder if your camera supports it.

2 Modes Press the Mode button at the front to turn the camera on and hit it again to find the Mode folder. Here you select what resolution to record movies at and what modes to use when capturing images.

3 Time and Date Go to Settings and press the top button to select. Next find Set Up and scroll through until you get to Date and select it. Once it’s right just turn the camera off and on again to set it.

5 Update to the latest version Updates are being made all the time to ensure that your camera keeps up with all the latest upgrades in technology. To make sure your model is running the latest version, you’ll need to check in at the website and follow the instructions found at http://bit.ly/1RFjzrd. You can now upgrade wirelessly using the GoPro App. 39

Use the Manual GoPro settings

Getting started


S Automatic settings By default, the GoPro will automatically adjust its settings to suit your surroundings © GoPro

T Settings adjustments You may want to change settings when shooting in very dark or bright scenarios © GoPro

Take control of your GoPro camera with these useful manual settings The GoPro is a clever camera that works out the best settings for the scene you’re shooting. This is great for those occasions when you don’t have time to iddle with the settings, but there is the option to take control if you need to. Just press the shutter button to enter the Settings menu and use the power button to switch the next settings page, or press the shutter button for more options. In the Capture Setting sub-menu, you’ll be able to adjust things like colour, brightness and even which way up your video and photos appear. One of the options, known as Spot Meter, will 40


© GoPro

Getting started

You can tweak the colour, contrast and saturation of your video in the Colour Tuning menu

S GoPro on YouTube For more advice on settings, check out GoPro’s instructional videos on YouTube

change the way the camera automatically adjusts to the lighting. If activated, this will ensure the centre of the frame is exposed correctly when ilming outside from in, for example. Another setting to consider is white balance (WB). This controls the colour temperature of the image to ensure it appears as trueto-life as possible. It’s measured in Kelvin (K) and varies from 3000K (the coolest temperature) to 6500K (the warmest). If you’re shooting under an incandescent bulb, for instance, your footage may appear quite yellow and you’ll need to opt for a lower Kelvin value to get rid of this incorrect colour cast. If you’re shooting in low light, however, you may want to play with the ISO. By default it is set at 6400, which means that it will make dark rooms brighter. The trade-of is that the results will be grainy, so for cleaner-looking images, select a lower ISO limit such as 400. This won’t afect footage recorded in daylight, though. To exit the Settings menu at any time, simply hold the shutter button for three seconds.

W Adjust the colour tones Set the white balance to make sure the colours are true to life © GoPro T Spot metering Turn on spot metering to ensure the camera prioritises its exposure in the centre © GoPro

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Getting started

Shoot epic GoPro videos

Shoot epic GoPro videos Get to grips with GoPro’s most popular mode so you’re using the right settings for your scene The number one thing to get to grips with in Video mode is resolution. There are a variety of settings and each will determine how wide or tall the footage appears when you play it back. For instance, 1080 pixels will result in a widescreen view, but 1440p video will have a more vertical view. There are also higher resolutions available on some models and they will provide greater detail but larger ile sizes, so 1080 is a good middle ground to use. Another important aspect of your movie making is frame rate. A typical video on YouTube or television is recorded at 30 frames

T Striking selfies The wide-angle lens can record you as well as the scenery © GoPro

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Shoot epic GoPro videos

Getting started

S Shoot slo-mo Capture at 1280x720p at 60fps for spectacular slow-motion results, especially when recording action scenes © GoPro

per second (fps), but some GoPros ofer higher frame rates. Opt for these when recording stunts as you can use editing software to reduce the speed for an impressive slow-mo efect in your footage. Next you’ll want to determine how much of the scene you record with the Field of View options. Depending on what your camera ofers, choose Wide for the widest view possible, Medium for a slightly zoomed-in efect and Narrow for a regular look. By default, the GoPro will automatically adjust to the scene, but you can change this by turning on Protune if you have the Hero3, 3+ or 4. This is the last option in Capture Settings and it enables you to alter white balance, colour tuning, ISO, sharpening and exposure, as well as enhancing the quality by increasing the ile size. Changing exposure is useful when you’re recording a particularly bright or dark scene. Set it to +2.0 to brighten, and -2.0 to darken the results. Make sure you record a variety of angles, close-ups, point-of-view and long shots in order to create more visually arresting videos.

“You can use editing software to reduce the speed for an impressive slow-motion efect in your footage”

S Change perspectives Record plenty of angles to make your videos more interesting and to give you plenty of options while editing © GoPro 43

Getting started

Capture great GoPro photos


S The fish-eye effect This distorted look can be used to comical effect when taking photos of friends © GoPro

T Try helpful mounts A pole mount can help you compose self-portraits at a flattering angle with plenty of background in the shot © GoPro

Master Photo mode and wow your friends with your amazing images You’ll ind Photo mode near the top of the Settings menu. Activate this and the GoPro will act like a regular camera. You can then choose to leave the GoPro in automatic mode so that it makes all the tricky decisions for you. However, to take more control over your image making simply cycle to the Settings menu, press the shutter button to enter and then press the Mode button for options. This includes megapixels (MP), which will afect how large the photo will be. There are diferent options depending on your camera; the lower the number, 44


Getting started

There are a variety of ilters that attach to the front of the lens and enhance the colours of your photos the more scaled down the image will be. While a lower resolution will take up less space on your memory card, it’s best to shoot in the largest resolution and crop images after. The standard shot on most models has a slight ish-eye efect, which is due to the camera’s ultra-wide, 170-degree angle lens. It crams a lot of background into the frame, which is ideal for action photos but may not be appropriate for a portrait. To change this, select from GoPro’s ield of view (FOV) options. Chose from Ultra Wide, Medium and Narrow, with the latter providing a more conventional appearance and Ultra Wide creating a ish-eye efect. It’s also possible to capture both still and moving footage at the same time by selecting Photo + Video mode. This will capture images at set durations while the GoPro is recording. The downside is that pictures are limited to a lower resolution but it’s useful for special one-of occasions. In addition to Settings, always take practical elements into consideration, like the direction of the sun and whether you have enough foreground and background interest to ensure your photos are the best they can be.

S Simultaneous shooting Switch to Photo + Video mode to record video and capture photos at the same time © GoPro

W Use Waterproof housing Shoot beneath the waves but always make sure to attach a protective waterproof case first © GoPro T The field of view The standard shot comes with a fish-eye effect, but it can be changed in Settings © GoPro

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Take burst-effect photos

Getting started

Take bursteffect photos Use the Continuous Photo mode so you can ire multiple shots so you’ll never miss the moment Continuous Photo mode enables you to take a series of images in quick succession by holding down the shutter button. It’s designed for capturing fast-moving subjects such as a sports event, where an ill-timed shot could mean missing the crucial moment. By providing the photographer with plenty of photos to choose from, they are free to select the best from the bunch, or even stitch a sequence of images together using editing software. This mode is indicated by an icon of a camera and will turn the GoPro into a conventional point-and-shoot. Once Continuous

X Capture action Action lovers are free to perform a stunt while the camera takes care of the rest © GoPro

T Take a burst Shoot a succession of shots quickly to make sure you capture the best image © GoPro

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Take burst-effect photos

Getting started Burst in action

Capture multiple shots using Continuous Photo mode and then stitch them together

© Joakim Sommer

© GoPro

Photo is enabled, you will be able to take photos nonstop for up to 30 images at a time. They can be taken at diferent rates; three shots per second (SPS), ive per second or ten per second. Once the camera has reached 30, it will pause in order to write the image iles to the camera’s SD card, regardless of the resolution or rate you’re shooting at. This only takes a few seconds and then you will be free to start another continuous sequence. If you have selected Continuous Photo mode and you ind that only a couple of images have been captured, this is probably because the shutter button was released too early. Make sure you hold it down for the entire duration to get the maximum number of photos. However, if the opposite is true and you end up with a whole batch of pictures with a single press of the shutter, then you may have selected Burst Photo mode instead. This will capture lots of images in an even shorter length of time, but it takes twice as long to save the iles to the camera.

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Get to know the menus

Getting started

Get to know the menus Get to grips with the GoPro menus, where to ind the diferent functions and what each of the symbols means

Key Auto Low Light

Continuous Photos

Field of View

Looping

Auto Off

Date/Time

Frames Per Second

Megapixels

Beeps

Default Mode

Interval

Night Lapse

Burst Photos/ Multi-Shot Mode

Delete

ISO Limit

Night Photo

Color

Exposure Value Compensation

LEDs

On-Screen Display

48

Get to know the menus

Getting started

Orientation

Setup Mode

Time Lapse

Video Resolution

Playback Mode

Sharpness

Touch Display

White Balance

Protune

Shutter

Video Format

Wireless

QuikCapture

Single Photo/ Photo Mode

Video + Photo

Rate

Spot Meter

Video/Video Mode

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Getting started

Cleaning your GoPro

Cleaning your GoPro Keep your lens clean to ensure dirty marks don’t appear in your videos. All you need are two cheap bits of kit With seawater, sand, mud and more often being part of the locations where you’re most likely to use the camera, keeping your GoPro clean is extremely important. Not only will this keep it looking its best, but it will also stop dirt and grime from ruining your footage. After a salt-water dive, soak the housing in fresh water, and always store your kit in a protective bag to avoid further dust and dirt building up. Then make sure you use our step-by-step guide to clean the camera’s lens, otherwise you may start to see dust spots appear in your footage.

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Cleaning your GoPro

Getting started

1 Remove dust If there is dirt, it’s important not to scrub it, as you’ll scratch the glass. Use a blower to move dust off without you having to touch the lens with your fingers.

2 Remove smudges To get rid of grime or fingerprints, GoPro recommends not using a cleaning solution. Simply breathe on the lens to fog it up and gently wipe it with a micro fibre lens cloth.

3 Keep other kit clean Avoid dirt getting back onto the lens again by simply making sure your housing and bag are clean. Use the blower in the bag’s creases and the cloth on the housing. 51

Getting started

Stay safe using your GoPro

Stay safe using your GoPro

S Stay safe Make sure you put your safety first when filming a movie or shooting some stills with the GoPro © GoPro

Don’t get carried away or take risks with the camera We often put our pursuit of art above all things, but putting it above our own personal safety and the safety of others is just plain stupid. There are many ways you can shoot and stay out of harm’s way; here’s some advice on staying GoPro safe!

Prepare before you set of The most logical thing to do is to tell someone where you are going, with whom and when you’ll be back. If your plans change, be sure to update the person with a text to keep them in the know. It’s advisable to never go of for a shoot without a fully charged phone battery, as it really could make the diference if you ind yourself stranded somewhere. 52

Getting started

Stay safe using your GoPro Check the weather

Essential safety gear

© BA Turkish

Be sensible and make sure you always check the weather forecast for the day of the shoot, then pack your backpack and vehicle accordingly. So, if it’s going to rain, take waterproofs, a towel and spare dry clothes and shoes. If the weather forecast predicts a scorcher of a day, be sure to pack plenty of water, sunscreen and a hat. For cold climates, extra thermal clothes and a thermos of a hot drink will be appreciated, plus keep a blanket, extra food and water, a torch and shovel in your car’s boot – just in case a small snow lurry turns into a full-blown blizzard.

Head Strap & QuickClip £20/$20 This handy headgear allows you to fasten your GoPro to your head or a backwards-facing baseball cap, making it ideal for those who want to look good while being safe, such as snowboarders, skateboarders or surfers.

Shooting from heights It doesn’t take a genius to know to take extra precautions when shooting from heights, but there are sometimes things we just can’t predict, so we’re going to cover all the bases just in case. When using your camera on the top of a building, clif tops or a steep drop, pay plenty of attention to the real world instead of just watching the action through the LCD. Watch your footing and if you want to reach out over the edge as far as you can to get the shot, then use one of GoPro’s compatible mounts.

Wear protective clothing Part of the attraction to GoPro products is that they are designed for adrenaline-fuelled sports and action-adventure lifestyles, but just because your camera can withstand a few knocks and scrapes, doesn’t mean that you can. Make sure you always wear the appropriate safety gear and put yourself irst; the GoPro can be replaced, but you certainly can’t.

Don’t rely on your phone as you might ind yourself without signal; bring a map and compass too

Helmet Front Mount or Side Mount £15/$15 each For fast and furious activities where protective headgear is a must, the Helmet Front Mount or Side Mount leave your hands free to concentrate on staying safe. Bikers, snowmobilers, kayakers and pot holers: take note. 53

All © GoPro

Wrist Housing £40/$50 Compatible with the Hero4, Hero3+ and Hero3, the Wrist Housing, with touch display functionality, is the only choice for those who enjoy full throttle activities where holding the camera is out of the question.

Using your GoPro

Introducing the GoPro App

Introducing the GoPro App Control your GoPro using the free smartphone app Even if you own a GoPro with a touch-sensitive screen, it can be a challenge to compose a shot, especially when the camera is mounted in an inaccessible place (such as on a helmet). Of course, you can buy a dedicated GoPro Smart Remote to change camera settings and trigger recordings, but this solution is quite expensive and won’t help you with a shot’s composition. The free GoPro App enables you to compose your shots using Live Preview, record and play back video clips, and then even share them on the go – all from the comfort of your smartphone or tablet’s screen. You can also use its portal to the GoPro Channel to discover other GoPro user’s content and get inspiration for your own shoots. A nice addition is that the app is now compatible with the Apple Watch, which brings an exciting wealth of possibilities to the fore, such as the ability to preview shots, control your camera and even add HiLight Tags.

S Photo of the Day Be inspired by viewing video content on the GoPro Channel and peruse the Photo of the Day via GoPro App X Portable shoot Compose, shoot and share your GoPro footage using GoPro App and a portable device (Apple Watch not pictured) 54

Using your GoPro

Introducing the GoPro App Where can I get it from?

Sync with GoPro App

Before you can remotely control your GoPro you’ll need to download the free GoPro App onto your smartphone or tablet device. You can download GoPro App from the App Store if you’re using an iPhone or iPad, or Google Play for Android devices. The app will also run on Windows phones. It is compatible with Hero4, Hero3+, Hero3, Hero Session (you may need to update the camera software) and also with the HD Hero2 if you’ve purchased a Wi-Fi BacPac.

1 Pair app with GoPro Launch the app. Click the Settings icon. Choose Connect Your Camera. Tap the camera model. Turn on your GoPro’s Wi-Fi and select the GoPro App menu option. A pin number will appear on your GoPro screen.

Get connected When GoPro App is installed on your portable device you must pair it with your GoPro via Bluetooth. This pairing process is a one-of procedure. Once the app has paired with your device, you’ll use a Wi-Fi link to transfer data between your camera and your phone. The GoPro app will talk you through the process of how to connect your camera to your smartphone. This process varies between GoPro models. In our sidebar tutorial we demonstrate how to pair an iPhone with a Hero4 as an example. Once you’ve successfully paired your GoPro to your phone or tablet you can select it via Wi-Fi. You’ll also be able to replace your GoPro’s generic name with an easier-to-identify label so that you can connect to your camera in a location where other GoPro users are operating (such as a skate park). A personalised password will also help protect your GoPro from being accessed by other GoPro App users.

2 Create name and password Select your camera. Tap Pair My Camera, and then enter the pin number that shows on the GoPro’s display. Next, tap Pair. Create a personalised camera name and password for your GoPro. Tap Continue.

Wi-Fi will drain your battery faster, so invest in a spare when using the app with your phone

3 Take control Go to your iPhone’s Wi-Fi Settings and select the personalised GoPro camera from the list. Enter your password to connect to the GoPro via Wi-Fi. You can now go to the GoPro App and tap Connect & Control. 55

Using your GoPro

Introducing the GoPro App Live Preview Once you have got your GoPro talking to your smartphone or tablet you will be able to shoot with conidence, as you can preview precisely what the GoPro is going to capture using GoPro App’s Live Preview video feed. As well as enabling you to produce a perfect composition, Live Preview helps you to avoid the disappointment of ilming an awesome stunt and then realising that the camera was misaligned and actually missed the action! By playing your GoPro’s captured footage back on a smartphone’s larger screen, you are able to check that it looks perfect while you are still on location, enabling you to re-shoot if necessary. After viewing the footage you may decide that you need to set your GoPro to shoot with a wider or narrower ield of view to

Live Preview Use GoPro App’s Live Preview video feed for more control

Setting information

Capture modes

Adjust settings

Action!

Here we can see that we’re shooting at a resolution of 1080 and a shutter speed of 30 fps, with a Medium field of view

Click on this icon to select a Capture mode (such as Video, Photo or Multi-Shot). You can then choose a particular mode such as Video or Time Lapse Video

Tap here to choose a setting to suit your subject matter, such as aspect ratio, shutter speed and field of view

When you’re happy with your settings and composition, tap the big red button to capture video or stills on your GoPro

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Introducing the GoPro App

Using your GoPro Take manual control

To share footage to a social-network site via your iPhone, shoot using a lower resolution suit your subject matter. Normally, changing a setting like the ield of view would take multiple button presses in order to access the appropriate sub-menu. By using GoPro App, you can change the ield of view in just three taps! A recent enhancement to the GoPro app also lets you pull highquality still images from your videos. As you can imagine, this means that you can obtain some stunning shots in amongst the action to highlight an expression, explosion – anything. You can then share them instantly with other people straight from the app.

1 Set up Protune In app, set the capture mode to Video. Then tap on the Settings icon to access the Video Settings window. Now, scroll down to Protune and tap in order to access its manual imageadjusting controls.

Highlight tags If you are ilming a subject using cameras such as the Hero4 Silver you are able to tap the Live Preview window’s Highlight tag icon to lag up an important or signiicant moment (such as a successful trick on a skateboard, for example). This highlight tag will make it much easier for you to ind that precise moment when you import the footage into the desktop GoPro Studio app later on, saving you time. You can also view highlight tags as yellow bars on the timeline when you play back your footage on GoPro App itself, which can be handy.

2 Ensure natural colours Click on Color and choose Flat. This mode creates more subtle and natural colours that you can tweak in editing apps (such as GoPro Studio) to get a specific look. It also captures more shadow and highlight detail.

Extra adjustments

1 White balance Setting White Balance to Native, you can use GoPro Studio to experiment with more accurate White Balance settings.

3 Improve exposure When shooting in contrasting lighting conditions, make sure you use the EV Comp (exposure value compensation) slider to open up or close down the GoPro’s aperture and ultimately get a better exposure.

2 ISO A high ISO makes the camera more sensitive to light, but this can add picture noise. You can drop the ISO Limit to reduce noise. 57

Getting started

Control your GoPro with Apple Watch


S Quick use Using the Preview Mode is a great way to ensure you get ‘the shot’ every time. You can also use it to get the right angle X Minimal effort With the GoPro app on your Apple Watch, capture all of your most treasured memories with one touch of the wrist

Use Apple Watch with your GoPro, to start your adventure with the tap of a wrist GoPro have partnered with Apple and created an Apple Watch app. Your Watch acts like a remote controller, capable of previewing your shot, adjusting modes and marking highlights as you go along. With your Apple Watch and iPhone already paired, power up your GoPro and turn on its Wi-Fi to pair your iPhone to your GoPro. Then, open the GoPro app and connect it to your camera with your phone. 58


Getting started Utilise Highlights

Preview, not review When you open up the app, your Watch will instantly be turned into a remote control. On the opening screen you’ll see a red push button, it is here that you can begin using the app to its fullest. You can press the red button to record video, or use the Digital Crown to cycle through the diferent modes such as Burst Mode, Stills Mode, Time Lapse or Video. It’s worthwhile noting that, whereas you can’t review the footage shot on your Apple Watch (your phone will do that just ine), you can see a preview by swiping right. This mode is really geared up to allow you the opportunity to compose and set up your shot rather than use it as a view inder. When using the Preview Mode, you will also be shown the settings your footage is recording in, such as Deinition, Frame Rate and Lens Mode.

1 Open up the app Make sure that your GoPro and Apple Watch are connected and communicating. Scroll through your app list and open up the GoPro app. Once it’s open, select the Record Mode for filming.

Highlights Highlights is quite possibly one of the best editing aides a ilm maker could have when it comes to sifting through hours of footage. It will streamline your worklow allowing you to see the iles you’ve highlighted. Each highlighted ile will have a yellow tag on it in the ile list, and when your ile is on the Editing Suite’s timeline, you will see a yellow marker at the time the button was pressed. This gives you an even better overview of your work.

2 It’s all yellow While you are recording footage, you need to make sure that you always stay vigilant for the moment you are looking for and when it presents itself, hit the Highlight button. This will make sure you have the moment stored.

3 File list priorities Your file list is where you will see the tagged files. Select one of the segments you wish to view and, when open in the timeline, you will see the time-stamped highlight marker. 59

Use your GoPro on the water

Using your GoPro

Use your GoPro on the water Capture every heart-stopping moment whether it’s catching the wave of your life or racing through river rapids The foolproof water resistant housing that comes with your GoPro makes it ideal for taking out on – or under – the water. Grabbing yourself an adhesive mount is an excellent idea for suring or body boarding, with lat and curved mounts available. Even if you’re planning to visit the deep sea, GoPro ofers a dive housing that is waterproof to 60 metres (200 feet). A handlebar mount is a jet skier’s best friend and kayakers can get a camera rig that attaches to the front of the boat. These ilm from an elevated height while not obscuring your view of the open ocean.

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Using your GoPro

S The ultimate selfie The GoPro lets you film or photograph any moment of your life and the water sports accessories on offer make your coolest memories unforgettable © GoPro 61

Using your GoPro


S Surf’s up Permanent sticky mounts allow you to record or snapshot all the action your surfboard sees, or you can flip the camera so it records what you see. You might just capture action that could go viral © GoPro

These cameras were made for the water and can be used in countless ways to create the perfect shot. Surfers can stick a permanent mount to their board to ilm themselves or use a head or chest mount for POV footage. GoPro makes a speciic kit for surfers that includes safety tethers and a locking board plug to make sure the camera has no chance of escape. Windsurfers, kitesurfers and sailors have the advantage of ixing their camera up high. When rigging your windsurf, use a clamp mount or an adjustable watch-strap mount to ix the camera to the mast. Angle the camera where you want, and experiment with what height works best. Filming when windsuring is easy because you can adjust your camera with ease. Just by dropping the windsurf sail you can access the top of the mast. Mounting a GoPro to a bigger boat’s mast is a diferent story. Attach it when rigging the boat, ideally before the mast is erected. If you forget, a quick capsize is a great opportunity to ind your way to the top of the mast. There are other places around the vessel to attach your camera, from metal railings, atop the engine or even just the bow. 62


Using your GoPro

S Snorkel selfies Swimming with wildlife is an incredible experience. Take your GoPro along for the ride with you, but get yourself a bobber mount first. It’s easy to hold and it will stop your camera from sinking to the seabed © GoPro W Capture with your kayak You can easily record sports that require two hands by mounting your GoPro directly to the hull of your kayak. If not, get yourself a helmet with its own mount to be able to film yourself from above © GoPro T Climb the rigging Get the authentic pirate experience by attaching your GoPro camera to your boat mast. If the metal is too thick for this, try attaching it to a rope or metal shroud that keeps the sail in place instead © GoPro

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Using your GoPro

S Get into the blue Take your GoPro on the ultimate underwater adventure if you’re SCUBA certified. Either film your entire dive or take snapshots when you spot something worth capturing, but make sure the water visibility is good enough © GoPro 64


Using your GoPro

SK eep your kit safe Use the Floaty Backdoor (left) to make your camera float if you drop it into the water, and the bright orange colour will also make it stand out so you can quickly spot it. Use an adhesive mount like the one shown here (right) to keep your camera attached safely to your water sports equipment

GoPros are also excellent for capturing what’s going on beneath the water’s surface, so ixing it to the underside of your board or boat can result in phenomenal footage. If mounting the camera in this way, make sure you attach a loating device in case it gets dislodged. SCUBA diving with a GoPro is a dream, as it leaves both your hands free when under the water so you can explore your surroundings unhindered. Deep divers can even get ilters to attach to the housing to correct colours in murky or deep water. Red light disappears after descending 30 to 40 metres (100 to 130 feet), so a ilter can make a real diference to your shots. If you’re reluctant to plunge your precious camera straight into the water, try testing the housing irst. Submerge the empty casing in a bucket or bathtub and watch closely for air bubbles. If a steady stream of bubbles emerges from the plastic, it’s likely that there is water getting in somewhere. Make sure the casing is properly locked in place and try again. If the bubbles continue, contact the manufacturer and get a replacement. The vital thing to bear in mind when using a GoPro in water is to keep it clean. After every water sports session, especially in salt or chlorinated water, soak the housed camera in a bucket of fresh water for up to an hour. Let it dry before opening the housing and removing your camera.

Diving with GoPro Before taking your precious camera down, take the empty housing on a test run first. Then snap your waterproof housing in place around your charged camera, making sure the memory card is in. Use an elastic body mount, or grab a mask with a built-in mount so the camera picks up everything your eyes do.

“Deep divers can get ilters to attach to the housing to correct colours in murky or deep water” 65

Using your GoPro

Stay on piste

Stay on piste Snow-topped mountain, check. Snowboard/skis, check. Thermals, salopettes, beanie hat and goggles, check. Now all you need to experience that snow-fuelled adrenaline rush is your GoPro to capture all the action! That fantastic white snow, that crisp mountain air, that high you get from performing a McTwist, Tamedog or Frontside Misty… you just can’t beat it. And thankfully the GoPro is capable of capturing it in all its clear, sharp and bright glory. But having a GoPro is one thing; knowing how to use it properly on the slopes is quite another. That’s why over the next few pages we’ve spoken to two of the world’s greatest GoPro-using snow sports enthusiasts to clue you in on what mounts and settings to use, what to focus on and more.

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Stay on piste

Using your GoPro W GoPro in the snow The GoPro’s ability to connect to boards, skis, helmets and your body makes it the ideal camera to shoot with while on the slopes © Hiishii

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Stay on piste

Using your GoPro

S Airborne Allstar “Well the main thing is that your filmer is a solid rider or skier and ready to follow you wherever you go, because in my opinion follow-cam brings out the best action on to the screen. It’s so dynamic and entertaining to watch,” suggests snowboarding Olympian Peetu Piiroinen

More people are falling in love with adrenalin-fuelled piste pursuits than ever before, thanks mainly to their growing inclusion in global audience-reaching events like the Winter Olympics. Not only have snow sports become incredibly popular to watch, but more and more of us are tempted to give them a go, and what better way to capture our triumphs and tribulations than with a camera speciically designed for this adventure-driven experience. Finland’s Peetu Piiroinen, four times TTR World Champion, not to mention silver-medal Olympian, is a huge advocate of the GoPro, claiming that having the camera around helps to push him to greater heights. “It always gives us an extra boost when there’s a camera around. I’ll go bigger, focus 100% on each trick to be as stylish as possible. Also it’s a great tool when trying something new so I can see what I could do better or diferent while in the air or on a rail.” That’s not the only reason the GoPro Hero4 Black edition is the 27-year-old snowboarder’s weapon of choice. “It’s the best in range and even though we usually don’t ilm 4K with it for our little online edits, it has the possibility when we’re doing bigger productions. All-in-all GoPro is a great little tool with big features;

© David Malacrida

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Stay on piste

Using your GoPro

© BA Turkish

Enthusiast BA Turkish on using GoPro

Amateur BA Turkish explains why he uses a GoPro to record his action-packed videos What do you use GoPro for? I mainly use it for action/sport shoots. I also used several GoPros for an automotive shoot where we mounted the cameras on different vehicles. But I’m planning on using it for cinematographic purposes and more scenic shoots as well.

S In the action “I prefer to see the movement,” says Peetu Piiroinen. “Seeing the whole trick from start to end and filming full lines is in my opinion the best way to go. If there’s a need for stills you can get… screengrabs afterwards” © David Malacrida

W Star settings “Use your GoPro at at least 1080p. When you watch it on the big screen you’ll see why,” suggests medal-clad Austrian Snowsports star, Tom Klocker

Why do you use GoPro? It opened up a very new branch of shooting video. Because of it’s compactness and features you have more possibilities for perspectives and a creative way of filming.

© Hiishii

T High quality “The new GoPro Hero4 Black is the best camera for adventure sports on the market right now,” says Tom Klocker. “Good quality is so important nowadays” © Hiishii

What is your proudest GoPro achievement? Frost. I’m not a pro snowboarder so it didn’t have any crazy moves in it. But I think I did a pretty good job editing it. [See it here: bit. ly/1BWcWrl] What’s your GoPro advice? When shooting action footage, the quality and look very much depend on weather conditions. The best footage I got was when there was a lot of sun and no or just a few clouds. Everything casts harder shadows and therefore has more structure and looks a lot more detailed and neat.

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Stay on piste

Using your GoPro

S Snowboarding shots Both Austria’s Tom Klocker and Finland’s Peetu Piiroinen, are huge fans of the GoPro and use it regularly to capture film footage and image stills while they are snowboarding alone or with friends © Hiishii 70

Stay on piste

Using your GoPro

© GoPro

© Hiishii

Snowboarder Tom Klocker on GoPro

Pro boarder Tom Klocker tells us why he chooses to use a GoPro and why it works so well for him

it’s easy to use, there’s no need for big camera bags… and most of the time I’m riding with friends and so we take turns ilming so that everybody gets some shots and no one needs to stand around by themselves with a camera.” Peetu, who mainly uses his GoPro with a 3 Way mount, predominantly captures follow-cam footage and has no problem sharing his shooting secrets. “We always try to keep the distance as even as possible for the whole run, so stay as close as possible to the subject at all times, but at a safe distance, as you don’t want to land on your buddy if he crashes. For settings, I select 60fps (it’s good for slo-mo shots) and 1080p minimum. I have the camera setting on Wide, which helps keep the subject constantly in frame and aim at the midsection of the rider so you won’t lose him/her. When you get that right and you’re ilming in sunny conditions with some trees etc for contrast, you’ll get sick material to take back to the edit table. On long ilming days we mark the good shots right away onto a phone to make the edit quicker. I like a lot of actionpacked short edits, so we usually don’t have very long approaches to obstacles, just good old-fashioned action. The more you practice the better you’ll get at editing, ilming and riding. Just have fun on the slopes and you’ll catch some good memories on your personal memory bank and on your camera’s memory card!”

Why do GoPro cameras mesh well with snow sports? You can just use it so easily; press record and it’s on, plus it’s small… you can bring it everywhere and the quality is amazing. When we’re filming, we always use GoPros for second angles and creative ‘on-the-head’ angles. Which GoPro do you use? The Hero4 Black, because the quality is just breathtaking when you record 2.7K or even better 4K. What mount do you prefer? Mostly I use it with a stick and hold it in my hand, but sometimes I use it on my head. What advice do you have for GoPro users? When you use a GoPro on your helmet, remember to check the camera is in the right position – lens pointing down in the direction you travel – and always use the appropriate settings. If, like me, you prefer filming with the stick, remember to check that the lens is not pointing too high or too low; it should point to your chest so you are in the frame. Also try some slo-mo shooting – the results are awesome!

“For settings, I select 60fps and 1080p minimum. I have the camera setting on Wide” – Peetu Piiroinen 71

Using your GoPro

Take GoPro to the extreme

S Weapon of choice From bungee jumpers to zorbers, free climbers to FMX riders, the GoPro is the only camera that can keep up with these thrill-seeking enthusiasts, thanks to its size, functionality, ease of use, quality of results and ability to attach to almost anything © Hiishii 72


Using your GoPro

Take GoPro to the extreme If you’re addicted to adrenalin, then extreme sport is for you! Find out how to best use your GoPro to capture these dangerous yet exciting pastimes Skydiving, rock climbing, base jumping, wingsuiting, high-lining, paragliding, parkour, sand kitting, caving, sandboarding, BMXing, clif jumping, cave diving… the list of extreme sports goes on and on, much like the enthusiasm of those who participate in these white-knuckle hobbies. As the action happens at such an incredible pace, and the feats these so-called adrenaline junkies achieve are so death-defying, it makes sense to want to capture the rush as it happens from the irst-person perspective, which is why so many ly-by-the-seat-of-their-pants adventurers invest in GoPros; they are small, can attach to almost anything, and record the action in superb clarity, ready to be relived at will.

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Using your GoPro

S Image quality “Extreme sport makes me happy; that rush of adrenaline through my veins makes me feel free.” Matej Cesak enthuses. The 15-year-old pro sets his GoPro at the highest image quality to relive his stunts in impeccable detail © Hiishii W Gear guide If you’re passionate about adventure sports and want to capture the thrill as it happens, invest in a suitable harness or mount so that you can attach your GoPro to you or your equipment and record the action smoothly © Joakim Sommer T First-person experience If you’re determined to relive that thrill, opt for a helmet mount or helmet strap, to get as close to your eye-level as possible © GoPro

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Using your GoPro

Q&A with FMX Pro Matej Cesak

© Hiishii

S Video versus stills As the action happens at such a fast pace, most extreme sportspeople prefer to shoot in video rather than stills. Then if users want images, they can cut sterling screengrabs from the video, thanks to the GoPro’s high image quality © GoPro

At 15 years old, FMX Pro Matej Cesak uses his GoPro to take stunning footage of his stunts. We find out more You are fairly young to have career highlights, but if you had to name a few what would they be? The best so far is getting first place in Brno Race (Czech Republic) for ‘The Best Whip’, and also regularly attending Masters of Dirt.

Extreme sports lovers live for that rush, and that’s one of the reasons GoPro is favoured by these adrenaline addicts; they can relive and share the thrill of that experience over and over again, whether it be with their 90-year-old grandma or future ofspring in the year 2090. One such GoPro-using, white-knuckle devotee is Matej Cesak, a 15-year-old student from Prague who, when not in school, is delighting fans with his death-defying stunts in freestyle motorcross (FMX) events all over the world. “I’m just an ordinary teenager who happens to have a lot of adrenaline-fuelled hobbies,” the Pro says humbly. While attempting to impress judges with jumps and stunts midair on a motorbike, Matej records all the action with his GoPro Hero4. “I usually always use a high-deinition setting, which is perfect for outdoor shooting. I attach the camera to many locations, but in my opinion the best views for extreme sports come from being attached to the chest, helmet or fender in my case, using a range of GoPro mounts and harnesses to keep the camera as still as possible so the motion is smooth, not shaky.” To discover what GoPro mount best suits your preferred sport, just visit the online shop at shop.gopro.com.

What model of GoPro do you use and why? I decided to go for the GoPro Hero4, because it’s perfect for the sport and events that I do. How so? The Hero4, and GoPro cameras in general, are just the best! The functionality of the camera and quality of the video are amazing. My family and friends can finally see what I see, and feel what I feel when I’m flying through the air on my motorbike. Also, it means that the feeling you only get from sports like this lasts much longer thanks to GoPro!

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Take it up a gear

Using your GoPro

S Choose your attachment Depending on your preference for content, the helmet or the bikemounted options will work best for you, so weigh up the options of practicality with what you want to see in your footage © GoPro 76

Take it up a gear

Using your GoPro

Take it up a gear Top technical tips

Get on your bike and capture great moments from your cycling routes or of-road adventures GoPro action cameras are notoriously used for extreme sports and crazy outings, but sometimes you might just want to document a new cycling route. The irst thing to consider with any outing on a bike or near a road is safety. So make sure you wear a helmet, ix some lights to your bike and load up with food and drink before heading out. You will need to make sure you have the right attachment to hand, so question what kind of footage you’re after. Do you want to capture the cyclist’s point of view? Would you prefer a bike-mounted view? Perhaps you’d like both. As there are a number of diferent attachments available for the GoPro, you really can choose what suits you best. A bike-mounted bracket is great to capture a street view of your ride, but then again so is a chest strap. As these two are static once attached, there is really just one set view, so it’s ine for documenting the route, but for more drama and a cyclist’s perspective, a helmet attachment will give the best results.

With your GoPro mounted on your bike – either on your head, chest or bike attachment – never forget the technical adjustments at hand within your camera. The main technical aspect to consider is the size and speed of your storage. As the GoPro accepts micro SD cards, make sure the card you have will store your ride’s duration, but also handle the amount of data being pushed on it. When editing footage, it’s easier to convert to a lesserquality format than what you filmed in, rather than up-scaling lesser-quality footage to HD. To avoid this, keep your camera set to 1080p/60, meaning you get HD footage at 60 frames per second. Then, most importantly, add a high-capacity card. Depending on your budget, go for a 64GB micro SD card or higher. But size isn’t everything, so make sure you are getting a UHS-1 rated card. This refers to Ultra High Speed and is the datawriting speed your card is capable of writing to. Anything lower and your card won’t write the data being received fast enough, leading to potential quality issues.

T Attach a sticky pad to your helmet The GoPro comes with a sticky pad for helmet attachments, which is simple to apply. When attaching, make all efforts to keep it firm, straight and central to avoid any skewed views

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Take it up a gear

Using your GoPro

S Fastening to a helmet Not everyone uses a smooth, dome helmet when cycling, so for those using aerodynamic, ridged helmets, you can get fastening attachments that feed through the holes in your helmet © GoPro

The most impressive footage comes from being prepared, so take a cloth to clean your GoPro, and even take a lens attachment. As the GoPro camera has a native wide-angle lens, your capture area will be incredibly wide, but do bear in mind that the GoPro editing suite has a zoom and perspective-shifting utility already built in to it. Your best bet to enhance the optics for your ride would be in the form of a Neutral Density (ND) ilter. An ND ilter will give your ilm’s exposure a 3-stop reduction, which will allow brightly lit scenes to be ilmed with a slower shutter speed. By using the slower shutter speed, you can give footage a naturalistic motion blur, which helps it appear more realistic and reduce vibration movement if your GoPro is attached to your bike. The colour saturation of your footage can also be improved by using a polarising ilter, which is ideal if you’re cycling through lush vegetation or ields, or just under a blue sky. The polariser works by iltering out light, and both reduce glare and add contrast to an image. You don’t have to be speciically cycling through a ield to get the beneit from this attachment; it is ideal if cycling near water, as it will mute down relections on the water as well. 78

Take it up a gear

Using your GoPro

S Chest strap When using a chest strap, make sure that the straps are tight and that the GoPro is at a decent angle so that you don’t get wobbly footage of hands holding handlebars

W Bike mount If you are using a bike mount, make sure you fit it tightly. Most of the attachments will come with a foam inner layer. Use this to give some cushioning to the mount, because this will ultimately protect your GoPro T Tighten and fasten This might seem like common sense, but it’s good practice. Make sure that all of the straps, attachments and helmets are safely fastened and attached. This is for safety reasons, as well as to avoid wobble

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Using your GoPro

Film on the run T Different POVs Using a selfie stick can offer different perspectives when running © GoPro

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Film on the run

Using your GoPro

Film on the run Use your GoPro to track favourite running routes, as well as record your progress and share your achievements with family and friends

Lens cleanse

Until recently, going for a run required very little thought. Wearing appropriate clothing and footwear, doing some warm-ups and staying hydrated were the only things we really needed to consider. Now, with the aid of GPS, pedometers and health-tracking apps on our wrists and in our phones, running has been reinvented. We are now able to show of how far we’ve run and how fast we did it, and even share the route on a map Using your GoPro to monitor and track your progress is yet another creative way of showing friends, family and your social network what lies behind the stats you post online. Running is such a varied and diverse activity that it’s both a sport and a hobby – one that has a massive following. With computer game companies and advertising agencies already seeing a sales tool in the form of point-of-view (POV) running footage, it’s a trend that seems to be catching on. So, what kind of runner are you? Do you prefer long distance or sprints? Do you parkour or mud run? Whatever your preference, each style has something to ofer and makes for great video footage, so put your GoPro to good use and start ilming!

Being outdoors with a GoPro gives you so many options for its use, be it filming your run, or shooting stills of areas of interest for your next route. Either way, using lens adapters is a perfect way to get the most out of the camera’s capabilities. If you are looking for a really dramatic and overly edited movie, why not look at what’s around you, such as foliage and textures, and use a macro lens to film subtle cutaways that relate to your run? As for the footage itself, alternate between a neutral density filter and a polariser. This will give you an added edge of colour saturation with the polariser and an opportunity to add a slower frame rate to your footage, allowing a softer run to view. Sadly, you can only use one filter at a time with most GoPro lenses, so take the time to think about your run and capture every moment. To make sure you retain clarity of your shots when running, especially if you are a mud runner or in the rain, take time out to check your lens before a desired section of your run, because it will get messy.

W Head strap If you are running a route that you know will have some drama that you want your viewers to see from your point of view, use a head strap. Just make sure it is tightly secured and comfy

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Film on the run

Using your GoPro

S Shoulder strap If you want the best of both worlds between head and body straps, use a shoulder mount. These are brilliant options, but bear in mind that a higher rate of head/shoulder movement will reduce movement and angles

The irst thing you will want to take into consideration is your comfort. If you are mud running and going chest down a lot, you should consider taking a head strap as well as a chest brace. This means you can capture the race with the ease of a chest brace, but also document the scope and angles of your obstacles with a head strap. Alternating between the two will serve you well. Another extreme running form, parkour, or street running, would beneit from both a head and chest strap, although a wrist strap might be interesting for dramatic efect. Because parkour uses pace, speed and agility to negotiate everyday elements such as rails and walls to get to the end point, your GoPro will experience knocks and extreme movement. You even run the risk of losing it. To accommodate this, use the correct strap attachment, analyse the run and consider big jumps. If you need both hands, this should be ine with the head or chest straps. For high altitude and tight spaces, wrist and head attachments allow freedom of movement. For the long distance and forest runners, use the head or chest strap. This is purely for ease of use, and non-stop recording capabilities. Who wants to see just your arm’s point of view? 82

Film on the run

Using your GoPro

S Keep it tight Whenever you are wearing any tech of any kind, make sure the attachment is adequately fastened and fixed tight enough for practical use but allowing smooth movement

W Get in on the action When taking part in events such as Wolf Run or Tough Mudder, a GoPro is a great way to capture the action either via chest straps, head straps or in your hand!

T Don’t run into the sun Even though the GoPro has a great metering system, try not to run into the sun, because you might get a lot of flare in your shot. So, unless this is a look that you are attempting to achieve, try to avoid it at all costs

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Hit the road with your GoPro

Using your GoPro

Hit the road with your GoPro A comprehensive rundown of the key tips and tricks you need to remember if you want to achieve some awesome automotive action with your GoPro camera While GoPro’s cameras may have been originally devised for the world of action sports – think dropping into an awesome wave or backlipping over a tabletop on a BMX – the POV camcorders are equally adept when mounted on and in a car. Whether it’s to document your latest road trip, monitor your performance on a circuit or try to emulate the internet-breaking feats of Ken Block, a GoPro is more than up to the task. Just ask company CEO Nick Woodman, who uses the cameras to record his own racing antics. 84

S GoDrive Whether inside the cockpit or attached to your car’s bodywork, a GoPro Hero is a great way of getting highquality footage of your driving escapades © GoPro 85


Using your GoPro

S Be creative Don’t just focus on the road with the camera. Think outside the box and you can create some unique angles for your footage © GoPro

With a GoPro and a car, the creative possibilities are endless, but there are things you must consider before shooting ilm or photos. First, you need the right mount for the job. The suction cup mount is your friend when driving, as it’s easy to relocate and secure up to a speed of around 150mph. If you want something more secure, the 3M sticky pad mounts provide a super-strong hold on metals and plastics, but don’t work as well on materials like leather. If your car is kitted out for the track, and features a roll cage, GoPro’s roll bar mount easily clamps on, allowing various interior angles. Of course, you don’t need to ix the camera to the car. For a cool perspective, try attaching the GoPro to yourself. If driving on the roads, a head or chest mount would do the best job. If on a circuit, a curved stick mount on your helmet is your go-to. The position of your GoPro will help dictate which settings you’ll want to use but, generally, if you’re mounting the camera inside a closed-top car, you’ll want to use the skeleton or open-backed cases to pick up the engine noise. If mounting outside, we’d recommend using the closed back to reduce wind noise. Ideally, using two cameras (one inside and one out) is the best setup for 86


Using your GoPro

S First-person view Using either a helmet mount or head strap, you can create a firstperson view that will truly immerse your viewers in the experience © GoPro

W Spot metering By turning on the spot metering function you will prevent the road from washing out when shooting out of the windscreen © GoPro

T Casing While the open-case back is recommended at speeds of up to 100mph, we’d suggest using the solid back when shooting externally © GoPro

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© GoPro


Using your GoPro

S Suction cup Preparation is definitely key if you want to ensure that your suction-cup mount stays secure and your GoPro doesn’t go for an unintended ride

getting awesome audio and visuals. Another thing to consider if ilming from inside is spot metering. Car interiors can be dark, and if shooting through the windscreen the road can look washed out. To prevent this, turn on the spot metering function in the settings. Resolution settings will vary depending on what efect you are trying to achieve, but we’d suggest using the highest frame rate possible. Shooting at 60fps and higher means that you can reduce the speed of your video – creating epic slo-mo footage – without reducing the smoothness of the ilm’s playback. Framing-wise, if you want to capture the landscape, use the wide-angle setting (the slight ish-eye efect may also accentuate the sensation of speed at the edges of the frame). If you want to focus on a speciic feature without cropping your footage in postproduction, use the narrowest setting. With later GoPros’ ability to preview (either through the proprietary Android/iOS app or the Hero4’s touchscreen), you can get creative with your angles without worrying about wasting time. Don’t just focus on the road; think about intriguing angles (like shooting the front wheels moving) and you’ll have exciting snippets to cut into your main footage. The most important thing to remember is to drive responsibly. If you don’t make it home at the end of the day, there will be no footage to get excited about.

Mounting the suction cup With little more than simple physics stopping your GoPro having a high-speed accident, make sure that the surface you’re attaching the suction mount to is thoroughly clean by using alcohol wipes. A little bit of water (or saliva) on the suction cup itself will also help its adhesion. Finally, make sure the locking arm is firmly pushed down on the mount to fully secure the whole unit.

Don’t just focus on the road; think about intriguing angles and you’ll have exciting snippets to cut into your main footage 89

Film Xxxxxxxxxxxx man’s best friend

Using your GoPro

S Pet POV Attaching your GoPro to your pets can offer a fun new perspective on the world © GoPro 90

Film man’s best friend

Using your GoPro

Film man’s best friend Why not use your GoPro to record the funny things your pets do from their perspective? Get your housing in order

© GoPro

Why should we have all the fun? It’s only fair that GoPros can also be used to capture the adventures our pets get up to. This is also a great way of seeing things from their perspective, such as when a ball or stick is thrown their way, or the view they get when we take them for a walk. Now we can gain some insight into how they interact with the world, and even relive it with them. There are currently plenty of pet-friendly harnesses and attachments on the GoPro market that will enable you to attach a GoPro to your beloved animal. Most, if not all, are designed with their comfort in mind, which is obviously the most important consideration in all this. Using the traditional-style body harness is sure to get you the best results if you would like to ilm from your pet’s point of view. This is due, in part, to the weight of the camera being evenly distributed across their back and stomach by using a irm – but not tight – body brace. With the camera being attached in such a way, you will add to the luid nature of the footage and reduce camera

Our pets are awesome, there’s no doubt about it. Our four-legged little buddies often follow us around, and usually trust us implicitly. Unless there is water involved, and then it’s every man for him/herself. Dogs love it, cats hate it, and the GoPro varies depending on your housing. So, if you think there’s even a chance that your pet could come into contact with moisture, then definitely armour up and attach your waterproof housing. These housings can differ in their depth of useable range, but all waterproof housings will at the very least protect against brief submergence, so it’s safe to use if you are looking to go on a run in the rain. For the dogs that love the sea, ensure that your casing will take any potential depth changes and that it’s attached firmly, but unless you are going deep underwater and have attached your GoPro to a whale, then the standard 40m depth housing will suit you just fine.

T Use a harness A GoPro-ready body harness attached to your pet is the safest and comfiest way for you to capture their point of view

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Using your GoPro


S Make space for comfort Allow for movement and comfort for your pet when using a body harness. Gauge this by making sure you can fit two fingers comfortably between the strap and their fur © GoPro

wobble. Having said that, our pets don’t necessarily move with grace and elegance, so bear that in mind when using any form of brace for speciic footage, as you might need a few takes. One tip for achieving great content is to not leave your GoPro on your pet for a long period of time. So, for example, don’t leave it attached to them while you go to work. Of course this is for their own wellbeing, but bear in mind that you might not necessarily want to know what they do to your plants when you’re not around. And, let’s face it, watching them nap and so on isn’t very exciting. When out and about with your pet, not only can you ilm your walks, but you can also ilm water-based activities too. As the GoPro is waterproof, you really can capture every adventure-based aspect of your pet’s life. These stand-out moments when your dog runs into the sea, or your cat falls into the pond, are often the most memorable and truly show of their personalities. Getting the most out of your footage is important, so why not add an adapter to the front of your camera, such as a Neutral Density (ND) ilter? This way you can get the most out of your GoPro’s shutter speed and exposure value system. 92


Using your GoPro

S Set for speed Set your camera to 1080p at the highest frame rate; that way you can make sure you capture every leap in high enough quality to slow motion it in post-production © GoPro W Still life Sometimes our pets are lazy, and they stay put for a while, so why not use the camera’s burst mode to capture images that you can later edit into a stop-motion video? © GoPro T The Fetch mount Easy to adjust and fitted with extra padding so it is comfortable for your canine friends, the Fetch mount allows you to connect your GoPro to either the top or the chest of your beloved pet

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Strike a chord

Using your GoPro

Strike a chord Whether you’re on stage in front of thousands, recording a studio track or just jamming with some friends, your GoPro can document every stage of your musical journey GoPros are the modern musician’s best friend. Orchestras from across the globe are using them to show the world what it’s like to perform classical music as a group. Even global artists like Beyoncé are getting on board by using GoPros to help ilm her 7/11 video. To make capturing music moments even easier, GoPro released a music-focused version of the Hero3+ Black edition. The camera is designed to mount to turntables, instruments and microphone stands, as well as connecting to the GoPro app to be controlled remotely. GoPro even has its own media group that accepts track submissions to accompany its videos, so your music could feature in a viral video that’s viewed by millions. 94

Strike a chord

Using your GoPro

S Make moments last forever Whether you’re just starting out or have been performing for years, see what your eyes never could before with the compact camera that’s ideal for recording music © GoPro

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Strike a chord

Using your GoPro

S Any setting Capture music you stumble across in the street, or secretly set up a GoPro to record a flash mob. Simply screw your chosen mount in place and press record

W Set the scene Mounting cameras around the room gives you a bird’s eye view of the action. Attach a clamp mount to a high structure, and make sure your camera is set to record upside down

T Easy mounts Body mounts are made of elastic, coated with non-slip grip. Slide your mount on your head or chest and adjust the stretchy straps. You’ll forget it’s even there © GoPro

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Using your GoPro Record your rock show

1 Mount your cameras Use any kind of mount from a screw-in microphone grip to a stretchy head mount.

S Hand-held equipment Grenade grip and bobber mounts are perfect for recording gigs and festivals. They screw directly into the base of the GoPro frame or waterproof housing and are extremely portable © GoPro

2 Connect to the app Install the GoPro app to control when your camera records, and activate it before you go on stage.

Take your band from practice to performance with the GoPro. Capture every moment of rehearsal, get footage for your video from recording sessions, and create the prefect visual accompaniment with the world’s most convenient camera. Filming is the fun part, but once your video is ready to go, it’s time to edit. GoPro Studio software was made with beginners in mind, and features a selection of video templates that can be easily edited. Advanced editors can make their videos from scratch, and the software automatically imports the media from a connected GoPro. Once your video is together, you can add music, titles and motion efects. All that’s left is to upload it to YouTube. For remembering your stage experience forever, the GoPro can record every second from any angle. Use non-adhesive mounts on your equipment, or a vice grip mount to attach the camera to a microphone stand, guitar neck or overhead rig. You could even use multiple cameras to record the crowd’s reaction as you play. Make it super smooth by controlling your GoPro from your phone. The GoPro app allows you to start and stop controlling remotely, as well as showing what’s in the frame.

3 Film your fans Get a camera on the crowd to relive the moments when you were blinded by the stage lights.

4 Edit your footage Once the show is over, edit your recordings and maybe even create your own music video. 97

Going further

Get to know GoPro Studio


S Quick use Using the Preview Mode is a great way to ensure you get ‘the shot’ every time. You can also use it to get the right angle T Minimal effort With the GoPro app on your Apple Watch, capture all of your most treasured memories with one touch of the wrist

Import, cut, and create mini masterpieces easily with the GoPro Studio desktop app After installing the free GoPro Studio software, simply attach your GoPro camera to your computer to access your footage. You can select ‘Add Media’ by accessing your connected GoPro via the GoPro app. This will import your footage to a preset or chosen destination, or you could choose to import your iles directly via the Studio software. Either way, it is wise to set your save directory to a location where you know you’ll have a good amount of storage space, as later, when you begin to convert footage, the newer iles will begin to take up space as well. With your footage imported, safe and sound, it can streamline your worklow to rename certain iles according to content. 98

Going further


Working with timelines

1 Learn the timeline of things Drag your audio file into the music timeline. First the app will show you approximately how long your video will last and how much space you have to edit into, so it’s important to be concise with your cuts.

Making your mark Once your footage has been imported and saved to your chosen directory, open the GoPro Studio app. Here you can import all the preexisting content you may need, be it audio or video. You will ind the ‘Import New Files’ tab on the far left of the panel, so click to locate the iles you need and they will appear below. Now you can get started with trimming. To begin with, select your ile and it will appear in the main panel where you can mark the start and end of your clip. Once done, click Add Selected to Conversion List. Your selection is now being converted into an editable ile for use in the next stage.

2 Introduce yourself Select Title to open a text editing panel where you can create a title, credit or intro. Select Font and Fade options or get creative with colour and letter spacing. Once done, your title will be available in your file list.

Get creative and share Select the ‘Edit’ tab where you can choose a template or create your own. Drag your music ile into place and ind your starting visual. ‘Mark In Points’ will be available. Move the anchors for the start and inish points of your clip, then drag your footage into the timeline. Treat and grade your footage with the Adjustment tabs. Make adjustments or apply presets. Now that your footage is edited, graded and its to the beat, export your ile.

3 Splice and dice With a title in place and the audio ready, select your first clip. Use the Mark In and Out anchors to set your clip length and drag it into the video timeline. On the second time you will see a plus sign so you can insert a fade. 99

Going further

Import to GoPro Studio

Import to GoPro Studio

Use it to…

Transfer videos and photos from your camera to your computer in a matter of minutes

Play back View your clips and pause, rewind and fast forward them using the timeline sliders

Change size In advanced settings, choose a different size for your video footage

Once you’ve inished shooting, your GoPro’s job may be done, but your footage usually needs to be polished. There are several ways to get footage from your camera onto your computer, but plugging your camera in directly via USB and using the GoPro Studio is the most streamlined option. When you irst use the software, GoPro Studio Importer will prompt you to use it as the default importer for GoPro cameras. Select yes, then give your plugged-in camera a folder name and select a location for the footage to be stored. The easy bit is that once you’re set up, the GoPro Studio Importer will automatically open and begin the importing process whenever your camera is plugged in.

Alter frame rate It’s easy to change the number of frames per second

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Import to GoPro Studio Add footage

Simple interface

Files can be imported at any stage of the process, in the top left corner of the software

There aren’t any hidden features or tricky shortcuts to get your head around

Going further Edit and convert

1 Import files Import files you want to use in your conversion playlist, then ensure each one is set to your desired frame size and quality from the advanced settings. All imported files will be shown as a list on the left frame of the software.

Creating a conversion playlist

2 Trim clips You can cut the video to remove unwanted portions, make a smaller selection or pick out a part. Play back the clip, and click the ‘Mark in point’ button to start the selection. To end the subclip, press ‘Mark out point’.

You can look at creating a conversion playlist as a way to batch process your camera footage before you move on to the editing stage, which can be very handy. There are some advanced settings in the import and convert section of GoPro Studio, but in most cases you will not need to touch these at all. However, if you plan on using your video iles in third-party editors, you might ind yourself needing to make a few changes when you convert the clips. For example, checking the Remove Fisheye option applies a lens adjustment to the converted GoPro CineForm, in order to give it a smaller ield of view. You might also want to change the frame rate, so that it matches the frame rate of other video iles you’re working with.

3 Convert Click ‘Add to the conversion playlist’. Press Convert and progress will appear on each clip, showing how far through the process it is. When all items have been converted, you’ll be prompted to move on to step 2.

Mirror view

Video destination

By simply clicking ‘Rotate/Flip’, it’s quick and easy to change the orientation of your clips

You can change where your converted file will be saved by adding a directory

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Edit video in GoPro Studio

Use it to…


Create a final cut

Video editing made easy with GoPro’s suite

Turn your footage into a homemade movie

Trim your footage

As soon as you buy a GoPro, you can download a free editing suite, which is perfect for cutting, mixing and grading footage. Of course there are other alternatives, but this one is speciically designed to work hand-in-hand with the GoPro. The GoPro Studio isn’t just for cutting and pasting clips; it can also adjust the colour, white balance, speed and crop of the footage too. Also, with the opportunity to export in many diferent formats, you can rest assured that you can make a YouTube movie or a full HD movie – the choice is yours. In this section we will be showing you a quick overview of the editing section of the software.

Cut it down and move it around

Playback your edit Make sure what you’re doing makes sense!

Media tab

Trimming points

Editing controls

The timeline

Here, you will see all of your clips to add into your main project, be it movie, music or titles

Once you select your footage, you can use the edit sliders to trim to the exact point you want

The editing and video controls will give you power over all elements of your footage, from the colour tone to the perspective and crop

The timeline will show you all of your footage that is in the actual film. Here is where you will move and add footage or music

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Get started with basic edits

Find your footage, remove unwanted frames, add audio and more

Get your footage

Controls for slicing

Transition between shots

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From the files listed in the Media panel, find your start footage and drop that into the timeline. This is very straightforward, as all you have to do is click and hold the footage and drag it into the timeline. Once it’s there you will see that it will appear in the main panel of the suite, allowing you to preview the footage frameby-frame.

Chop the segment by using the ‘Mark In’ (I) and ‘Mark Out’ (O) markers. Doing this will allow you to go back to the file you originally imported and knock off any unwanted frames from the start and end. However, if you want to slice the footage completely and move along the timeline you can split it by using the Splice tool.

Add more files to your timeline by repeating step one. Once you have added and trimmed them, you can slide in new clips up and down the timeline and slip them between shots. The cross in between each shot is a transition. The plus sign means that it will be a straight cut; when you click it, it will become a fade transition between the two shots.

Make some noise

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Colour the scene

Add some music to your project by clicking the Media Search button on the top-left of the page. This will give you the option to find more footage or find a music file. Once found, you will notice the music appear in the bottom of the timeline and you will have fade controls on the right of the page. Move up, splice and fade the music the same way you would trim or fade the footage.

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When all your clips are trimmed and all transitions are set, use the adjustments panel on the right of the screen. Set your preview mode to Auto to give a good clear image based on your system settings. For this step we’ll alter just the contrast and the colour, so select the White Balance to adjust the temperature of the image and then alter the Tint, Contrast and Exposure sliders until you get the result you want.

Visual distortion such as pin cushioning can be edited by selecting the Framing Controls panel and adjusting the sliders 103

Going further

Use GoPro’s templates

Use it to…

Use GoPro’s templates

Edit using templates

Import and edit your footage using templates

Get some help from GoPro Studio

Convert to QuickTime

After a shoot your GoPro’s memory card will be packed full of movie iles. To separate the wheat from the chaf you’ll need to import all your raw footage into a desktop PC and then use the GoPro Studio software to edit the iles into short, slick video sequences. To help you get up to speed with producing an edited product, GoPro Studio provides templates. These contain example clips cut to music. You can drag and drop to replace these placeholder shots with your own clips and tell a personal story in a short, snappy way. However, before you can add your best clips to templates you’ll need to trim and convert them to an editable ile format.

Make your footage compatible

Replace the clips Fill the template with your own footage

SOURCE FILES AVAILABLE

Imported clips

Ins and outs

Add to conversion list

Convert

When you connect your GoPro to your PC and open GoPro Studio, your imported clips and stills appear in this pane

Tap the spacebar to play a clip. Click here to mark a start (in) and stop (out) point so that only the best section is selected for conversion

Once you’ve trimmed favourite clips, click here to add them to the conversion list. This will create QuickTime movies that you can edit in GoPro Studio

Click the Convert button. A blue progress bar will indicate which clip is being converted into an editable QuickTime movie

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Use GoPro’s templates Add your clips to a template

Follow along with our example to learn a quick way to edit

Choose a template

Import media

Replace template clips

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After converting your trimmed GoPro clips to QuickTime movies (see annotated image on p106), click on the ‘Step 2 EDIT’ button. Alternatively you can download and use the eight source clips featured in our tutorial. Choose File>New Project. Click on Step 2 EDIT then choose an Edit template. The templates vary in style, but we’ll choose Dubstep Baby.

Click Create. The clips from the template will appear in the Storyboard (timeline) as a series of target areas. Tap the spacebar to play the template to see where it features effects such as slow motion. Click the Add Media button in the left pane, browse to our eight project files, then click Open. The imported movies will appear in the left-hand pane.

After the GoPro logo plays, the Storyboard contains eight short clips. Drag the imported ‘01.mov’ onto the first shot of the baby to replace the target area’s clip with this wide shot of London. This shot is slowed down due to the effect added to the template’s first clip. Add the midshot (02.mov) and close-up shot (03.mov) of the location to create jump cuts.

Edit the titles

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Complete the edit

The next step in the process is to drag the Storyboard’s yellow Time Indicator bar to display the captions in the Titles track. Click on a blue title to select it. In the Fonts pane, edit the content of the template’s caption to personalise your video. Drag the start or end of a blue title bar to make it run for a little longer. Drag inside a blue bar to change where it appears in your programme.

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Replace the rest of the eight target area shots with the eight imported clips from our London shoot. Each clip is automatically trimmed to fit the duration of the placeholder shot that it replaces. The final shot (number eight) has had effects added to it to make the baby slow down and speed up. This retiming effect is added to the our 08.mov clip, which makes the floating bubbles change their speed.

If you plan to slow down a clip, you will produce smoother results by shooting in WVGA mode 105

Going further

Correct colour casts on video

Use it to…


Remove colour casts

Solve problems with colour, tone and composition

Remove unwanted colour

Adjust framing

This walkthrough shows you how to continue working with the eight video clips that you added to a template on the previous spread, but we’ll now demonstrate how you can ine-tune by correcting colours, tones and even composition. Our project’s video clips were captured using Protune settings, which enable us to record in Flat mode. Flat mode produces neutral colours so you can decide how saturated the colours will look by adjusting sliders in GoPro Studio’s Edit work area. You can also use GoPro Studio to overcome any colour casts. Read on to ind out how to correct each clip’s colours in a click.

Focus on areas of the shot

Add presets Make your own preset settings


Perfect Presets

Framing

Image

White Balance

These presets let you grade your clips in a range of creative ways. Simply select a clip and change its colours and tones in a click

Here you can crop the selected clip to zoom in on a particular area (or remove unwanted objects at the edge of the frame)

This panel overcomes exposurerelated problems and create a healthier range of shadows, midtones and highlights in the clips

This panel’s tools enable you to warm up cold colours or cool down warm ones, as well as banishing green or magenta tints

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Going further

Fix problem hues

Quick ways to change your clip’s colours

Remove colour casts

Manual White Balance

Adjust framing

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Scrub the Storyboard’s Time Indicator bar to show a clip. Toggle open the White Balance section in the panel on the right. Click the Eyedropper tool’s icon. Click the cursor on part of the image that should be a neutral grey. If the tool decides that the area is too cold or warm it will automatically adjust the colours to create a natural look.

Continue sampling each clip using the Eyedropper. The shot of the bubbles (08.mov) was captured when the sun made an appearance, so looks warmer than the other clips. The colours are comparatively too saturated. Drag the Temperature slider left to cool down the warmer colours. Drag the Saturation slider left too for more subtle colours.

There’s a photographer at the left of shot 08. To remove him, toggle open the Framing panel. Drag Zoom to the right until he disappears. Don’t zoom in too far when working with a low-resolution clip (like this 848 x 480 WVGA file), as this runs the risk of exaggerating fuzzy compression artefacts. To restore some of the tall building, drag the Vertical slider right.

Copy and paste

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Add presets

Although you can adjust each clip’s White Balance, tonal and saturation settings manually this could take a while on a larger project. Once you’ve edited the colours and tones of one shot to your satisfaction you can click on it and choose Edit>Copy. You can then click on an unprocessed clip and choose Edit>Paste. This will apply all copied adjustments (including Presets) to the shot.

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A quick way of changing your programme’s look is to use preset grading effects. Drag the top of the Presets panel up to resize it. Click on a clip to select it and then click on a Preset thumbnail to change the clip’s colours and tones instantly. As we’ve spent time getting our colours to look accurate, we’ll only apply a Vignette Large preset to add a dramatic dark border to our Storyboard’s clips.

If you’re not keen on the colour correction added to your Storyboard’s clips, choose Edit>Reset ALL and start from scratch 107

Going further

Use advanced editing effects

Use it to…


Create a blank template

Edit from scratch and create a truly custom show

Make your project your own with a custom template from start to finish

The editing templates used in the previous spread are useful, as they automatically trim the duration of your clips to it a music track in the Storyboard. Although templates help you process your raw footage into a shareable product, you can do a more efective job by editing your programme from scratch using a blank template. For instance, you can decide precisely where a speed change will occur, and you can also access extra post-production assets such as transitions, so that you can mix gently from one shot to another instead of using a jarring jump cut. Read on to ind out some of the more advanced techniques a blank template can open up to you.

Add a transition Use the in-built dissolve template

Add movement Make the camera zoom and pan on your GoPro clips

Split a clip

Add a dissolve

Adjust duration

Add movement

By using the Split Clip tool to cut a shot into several sections, you can speed up or slow down part of the action during the shot

By default we cut between clips. If you click on this + icon you can swap a cut for a dissolve transition

By default a dissolve lasts for just a second. For a longer, slower mix drag this slider to the right

By adding keyframes you can make the camera zoom, pan and tilt as a clip plays. This works well when using 4K source files

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Going further

Top editing techniques

Take your post-production to the next level

Create blank template

Let’s split

Retime a section

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Download this project’s files. Launch GoPro Studio and choose File>New Project. Choose File>Save Project. Name your project and save it. Click on the Step 2 Edit button. Click on Blank Template and Create. Click the Add Media Button. Browse to select the project source files and click Open. They’ll appear in the Add Media panel.

Drag the Deckchair.mov clip to the Storyboard. Drag the yellow Storyboard Time Indicator to 04:14 (just as the chair’s cloth begins to billow). Click the razor blade Split Clip icon to cut the clip into two sections. Scrub forward to 05:36 as the material rises up and click the Split Clip icon again. The clip has now been chopped up into three sections.

Click on the middle section of the split clip to select it. Toggle open the Video panel at the right. Drag the Speed slider left to 45% to slow down the clip’s middle. Untick the Flux box – this creates smooth movement but it takes a long time to process. Play back the sequence. The clip will slow down during the middle section then revert to real time.

Animated camera moves

5

Extend dissolve duration

Add Wheel Still.mov to the Storyboard. Scrub to its first frame. Go to the Framing panel and click the + shaped ‘Add New Keyframe’ icon. Scrub forward to around 23:00. Click the Framing panel’s ‘Add New Keyframe’ icon again. Drag the Zoom and Vertical sliders to get a closer look at the wheel. Play the clip. The camera will now zoom in and tilt up between the two keyframes.

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Add the Pier clip to the Storyboard. Click the + icon between the Deckchair and Pier clips to replace the default cut with a smooth transition that mixes from one shot to the next. To extend the default duration of the one-second dissolve, click to select it in the Storyboard. Drag the diamond-shaped in and out points below the Player window further apart. The dissolve icon will stretch horizontally in the Storyboard.

By shooting at 4000 x 3000 (4K) you can zoom in on a still or clip without adding any fuzzy compression artefacts 109

Going further

Create a terrific time-lapse

Use it to…


Create a time-lapse video

Speed up time by playing stills in rapid succession

Get in on the time-lapse trend

If you set your GoPro to Time Lapse mode, it will snap a series of shots at intervals. By capturing a photo every few seconds you can run the shots together as a video clip in which time whizzes by at an accelerated rate. A ive-second interval is great for showing cloud movement; two seconds will capture city commuters well. You can record time-lapse footage as a self-contained video clip so you can view the efect on your camera’s screen or on the GoPro App. Alternatively you can record time--lapse as a series of stills, which have a higher resolution, but you’ll need to stitch them together using GoPro Studio. We’ll show you how…


Time-lapse stills

Time-lapse video

Protune mode

Convert

This time-lapse clip was captured as a series of 12MP stills, so it has a large resolution of 4000 x 3000 pixels

This time-lapse sequence was captured in camera as a self-contained video clip, so has a lower resolution of 2704 x 2028

By setting the camera to Protune mode we can capture a wider range of tones in a high-contrast scene and then tweak those tones in GoPro Studio

GoPro Studio makes it easy to convert a series of stills into a movie file that you can work on in the Edit workspace

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Going further

From shoot to final video

The steps you need to create compelling time-lapse movies

Choose interval settings

Capture your footage

Import your files

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If you shoot with a smartphone and the GoPro App you can change the camera’s menu easily and preview each captured frame. To capture a series of stills at regular intervals, go to Multi-Shot mode and choose Time Lapse. Go to Settings and choose Multi-Shot. Set the Interval to snap shots at a specific increment – we went for a five-second interval.

To capture our stills we turned on the Multi-Shot setting’s Protune mode for a wider range of tones and natural Flat colours. Put your GoPro on a tripod. We used a clockwork X-Lapse tripod to add a slow pan to our recording. By using the GoPro App you can start and stop the time lapse recording without touching the GoPro.

Download our Timelapse source. mov file. Create a new GoPro Studio Project. Click on the Edit workspace’s button and create a Blank template. Click the Add Media button and browse to our source file. Click Open. Drag Timelapse source.mov onto the Storyboard. Tap the spacebar to watch the sequence play – as the tripod pans left, clouds billow rapidly.

Add a zoom

5

Adjust image

Scrub forward to 01:26. Click the Split clip icon. Click on the second part of the split clip to select it. Scrub forward to 03:00. Toggle open the Framing panel on the right. Click the + icon to add a new keyframe. Scrub forward to 06:20. Click the + icon again. Drag the Zoom and Vertical sliders to get a closer look at the tower. The camera will now tilt and zoom between the keyframes.

4

The clouds are the most interesting thing in this sequence, but they’re over-exposed and lack detail. Toggle open the Image panel and drag the Exposure slider left to darken the scene. This reveals more highlight detail. Tease out more colour information by dragging Saturation to the right. Emphasise the building’s delicate architectural details by increasing the strength of the Sharpness slider.

The Muvi X-Lapse tripod helps stop the sun from hitting the same spot on your camera’s sensor for too long 111

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Export your finished video

Export your finished video

Use it to…

Process your GoPro-sourced footage so you can share it with family, friends and followers

Complete your GoPro video Finish up your video, watch it and get ready to send it out into the ether

Export your clips Get ready to share you finished edits on your computer

Once you’ve shot some exciting clips, stills or time-lapse sequences on your GoPro you’ll be keen to share the best bits with other people. In GoPro Studio, where we have been editing our footage, it is called ‘Step 3 Export’. It is the inal stage of using the software and is as easy to get your head around as the rest of the program. The developers over at GoPro have made every efort to make the entire process – from ilming to editing to sharing – the easiest they can. And they have succeeded. Exporting your videos couldn’t be more simple and once it’s done, you’ll be able to share your inal product using the handy info over the next few pages.

Share your video Let the world see what you have captured

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Export your finished video Presets

File size

Use this drop-down menu to output your movie at a variety of popular sizes (such as a Vimeo compatible 1280x720)

When adjusting the Quality slider you’ll see the file size value change. To create a lighter file you can also reduce the resolution

Going further Easy exporting

1 Pick a preset When you are finished, click on Step 3 Export. An Export window will appear. Name your movie file. A 4K resolution file will be too large for social media sites. Choose a smaller size or destination from the Preset menu.

Export using GoPro Studio

2 Custom preset Choose the Custom Preset from the dropdown menu. You can choose a custom Image Size and drag a slider to compromise between image quality and file size. The H.264 codec creates good looking but lightweight files.

Although you can share clips and stills from your smartphone’s GoPro App album, some clips (such as those recorded at a 4K resolution) will be too large to copy between your GoPro and your phone at full quality. You may also want to edit several shots together and add music and captions to tell a story. In this instance you’ll need to use the GoPro Studio desktop app to import, process and edit your clips (as we’ve demonstrated in the last few spreads). GoPro Studio also enables you to share higher quality versions of your edited GoPro clips (even at a resolution of 4K), as we’ll demonstrate in the following step-by-step walkthrough. It also provides presets to create YouTube and Vimeo-friendly ile sizes so you can easily share on these sites.

3 Export the file Leave frame rate, or your clip may play back jerkily. When you’re happy with your custom size and frame rate, click Export to create a QuickTime Movie file. You can then use your web browser to upload the file to a site.

Encode

Frame rate

Use H.264 to create good quality lightweight files for social media sites. If you’re outputting to 4K resolution then GoPro CineForm is designed to produce the best results

By dropping the frame rate you can reduce the size of your file, though this may make the footage playback to be more jerky

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Edit with Quik and Splice

Use it to…


Create almost instant movies

Edit fast and on the go, with ease and simplicity

Editing is almost instantaneous with the GoPro Quik app. Choose from many preset edits

The GoPro community is all about sharing, so GoPro have produced two apps to help: Quik and Splice. Quik is the fastest and easiest way to create awesome videos. You can create a HD 1080p sharable movie in literally less than ive taps of your phone – simply give Quik access to your pictures folder and select the footage and imagery you wish to include. Choices such as Filter Efects and music are selected for you, though you can alter them post-edit when your video is presented. The sidebar of icons allows you some degree of control, starting with the Filter Efects. Here, you can alter the preset edit style and the free, default music choices. But you can also import your own music, add text, select individual key frames and a point of focus.

Edit footage The GoPro Splice app is great for editing your footage. Trim or cut your video, add text and use filters to tone your clip

Share your shots Quik and Splice are designed with sharing in mind. Post your footage to social media instantly

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Your projects Select this menu and you can view all your different GoPro Splice projects and select one to begin editing

Share button Share your finished GoPro projects to your various social media accounts with the share button

Video timeline Inspect your footage in the video timeline, where thumbnails help you view scene changes

Audio timeline Here you can scrub through your audio timeline and check that your music is synced to your footage

Splice your video The Splice app is the opposite in terms of automation and simplicity, and that’s great. Looking more akin to a desktop editing suite, Splice has a lot more user control than Quik. The timeline is big enough to see where you are with each clip, and small enough that it doesn’t get in the way. To closely inspect your clip, tap it to bring up the Option bar which will allow you edit, duplicate or delete the ile. By selecting Edit, you open up a selection of options including trimming, cutting and ilter efects to enhance and tone your footage. These are very similar to those within the desktop app. As well as all of these options, you can also add text, alter the font and add the Ken Burns, panning and zooming movement, to your scene.

1 Finish your project first After you have created your project with Quik, view your footage and then revisit the editing options - specifically the filters. Why not change the style to something you feel may be more apt? A great filter to try out is ‘Action’.

2 Add some text and flare Once you know how your movie is going to look, why not get even more creative? By selecting an image, you will be given a few options, like Point of Interest and Text Overlay, so you can highlight an interesting scene.

3 Drop a beat Select the music note icon in order to bring up the Audio Options. Here you will be able to select either a preset song from a host of genres, or you can link your own cloud based music and select a song from there. 115

Going further

Edit your photos

Edit your photos Create stunning photos instantly Use it to… You might consider yourself a fairly decent photographer, but the fact that you’re using a GoPro means you’re probably ilming while active and therefore likely to be concentrating on more than just taking photos or videos. Luckily you don’t need to worry about capturing perfect shots. But there is only so much the GoPro Studio can do, and you may ind your image editing needs are going to take you beyond the capabilities of the free software. Free trials of many photo editing software programs are available for download from their websites, so it’s always worth giving them a trial run before you commit to paying what can feel like an arm and a leg – and maybe a couple of extra toes too – before making absolutely sure that it’s right for you.

Correct exposure Make overall changes to your image so that it becomes lighter or darker

Improve contrast Tweak this slider to create a greater variation in tones

Fix saturation Move to the left of the scale to make colours in the shot really pop

116

Edit your photos Field of view The preset ‘4x3 to Wide’ was applied to make the perspective and size more engaging

Going further

Narrow perspective The field of view might be more immersive and involved if it were slightly wider

Before

After

Dark areas The image could do with some subtle lightening to bring out the shadowy areas

Image tweaks The exposure sliders only needed to be slightly altered to lighten the image’s shadow areas

Some general photo edits Photo editing software ofers you a wealth of options that you might not have even thought about. But the most simple of edits can often be the most useful and also the most powerful. Don’t be afraid to play around with your photos. In the following steps we show you three of the simplest ways that you can edit your images to add impact or to just improve them. We are using Photoshop Elements to complete our edits, using the Expert mode which ofers just a few more options than the other two. However, if you are a newbie, Quick and Guided edits can work just as well and can be a really useful way to learn how the diferent options are going to edit your photos. But even if you’re new to the program, the Expert edits shouldn’t scare you as they are all pretty straightforward.

1 Edit exposure You may find that your GoPro’s attempts to adjust to lighting may fail you at times. A simple change in the Exposure (Image>Adjustments>Exposure) will allow you to correct it easily. Simply move the sliders until you are happy.

2 Change the perspective Something as simple as editing the aspect ratio of a photo can change how it is viewed. Select the Crop (C) tool and use the 4:3 preset. Highlight the area you want to crop to.

3 Go Monochrome Add a little drama to your photos by making them black and white, go to Image> Adjustments>Hue/Saturation. Play with the different settings to pick out the various highlights and lowlights in an image. 117

Going further

Retouch your GoPro images

Retouch your GoPro images If your GoPro shots aren’t picture perfect, use these quick and easy tips to transform them

Use it to… Brighten and whiten

When images just aren’t quite right, we can make use of the wonders of Photoshop to transform tired or average-looking images into tremendous and amazing ones. For this tutorial we’ve used Photoshop CC, which is the latest version (a 30-day trial of which can be downloaded from the Adobe website free of charge), but as many of these techniques are transferable to other editing suites you can still make use of the guide regardless of what program you’re using. Retouching can be a simple way to really make your photo complete, be it by removing a rogue lamppost that is disrupting the view or whitening eyes and teeth.

If you have a localised area of dullness, use the Dodge tool to brighten it (for example the swimmer’s teeth and the air bubbles)

Saturate certain areas Use the Lasso tool to select a lack lustre area then, with it selected, find Saturation and boost the colour

Give it a boost Retouch the whole of your image by raising the contrast and brightness to add interest and impact

118

Retouch your GoPro images Dazzlingly white

Distractions

By using the Dodge tool we are able to lighten specific areas of the image, such as the teeth and air bubbles

The air bubbles that are in the swimmer’s nose and the marks on the pool wall are distracting, so they need removing

Going further

Before

After

Dull tones The image lacks an overall vivacity, as it’s been shot underwater, so it’s dull and the colours are muted

Bright blues As the pool looked dull we’ve selected only these areas to saturate, rather than distorting the whole frame

Improve shots with the Clone tool Whether it’s a tree sticking out of someone’s head, an unsightly stain on a t-shirt or the tiniest pimple on the face of a very vain friend, Photoshop’s Clone tool is a lifesaver. By carefully using the clever tool, plus priming the size and strength accordingly, we can simply wipe nuisance areas or distractions away by painting over them with surrounding pixels, making it appear as though they were never there at all. Retouching a shot in this fashion is so simple to do; the trick is to get nice and close to the ofending article (use the Zoom tool to do this) and take the tool’s circumference down to an appropriate size. You can also afect the strength so that the efect is subtle, or ramp it up if necessary. Follow the steps below and have a go yourself.

1 Select the tool Select the Zoom tool and get close to the distraction. With the Clone tool selected, head up to the top of the interface and alter the tool size and strength to suit the size and nature of the distraction.

2 Clone the area Press Alt and click on an area of the image you want to paint with (clone). Hold the left button down and paint over the distraction in smooth motions. Don’t clone with one area of colour or tone, as this won’t look realistic.

3 Smooth it over Once you’ve finished cloning, find the Smudge or Blur tool, to smooth over the area. Find the right size and strength, then hold the left mouse button down while you move over the area in soft fluid motions. 119

Going further

Correct exposure

Correct exposure Discover how to perfect exposure post-shoot with the latest version of Lightroom

Use it to… Boost colour

Sometimes it’s the camera’s fault and sometimes it’s our fault for using the wrong settings. Either way, photographing a scene using the right exposure can often be tricky. If you do ind that the ‘killer’ image you shot turns out to be underexposed (too dark) or overexposed (too bright) then there are ways we can draw back the details from the shadows, highlights or both, post-shoot with software such as iPhoto, Photoshop, Photoshop Elements, Lightroom and many more. In this tutorial we’ve plumped for the latest version of Lightroom CC (a free 30 day trial is available from Adobe’s website) to correct exposure, but the skills we share here are transferable to other programs.

After adjusting exposure, boost the saturation and/or vibrance to help the colours pop

Alter white balance Once you’re set with the right exposure, recalculate the white balance to ensure your colours are on point too

Reduce noise An underexposed shot might display noise. To rectify this, scroll down to the Basic Panel to find the Noise Reduction controls

120

Correct exposure Colour popping

Lacking colour and contrast

Settled at the right exposure, the colours in the image now pop off the screen and make more of an impact

As the image is underexposed there is limited contrast between the dark and light areas, plus the muted colours fail to catch the viewer’s eye

Going further

Before

After

Dark and dingy This image is underexposed because the camera has recognised the mass of white (sea) and dulled accordingly, thus the details are shrouded in the shadow

Balanced and beautiful By drawing back the shadows, we have a more balanced, attractive exposure and can now see the detail of the surfer’s face

Correct the exposure We’ve all been there: thought we took a killer shot only to get home and realise it’s not quite how we remembered it. That’s what’s happened in this shot. The photographer has simply pointed the camera and let it work out the exposure using the automatic mode. The trouble is, the camera has seen that the scene is overly bright, thanks to the large areas of white sea, therefore it’s decided that this needs to be dulled slightly to balance the image. As a result, it has used a short, sharp exposure to ensure that not too much light goes through the lens. The result is an underexposed image that has lost details, such as the surfer’s face and the deinition of the waves. The good news is that this is easily rectiied with a little tweaking in an editing suite.

1 Lift exposure Open in Develop. In the Basic Panel, nudge the Exposure slider to the right, ever so slightly, to lift the overall image. Now scroll down and find an area called ‘Tone Curve’. Bring up the Highlights and Lights sliders a tad.

2 Lift shadows To lift the shadows from the surfer’s face, drag the Shadows slider in Tone Curve to the right. We want to raise it enough that we can see his features better, without going so far that we lose definition from the rest of the scene.

3 Add definition By lifting the light levels, we may have lost some of the definition and impact. We can rectify this by boosting the Contrast and Clarity. Go to the Basic Panel’s tools and adjust these values accordingly. Be careful not to go too far. 121

Going further

Adjust your GoPro images in Photoshop

Adjust your GoPro images in Photoshop

Use it to… Enhance colours

Use the power of CS6 and CC to enhance and adjust your images quickly and easily

Use Photoshop’s Raw panel to adjust the Hue and Saturation of your image

Correct lens distortion Use the Lens Correction panel to adjust the distortion of your image

Photoshop, be it CS6 or CC (Creative Cloud), ofers the very best in lens adjustment techniques coupled with colour and contrast adjustments to really make your GoPro images shine. You can use the Adobe Camera Raw interface to bring up a one-stopshop editing panel that will help you adjust lens distortion, colour intensity as well as contrast and cropping. The Raw panel will also export your images without you really needing to go too much into Photoshop itself.

Open up multiple files at once In Raw you can synchronise images and open up more than one file at a time

122

Adjust your GoPro images in Photoshop Corrected distortion

Bright and punchy

With a few adjustments the image becomes flatter with less fish-eye distortion, allowing the image to be viewed in a traditional style

By adding a little saturation to the image’s colours you will notice that it will quickly become a more vibrant shot

Going further

Before

After

Barrel distortion Your native image from a GoPro will be a wide-angle shot and barrel distortion is present

Lack of contrast in colours The colours are a standard vibrancy, so not really popping out until brought into the editing suite

Distortion and colour corrected fast In this brief editing tutorial, we will go through how to alter and reduce the barrel distortion of your image, enhance the colours and saturation of those colours within your shot, as well as add contrast to the overall image. To do this we will have to open the image up in Adobe Camera Raw. If you are using CS6, then browse for your image via Bridge, right-click and select Open in Camera Raw; if you are using CC, then go Filter>Camera RAW Filter and you will be able to follow a similar edit process. Now, the result of this is to make slight adjustments, not to push the image too far, as the pixels of your camera might not take extreme editing, so be careful how far you push your JPEG. A slight tweak to the sliders in Adobe Camera Raw can make all the diference.

1 Instant fixes for distortion Open your image in Camera Raw and select the Lens Corrections tab. Tick the Enable Lens Profile Corrections box and the software will read the Metadata and make the appropriate adjustments to normalise the image.

2 Bring out the colours Select the HSL/Grayscale tab, find the colour you want to adjust, and tweak the Hue (colour range), the Saturation (how strong that colour is) or the Luminance of the colour (how light or dark you want it).

3 Give it some punch Raise Exposure by 40, up Contrast by 56, reduce Highlights by 54, raise Shadows by 49, then reduce Blacks by 19. For extra punch, increase Clarity by 26, reduce Vibrancy by 17 and up Saturation by 21. 123

Going further

Share your GoPro footage

Social sharing You can share files on social networks like YouTube, Facebook, Twitter and the GoPro Channel


Use it to… Add Music Add another dimension to your videos by popping in some tracks. Just hit the ‘Audio’ tab

Insert text Under the ‘Annotations’ tab in YouTube you can insert speech bubbles, titles, labels and more

We show you the best ways to share your GoPro videos and photos

Create subtitles Increase your video’s reach with subtitles. After selecting the Subtitles tab, plump for the desired languages

Sharing is caring While you don’t necessarily take your GoPro footage for the beneit of other people, it certainly adds to the experience when you do. If you want to show off that neat trick that you did on your board with your YouTube followers, or want to share the inner workings of your dog’s every day life, it can be done easily. You can share your videos instantly using the GoPro App available for download on your mobile device. With a few taps, the quickly edited videos can be up in the virtual sphere. Sharing on YouTube is very straightforward. The video-sharing site is designed to make your experience as easy as possible, and it is one of the simplest 124


Going further

ways of getting your videos out there. But you don’t have to use YouTube, as GoPro has its very own website for you to share your content too. Read on to ind out more.

Stand out on YouTube

Sign up to YouTube YouTube is hands down one of the best social networks to exhibit your GoPro videos through. Not only is it free and provides easy, step-by-step instructions, it also gifts users with a handy assortment of audio and visual tools and offers the potential for reaching a global audience. So head to the website www.youtube.com and follow the instructions to create an account. When you’re prompted to do, hit the ‘Select iles to upload’ arrow and ind the desired video or simply drag-and-drop videos on to the page. With your video ready and waiting to be published, you can add some extra sparkle to make your clip standout with the Enhancement, Audio and Info tools (ind out more with our threestep tutorial in the sidebar).

1 What’s it all about? Adding a description to your video is a no-brainer, otherwise how will potential viewers know what your clip is about? Really ‘sell’ your video and add tags to make it easier to find when people run internet searches.

Ready, steady, publish!

2 Add some glamour If your video could do with a facelift then use the YouTube Enhancement tools. You’ll find Fill Light, Contrast, Saturation and Colour Temperature controls, as well as options to slow it down, rotate and trim.

With your package ready to go, all you need to do now is decide who you want to see it. In the Video Manager section select your ilm and from the drop-down menu on the right-hand side, decide whether you want the footage to be ‘Public’, ‘Private’, or ‘Unlisted’. If you select ‘Public’ anyone can view the ilm, anywhere in the world, at anytime. ‘Private’ means that only an exclusive set of your invited friends, family and other contacts can see the footage, using a special link. The inal option, ‘Unlisted’, makes the video viewable only by you. When you’re happy with your choice, just hit the big blue ‘Publish’ button to inish off.

After uploading your ilm, the site creates thumbnail options – pick the one that stands out most

3 Shameless promotion YouTube offers video-makers the ability to promote all sorts of extra curricular activities, including websites, fundraising sites, merchandise, plus other videos. Just hit the Cards tab to enable the item you want. 125

Going further

Share your GoPro footage Use the GoPro Channel YouTube’s not for everyone, in fact many people consider it too mainstream for their taste and purpose. If this is something you agree with then perhaps GoPro’s very own alternative will be more to your liking. To get started head to gopro.com/submit. Once you’re there hit the blue ‘Get Started’ button. Before you can begin sharing you’ll need to create an account, but don’t worry, this only takes a few minutes to do. When that’s done you’ll be asked to ‘Select iles’ or drag and drop them onto the interface – now’s your chance to use the iles you exported from GoPro Studio earlier. It’s worth remembering that only ilms and pictures shot with a GoPro are allowed, and they must be high resolution, plus you must own all the content including rights to any music.

Be among friends Sharing your files on the GoPro Channel means fellow adrenaline junkies will be able to view your efforts

Sign on the dotted… circle

Really sell it

If you’re happy for GoPro to publish your video footage on its channel, just select the consent circle so that a tick appears in it

Use the description box found here to promote your video. Use engaging and dynamic language to ramp up interest

126

Pigeonhole it To ensure your video appeals to the right demographic, use this options list to put your footage in the correct category

Submit With all the information boxes filled out and your video ready to show, all you need to do is hit the Submit button


Going further

For ideas, check out ilms on the GoPro Channel to see what people have written as descriptions

Using the GoPro App

Perfecting your package As your footage uploads (you’ll notice a blue progress bar and percentage counter near the top of the interface), you can use the time to ill in all the necessary information that will be shown with your ilm. First of all, give your video a title. Next add its shooting location; you’ll discover that the site offers you suggestions as soon as you start typing, which is rather helpful. Fill in a description, remembering to use exciting and dynamic language to intrigue potential viewers, and select a genre from the drop-down list to help pigeonhole your ilm into the correct category. If you’re particularly proud of your GoPro, you can choose to reveal what model you used to create your package from the list provided. Then when the ilm is fully uploaded to the site, all you need to do is tick the obligatory consent box and hit Submit. You’re now done, so just sit back with a warm bowl of popcorn and enjoy the show!

1 Download Head to the Apple or Android store and download the GoPro App for free.

2 Share Head to the gallery and select one of your GoPro videos or photos then hit Share.

3 Facebook To share on Facebook, select the icon then write a status and tap Post.

Share the love

1 Photo and video of the day Why not take the time to share someone else’s creation? Open the GoPro App.

4 Text it Send a file in a text by selecting the message icon, writing text and hitting Send.

2 How to share In ‘Photo/Video of the Day’ find something you like, hit Share and plump for a site that suits. 127

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Introducing GoPro Navigate your new camera and get your hands on all the latest add-ons and accessories

Set up your camera Unbox your GoPro, set it up and grasp the basics before capturing your irst GoPro adventure

Choose the right mount From the Fetch to the Gooseneck, GoPro ofers a range of diferent mounts to suit your needs

Navigate the modes Don’t just stick to videos, learn how to take incredible photos and use the Continuous Photo mode

U sing your GoPro Take your camera on your adventures – whether it’s on piste, on the track or in your everyday life

P roduce a great video Utilise the free GoPro Studio software to reine your footage and create inspiring videos

P erfect your photos Grab photos using GoPro App and edit your shots with Photoshop CC and Lightroom

S hare your footage Let the world see your photos and videos by sharing them on YouTube and the GoPro website

Go Pro the Complete Manual 3rd Edition

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