GoPro Tips
Jun 1, 2020

Welcome! You are now tuned into the GoPro Creator Series. This unfiltered series gives an exclusive behind-the-scenes look at how our favorite GoPro Family members are creating content. Grab your notepads, because the following is chock-full of how-to tips + best practices that you’ll want to tap into the next time you charge up your GoPro. 

Andrews Santana hails from São Paulo, Brazil. He first picked up a GoPro while on a trip to New York—it was a HERO4 and love at first sight … err … first photo. After that, Andrews took to GoPro Awards, submitting creative photos and videos regularly. He often found himself tagged on the @GoProBR Instagram, and then, the day came for him to be asked to join the GoPro Family as an ambassador.

Today, this former IT worker is a full-time content creator capturing GoPro content for DJs, resorts, TV hosts and sharing all his knowledge on how to have fun and make awesome content with GoPro Brazilian community on his website, gpnapratica.com.br.

While he may not be traveling right now, Andrews has some tips to share if you're daydreaming about your next trip like he is.

 

Here are Andrews’ Top 5 Tips + Tricks for using a GoPro action camera while planning (and enjoying) your next trip.

 

1. Daydreaming About Your Next Trip? Start Researching Now! 

Researching your travel destination is really important to find references for the type of content you will produce, to learn which mounts and accessories you’ll need and to conceptualize the videos and photos you’ll capture on GoPro. So, while landscapes, attractions and mainstream activities are awesome, I always try to look for places where nobody goes. This helps me capture unique content that no one has shared before. The best tip for this is getting in touch with locals.

I captured the photo below using:

  • Mode: Photo set to 3-second timer
  • EV Comp: -0.5
  • ISO Min: 100
  • ISO Max: 400
  • Color: GoPro

2. Have a Mounts + Accessories Game Plan 

Taking into consideration that you already know where you are going, it’s time to decide which mounts and accessories will suit you best. The following are the most versatile mounts that I always take with me on trips.

In one backpack pocket, I always have at least one:

  • Bite Mount — The best for 1st person POV.
  • 3-Way — The best for selfies or used as a tripod; perfect for situations where you want third person POV when no one is around.
  • Jaws Flex Clamp — To clamp in places only it can.

In the other backpack pocket, I have:

I captured the following using:

  • Mode: Time Lapse
  • EV Comp: -0.5
  • ISO Min: 100
  • ISO Max: 400
  • Color: GoPro

3. Use Presets + Protune Settings

HERO8 Black has a new feature that allows you to save your favorite settings as presets! This has been a game changer because I don’t have to manually change my settings for every new shot. It makes capturing content so much faster! 

My favorite modes to set presets for are time lapse, single photo and video.

For time lapse, I set it to a 0.5 seconds interval. This helps when I don’t have control of the situation or where I don’t know when the “action” will end in a scene. So, I let the camera capture photos as long as I see fit.

I use single photo mode for taking selfies or capturing landscapes.

And with video, I always try to make a small edit showing the entire trip, which is easiest when I keep things organized. Check back to my first tip, but in general, I make a script before traveling so I can really stay in the moment when I’m capturing content.

My favorite Protune settings (which I customize within the preset) are:

For Photos:

  • Protune: On
  • ISO Min: 100
  • ISO Max: 400
  • White Balance: Auto
  • Shutter: Auto
  • Color: GoPro

For Videos:

  • Protune: On
  • Resolution: 2.7K 4:3 @ 60-240fps
  • Bitrate: High
  • EV Comp: -0.5
  • ISO Min: 100
  • ISO Max: 400
  • White Balance: Auto
  • Color: GoPro

PRO TIP: For the video below, I used the Protune settings above with the resolution set to 2.7K 4:3—to capture the full range of the sensor—at 60fps.

4. Explore Angles + POVs

Never forget: GoPro cameras are the most versatile in the world! Sometimes a simple hole in the sand makes a sensational shot. But my PRO TIP is to post your photo upside down on social media—people will love it! Oh, and always tag @GoPro and use #GoPro when you do it! 

In this photo, I used Burst mode because I am not the best at handstands; I had to get a fast capture and this mode is perfect for it. 

  • Mode: Burst
  • Interval: 30/1
  • EV Comp: -0.5
  • ISO Min: 100
  • ISO Max: 400
  • Color: GoPro

5. Capture Sunsets + Light Painting

If you think you have to put your GoPro away once the sun goes down, you are wrong, especially while on vacation! Here it goes another two tips to be creative in the dusk and in the dark.

First, did you know that you can lock exposure manually? This opens a whole new world of creative possibilities with colors and silhouettes. In the photo below, with my HERO8 mounted on the 3-Way, I held my finger on the back LCD screen until the exposure lock appeared and tapped it again to lock it. Then, I set a 10-second timer and went for it.

If you liked that, you’ll love this next one. Another cool trick to do in the dark—which happens to be very popular and one of the most frequently discussed in the Brazilian communities—is light painting.

For this shot, I found a really dark place and used my Zeus Mini with a HERO8 using the settings below. All you have to do is hit the shutter button and start painting the air with your light. It’s always a ton of fun!

  • Mode: Night Photo
  • Shutter: 10 seconds
  • ISO Min: 100
  • ISO Max: 100
  • White Balance: Auto
  • Color: GoPro

That’s all for now, folks! I hope you find these tips useful!

Head over to the GoPro Tips YouTube channel for more Creator Series inspiration.