GoPro Tips
May 12, 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. 

Disclaimer: A bold statement is about to be made. Anyone who has traveled to or met someone from New Zealand knows that Kiwis are the nicest people ever. But Kyle Mulinder, a.k.a. Bare Kiwi, is possibly the nicest Kiwi in all the land. And we are honored that GoPro is such a big part of the Bare Kiwi brand. In fact, Kyle says GoPro has been a part of Bare Kiwi since its inception back in 2009. He picked up a HERO HD for a his first road trip and hasn’t looked back since. 

 

Here are Bare Kiwi’s Top 6 Tips + Tricks (+ settings) for using a GoPro action camera while traveling.

 

1. Make Mother Nature Do The Work

It was my first time to Lake Tahoe, Calif., and being a water boy, I couldn't travel so far without getting wet. I had just meet Carlos, a Mexican just as crazy as me, so it didn't take long for us both to go for a mid-winter swim! Unfortunately for Carlos, while he was jumping off this jetty, I spotted the perfect shot. I convinced him to lay still until the splashes calmed down and let Lake Tahoe to do the rest.

  • Mode: Photo
  • Output: Raw
  • EV Comp: -1.0 

PRO TIP: I always adjust the EV Comp when I'm shooting into the sun and want to limit the “blowout.”

  • ISO Min: 100
  • ISO Max: 400
  • Color: GoPro

2. Tapp Into the GoPro App

I'm very uncomfortable shooting anything in a city or urban situation, but one thing that gives me comfort is finding a puddle. I know this might sound strange, but I find only with a GoPro would you trust putting it low next to a puddle, in a drain or on the road like this.

To help me line up this shot, I controlled the camera through the GoPro app.

  • Mode: Photo
  • Output: Raw
  • EV Comp: -1.0

PRO TIP: EV Comp set to -1.0 is my go-to setting when shooting directly into the light.

  • ISO Min: 100
  • ISO Max: 400
  • Color: GoPro

3. HyperSmooth + Action + Sand = Amazingness

Sand, sand, sand, SAND EVERYWHERE! This was so much fun to make, but I'm still finding sand today. This video was all about the HyperSmooth 2.0 on HERO8 Black, because no matter how you tackle these dunes, you're in for a bumpy ride!

Even if you don’t have dunes, HyperSmooth 2.0 will turn any high-impact action into cinematic gold. 

  • Mode: Video
  • Resolution: 2.7K 4:3 

PRO TIP: Using a 4:3 aspect ratio ensures you capture the full height and width of the sensor, so you don’t miss any of the action.

  • FPS: 60
  • EV Comp: 0
  • ISO Min: 100
  • ISO Max: 400
  • Color: GoPro

4. Turn On Time Lapse, Turn Off Stress

Exploring ice caves on New Zealand's largest glacier, the Tasman Glacier, is possibly one of the most beautiful scenes I've been lucky enough to visit. It also makes for a very stressful time, because I don't want to waste all my time shooting—I want to take in the beauty and enjoy the moment. To get this memory without sacrificing the experience, I shot everything in Time Lapse Photo mode. 

PRO TIP: If you're keen on getting a sunburst, wipe the lens with your finger and see what happens.

  • Mode: Time Lapse Photo
  • Interval: .05 second
  • EV Comp: .05
  • ISO Min: 100
  • ISO Max: 400
  • Color: GoPro

5. Early HyperSmooth Gets the Shot

A little life lesson from this single-shot video: It doesn't matter how busy or what’s going on in your life, the sun will always rise and the world is very calm at dawn.

I wanted to film walking down this jetty just for my Instagram story—I never intended for this to be a post-worthy video. But, the combination of HyperSmooth 2.0 and incredible audio from HERO8 Black delivered in a way that this needed to be shared with the world. This video is a direct upload to my phone with only a slight color correction in the GoPro app. 

  • Mode: Video
  • Resolution: 2.7K
  • EV Comp: 1
  • ISO Min: 100
  • ISO Max: 400
  • Color: GoPro

6. Bring Extra Power

Durning the Kiwi summers, I work part-time as a sea kayak guide leading 3- and 5-day expeditions in the Abel Tasman National Park, which gives me the most amazing scenes both during the day and at night. This shoot took all night and four battery changes.

When I was setting this up, I figured I would get just shy of 2 hours of power per battery with HERO8 Black. In the past, battery changes mid-time lapse could result in hard work ruined due to movement. Now, with the redesigned battery door on the side of HERO8, it’s as simple as mounting to a tripod and setting my alarm—sleep, wake up, change battery, sleep, wake up, change battery.

  • Mode: Night Lapse 
  • Resolution: 2.7K 4:3
  • Interval: Auto
  • Shutter: 30 seconds
  • EV Comp: 0
  • ISO Min: 800
  • Color: GoPro

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