GoProテク
Jun 8, 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. 

We’re not sure which is more vibrant and entertaining, Malaysia-based content creator Baki Zainal’s social feed or his personality—frankly, both are amazing. Baki has a background in being a TV host and personality, and after spending a few minutes with him, you’ll understand why. He is the perfect mix of fun, funny and creative. When it comes to creativity, Baki said he first fell in love with GoPro while filming travel logs while traversing Asia. Today, he’s hooked on HERO8 Black and MAX. 

 

Here are Baki’s Top 5 Tips + Tricks for using a GoPro action camera to capture everyday moments.

 

1. LiveBurst Is Best For Jumping, Diving + Selfies

The new LiveBurst feature on HERO8 Black is my all-time favorite as there are so many different use-cases for it, but my favorites are for jumping photos, diving content and, of course, selfies.

Jumping Shots: I discovered how much I love these in Bali. After seeing Johnny Lo and his “invisible box jump shot” it got me thinking how can I create the same awesome effect or better. So, I experimented with turning LiveBurst on in photo mode, and I jumped across the frame. I found that it works really well because I get to choose from 90 frames of action. After a few tries, I think I’ve mastered it.

PRO TIP: Make sure your shorts are tight enough. 

Diving: Every time before I head out for a dive, I set my photo mode to LiveBurst. There are a lot of different, unpredictable conditions that are out of my control under water. And, marine life can swim by in seconds, so you always need to be ready for the big moment! To make sure I don’t miss the shot, I turn LiveBurst mode on because it captures 1.5 seconds before and after I hit the shutter button, giving me 3 seconds of underwater video footage that I can use as photo content. 

Selfies: I bring my mom on my travels often. She is 75 years old and does not understand “selfies”—even asking her to pose more than 1 second is near impossible! With LiveBurst, my mom nails every single selfie. With 90 frames to choose from, there’s at least one usable frame for the ‘gram!

2. Talk to the Camera—Really!

Recently, I started using HERO8 to make short, easy cooking videos. And, before the cooking starts, I record an introduction of my recipe for the day in my "vlog style." This means I find a quiet place (shielded from wind), hold my camera an arm’s length away and start recoding my intro. Even without an additional mic, the audio is really awesome. I don’t have to shout; all I do is speak clearly with my natural voice and my GoPro picks up the perfect sound bite. In fact, this method even works well for me after I emerge from a dive and film while I’m still in the water.

  • Camera: HERO8 Black
  • Mode: Video
  • Resolution: 2.7K 50fps

PRO TIP: Setting the frame rate to 50fps while shooting indoors prevents lights from flickering.

  • ISO Min: 100
  • ISO Max: 800
  • Color: GoPro

3. Vary Mounts + Perspectives

I tend to put my GoPro in really odd places to get perspectives that grab your attention. To do this, I rely on a variety of mounts. I’d say my favorites are the Jaws Flex Clamp followed by the Bite Mount and El Grande.

They’re all super convenient and capture really difference points of view, especially the Bite Mount. It gives you a perfect first-person POV every single time. Whereas El Grande is my go-to for panning shots and super selfies—it’s not too long nor is it too short.

  • Camera: GoPro MAX
  • Mode: 360 Video
  • Resolution: 5.6K 30fps
  • ISO Min: 100
  • ISO Max: 400
  • Color: GoPro

4. Create on the GoPro App

I use the GoPro app a lot … and I really mean it when I say a lot. I was never a content creator before. I came from a background of a TV personality, so I had a camera crew and editors who worried about the production and editing, while I just worried about making the show look good. But after I started playing with my HERO7 Black, I realized that I too can create my own special content. Now I get to share my world and my perspective from the way I want people to view it. I am in full control!

I don’t know how to use the more complicated, advanced video editing programs. And, I edit on my phone; it’s my tool and my life. Thus, all my content has been churned out solely on the GoPro app—it speaks my language. I need it to be fast and accurate but, at the same time, not complicated so laymen like me can still create and share our vision with the world. 

Whenever I am on the road traveling, all I have to do is take half an hour of my “me time” and, with the help of the GoPro app, I churn out at least one video per day :) And that has helped me a lot in my presence on social media. 

  • Camera: HERO8 Black
  • Mode: Video
  • Resolution: 2.7K 60fps
  • ISO Min: 100
  • ISO Max: 800
  • Color: GoPro

5. Don’t Be Afraid To Play—This Tip is the Most Important

I only just started creating my own on my own when I got a HERO7 Black. Since then, I have attended two awesome GoPro creator events—one in Asia and then the GoPro Creator Summit in Broome. 

When I first arrived in Broome, I felt so so tiny. Walking amongst all these social media legends and big names who have been creating their own content for the longest time. I struggled at first—what should I shoot ? How should I shoot? Will my content be good enough? Will people laugh? All these questions kept playing in my mind, but I soldiered on and I continued to shoot things that I liked. I didn’t know if I was doing it right, but I just kept pushing on and kept creating as I went.

Then, at the camp in Bali, I met Bare Kiwi and Johnny Lo who, during their session, confirmed that what I was doing was exactly right. Kyle, a.k.a. Bare Kiwi, said his motto is “your ordinary might just be someone else’s extraordinary,” and that just clicked with me. Their words empowered me to just create and play. The world is my playground, and I have two of the coolest toys with me—HERO8 and MAX—and I get excited every time I bring out my toys and experiment with new angles, new settings and new environments. I now see why it’s important to tell my stories using different angles n perspective.

I’ve long admired so many awesome members of the GoPro Family, like The Bucket List Family, Bare Kiwi, Johnny Lo, Febrian, Amelyn and many more, and I really aspire to be as awesome as they are one day. Deep down I feel that if I continue playing, maybe one day I get to be half as good and have people aspire to push the boundaries and create like me :)

With all this playing, it has been a crazy year, indeed. From meeting awesome GoPro Family members to crazy trips to shooting content and bagging a small part of the 2019 GoPro Million Dollar Challenge. I can’t wait to push more content and inspire more people as how the others have inspired me.

  • Camera: GoPro MAX
  • Mode: 360 Video
  • Resolution: 5.6K 30fps
  • ISO Min: 100
  • ISO Max: 400
  • Color: GoPro

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